Have any of you ever considered going to a chiropractor for pain relief without drugs?

My recent MRI had revealed that I have several disc herniations and spinal cord impingement with C6 and C7 being the worse.

And that for years my C1 (Atlas) and C2 (Axis) never stays in place. Getting worse as years have gone by.

I have gone to a chiropractor since 1999 for my lumbar L4, L5 and S1 issues.

I now have had a Thoracic MRI and Cervical MRI and they showed T4 is herniated and again C1, C2, C3, C4, C6 and C7 are really messed up. To say the least.

My current chiropractor had suggested that I try cervical decompression. Where they decompress the cervical spine with slow mechanical movements. It is painless and actually I go to sleep for the 5 to 7 minutes that I am having it done, lol. It has helped me tremendously. My migraines are eased and I can sleep better than I have in a long while.

Mind you that I have been dx with RRMS too.

I have recently been talking with my old chiropractor from where I used to live and she has been a Godsend to say the least.

She suggested that I would benefit from seeing a Upper Cervical Chiropractor (they xray you standing upright) They are able to see problems of the cervical spine differently as opposed to lying down the conventional way.

I recently was able to buy a great read on this very subject. "The Downside of Upright Posture" by Michael Flannagan, D.C. ($24.95)

It is so informative and is an easy read. I can't put it down. It was talking to me to a T!!! Best money I ever spent.

Mind you, I have had no success with neuro's and my reg PCP on why my face was going numb and how I lost partial vision in my right eye. They still think it is from the MS as the optic neuritis keeps recurring.

While I have lesions on my spine (reason for RRMS dx) ... I wonder how much my neck has played a role in this and could it actually be from not enough blood supply going to my brain.

I never believed in chiropractic until about 1999 when a good friend from work had found relief from his painful back.

I exercise as much as I can and I stretch ALOT. Recently I have changed my diet. Gluten free, a little at a time, to see if I see any changes in how I feel.

Can't hurt ... and wouldn't it be LOVELY ... if just this simple change can take some or all of our pain away .. without the use of drugs? Drugs are toxic to the rest of the body. Mmmm something to ponder on.

Praying for pain free days ahead
God Bless
Str*

yup....tried 6 or 7 over the yrs along with DO's and acupuncture, massage, phys therapy. no luck way before I went the drug route. I recently had been very deconditioned and my high blood pressure was problem. I did not want to add more drugs i tried swimming slowly and aqua therapy and hanging upside down from gym equipment....apparently I did more harm than good. honestly, cranial sacral therapy and these various injections are the only things that have helped my cerv disc issues. diandr

Pain relief without medication is always the primary goal of pain mangement.

Studies have shown that physical therapy is as effective as surgery in the long term for some conditions.

study: surgery vs. physical therapy

Myofascial Trigger Point Therapy (MTPT) is very effective for soft tissue and some musculoskeletal issues.

TENS, Biofeedback, Mindfullness Meditation, diet (avoiding triggers and feeding the body with nutrients), supplements (Do you consider supplements to be medications?), distraction, acupressure/acupuncture, lifestyle changes, and other techniques can all be effective for some. Medications generally are—and should be—the last resort before surgical intervention.

I accomplished cervical decompression (as much as possible) with gentle traction.

Chiropractic can be a polarizing topic around here. Ask IllPn (there are others as well, but I'd have to search for posts/threads) about chiropractors for cervical issues.

Lumbar... maybe, if you buy into that stuff.
I'd be extremely wary, particularly with the kinds of spinal issues of members here.
emphasis mine

I don't expect to change any minds of chiropractic converts/followers, but for any on the fence or wondering, I advocate diligent research and coming to one's own conclusions rather than anecdotal evidence.

Doc

Hi Doc,
You said, "I accomplished cervical decompression (as much as possible) with gentle traction."

How did you do it, with a physical therapist or your own home traction device, etc?
Thanks, Diandra

Both. It began with PT, at which time it was suggested I might get a home unit. After asking a lot of questions of PTs, my doctors (my ortho uses one) and reading online, I chose an over-the-door unit and made some slight modifications so it would work better for me.

Doc

I did the same Dr. Smith; through PT and my Neurosurgeon at the time. It felt great hanging off the door and while in it. But the minute I came out of it, it just seemed like my facet joints just slammed back down for lack of a better description. And I did this for 3 years!! It wasn't until I found a great SPINAL PM doc, that found that true problem(s). Facet joint injections were the ticket for pain relief at that point. It was wonderful to be completely pain free for a few weeks. But my C3/C4 was so far gone, I had to have a fusion. C5/C6 two years later. My point being, it is always best to have conservative therapy first but if too far gone, more has to be done. As for as Chiro goes, I will only relay what my PM had to say. He said, "Some people swear by it. But as for you and as bad as your cervical spine is, STAY AWAY from them UNLESS they are just going to work on the muscles and relieve spasms!" Just remember, the cervical spine is a far cry from the lumbar and far, far more serious.

Hi Kathi,
It sounds like you did the conservative route as long as you could, which is the smart thing to do and then had the surgery. Did the surgery help you? Are you glad you did it?

I did have the Facet injections yesterday. The doc gave me 15 mg of Valium to take 30 min before and I was pretty loopy before I got on the table....after so much pain it felt good to be that relaxed. I do think the shots helped...He injected into 3 sets of facets joints and said I may be sore for a couple days.

In two weeks I have the ablation. Since you have had the ablation, even though it was lumbar, Could you explain your experience in a bit more detail if you recall it. The lit the doc gave me says:

"Since nerves cannot be seen on x-ray,the needles are positioned using bony landmarks that indicate where the nerves usually are. fluoroscopy x-ray is used to identify those bony landmarks. a local anesthetic like a lidocaine is injected to minimize the discomfort after confirmation of the needle tip position, a special needle tip is inserted. when the needle is in good position, as confirmed by x-ray electrical stimulation is done before any ablation. this stimulation may produce a tingling or pressure sensation Or may be like hitting your funny bone. you may also feel your muscles jump. you need to be awake during this procedure so you can report what you're feeling. the tissue surrounding the needle tip Are then heated when electric current is passed using the radiofrequency machine for, a few seconds this numbs the nerves semi-permanently."

The facet joint injections, were not painful, not much more than a flu shot. However this sounds much more painful if they are running electrical stimulation into a nerve to test for correct position and then a heated electric current zaps the nerve. Did you experience much pain?

Would love to hear your thoughts or anyone who has had the ablation. Thanks, Diandra

p.s. wanted to recommend the "Dragon" dictation app. I use it on my Ipad. I talk my "post" into the app and then copy and paste into this thread....it saves me SO much typing.

Hi Diandra, yes, I went the conservative route for 3 years; everything and anything, you name it. Plus handfuls of meds (non-narcotic) which I NEVER want to go through again. I was so sick to stomach all of the time, dizzy, in a fog and on and on. I forgot to say that this all began in 2000 so it has been several years and I haven't had any injections for cervical spine for awhile. At least two years now. But I have for the lumbar.

Anyway, I am giggling at you. I shouldn't say that. What I mean is I am understanding of your fear of the RF. I could NOT wrap my brain around it! I thought just as you did. If they are going to destroy the medial branch nerves, I WILL feel it!! WRONG! I didn't feel a thing! What your doctor told you is correct. So, I will just add what my own doc said. He said that the medial branch nerves sole purpose in life is to transmit pain. That's it...that is all they do! So, they aren't like motor nerves. Again, I was scared and told him I just could not fathom this procedure. He simply said to trust him and I wouldn't feel anything. And I didn't. I believe he gave me a cocktail (IV) of Versed, Fentanly and Toradol. And the only thing I remember saying is "How about those Colts?!" That and a feeling of a thump in my leg periodically. And yes, I was awake! I know I said more things I just hope I didn't spill any beans ha!ha! So, I have had this done at least 3 times over the years and each time it gave me about a year or longer in relief. Seriously, it was easier than the facet injections. But my facets were always inflamed anyway.

I am glad the injections weren't too painful for you and you are having some relief. Give it some time...at least two weeks. I remember calling in once and swearing up and down that they didn't work. I was wrong. I just had not given it enough time. And yes, you might have an increase in pain for a bit but it should subside. And the Valium. Isn't it great for an injection procedure?! Sometimes my doc will give me a few but it really depends on the type of injection. Most of the time I just don't take anything.

So, keep us posted as to how you are doing. It's a great thing to get relief.

Oh almost forgot. No, I do not regret the surgery for two reasons. I had cervicogenic headaches every day 24/7 for 3 years. And that pain was off the charts! I can still get them periodically but normally can kick them out with ice, heat and my regulars meds. Secondly, and most importantly, the C3/C4 level is very critical due to the phrenic nerve. My Neurosurgeon had stated that any fall, any accident, etc. would either cause me to stop breathing or I would be paralyzed for life. So, the C3/C4 was in very, very bad shape. The C5/C6 was going then but I managed to hold off for two more years. In any case, no I don't regret either one. Last summer I was told that the C4/C5 is getting bad so I am keeping an eye on that level so to speak. I really don't want to go through this again due to the spasms that can be horrendous. But if I have to, I will.

I think most everyone is in violent agreement on that point.

Doc