Question
I have had years of neck muscle pain -- from extremely tight muscles throughout the back of the neck.  My orthopedist recently ordered an MRI and says that while there was one finding, it likely has nothing to do with this pain, which he feels is from stress and bad posture.  The finding is C3-C4 small central disc protrusion with mild impression on the ventral surface of the cervical cord.  He says findings like this occur all the time in people with no pain and it would not explain the severity or location of the symptoms.  Should I seek another opinion?

Answer
neck pain, neck MRI, foward neck posture, bad posture, staten island chiropractor dr. victor dolan, stress, disc protrusion, staten island neck pain,




Hello Pete,

First let me wish you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, a HEALTHY New Year, Happy Holidays!

Let me cut to the chase, you ask: "....Should I seek another opinion?...."- if in doubt, check it out!  Yes, do not hesitate from seeking another opinion if the first opinion does not quite 'sit right' with you.

If your regular family Doctor of Chiropractic (DC) is not helping with your problem, does not explain the MRI completely- certainly get another pair of eyes to evaluate the MRI, and YOU.

There are MANY specialties in Chiropractic, just as there are many specialties in Medicine.
Your Orthopedic Doctor has given an opinion filtered through his training and experience, perhaps another set of eyes could look at the MRI, MRI report, examine you IN PERSON; given your complaints I would recommend looking for a Chiropractic Neurologist or Chiropractic Radiologist in your area (see: http://www.acatoday.org/userImages/File/Microsoft_Word_-_Approved_Chiropractic_S(1).pdf for the various Chiropractic Doctor specialties).

You say:  "....I have had years of neck muscle pain .....", USUALLY chiropractic care is very efficient at ending neck pain, or at least bringing the pain down to a minimal, more tolerable level.  If you have been with the same doctor for that length of time (YEARS), it is time for a different approach, different technique (there are many in Chiropractic), or perhaps a different doctor.

You go on to say: "....from extremely tight muscles throughout the back of the neck.....", this sounds like it could be 'Forward Head Posture'- more on that later!

From your description: "...My orthopedist recently ordered an MRI and says that while there was one finding, it likely has nothing to do with this pain, which he feels is from stress and bad posture....";  sometimes a test (WHATEVER: an MRI, Xray, CT scan, EMG, EKG, etc etc) shows little or nothing--- but the patient can experience great pain or dysfunction!, conversely--- a test can show great damage---> but the patient experiences little or NO pain or dysfunction!!!--- tests are important, BUT only as a part of an overall evaluation.  That overall evaluation includes the testing(s) done, as well as IN PERSON physical examination, and ,,, how the patient feels and functions...

"...The finding is C3-C4 small central disc protrusion with mild impression on the ventral surface of the cervical cord...."- Every Chiropractic Doctor (s well as many Medical Doctors) have had the SAME or similar findings.  ome patients with these findings cannot get out of bed due to pain,,,,, others with the same findings are running marathons and lifting heavy weights!   An MRI (or CT or EMG or ANY test) is just a piece of a puzzle, not the end-all and be-all of a patients complaints.

You state (regarding the doctor): "....He says findings like this occur all the time in people with no pain and it would not explain the severity or location of the symptoms..."; true, true!
Please see above--- a test result on paper is only a PART of the picture.  YOUR disc protrusion may be taking place in a smaller spinal canal= more pain!, YOUR disc protrusion may be NEW to you (from som injury?) and therefore the CHANGE is causing more discomfort.  Perhaps YOUR disc protrusion is overlayed upon some pro-inflammatory state: do you eat a poor diet?, a SAD (standard american diet) diet, do you smoke???- these things will make that 'small' protrusion more significant by being PRO-inflammatory.

You ask, "...Should I seek another opinion?....", as I answered above, if for any reason you are not comfortable with this doctor or the explanation, or recommendations--- YES go for another opinion.

Now, I had spoken about 'forward head posture' (because you mention poor posture and FHP is common cause of neck complaints- with or without the disc involvement) so i would like to address this possibility as a cause of your complaints:

You may have this (FHP) forward head posture.  Your complaint of pain seems to be your neck, but FHP can cause neck pain, headache, shoulder/arm/hand pain, even mid and lower back pain.

IF, if you go for that second opinion, I would recommend: go to a 'spine specialist'- a Doctor of Chiropractic.
There are many techniques/ specialties in chiropractic, just as there are many techniques/ approaches/ different pharmaceutical treatments within the medical field.
        If you are ONLY concerned with >pain<, perhaps a different chiropractor could clear up your pain in as little as 2, 3, 4 weeks.
        If you are concerned with overall health, with spinal curvature, with preventing future spinal degeneration, then you can look into a longer regimen of care.  
        There are different goals, different regimens available to you:  pain control, or structural correction.
        Some people go to the dentist to get their teeth straightened, some people go to the dentist just for cavities.  Chiropractic is similar- you can probably get your PAIN taken care of fairly quickly  and/or then you can aim at more long range goals.

Some web sites that may be of interest to you:
   http://www.necksolutions.com/neck-posture.html , http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090711194011AAGCwaY ,  http://www.scoliosis-support.org/showthread.php?t=7891 ,
   EXCELLENT SITE: http://www.chiro.org/LINKS/Forward_Head_Posture.shtml ,
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Chiropractors-965/2009/7/forward-head-posture-correct ,
http://en.allexperts.com/q/Neck-Injury-2727/Upper-Middle-pain.htm ,

I hope all this information helps with your decision making.

At my Staten Island Chiropractic office, I try to control pain- but I also try to restore proper spinal curves, postures, alignments, motion.  Pain is an important but addressing the CAUSE of pain is important also.  I hand this out to my patients:


BE  CAREFUL  OF  PAIN  MEDICATIONS:


PAIN
        
Pain  is a  憆ed light on the dashboard?   
RED  LIGHT  =   Trouble !!

Pain  is  your  body  telling  you  that  something  is  wrong.   
Think  you  should  listen??

That RED LIGHT on the dashboard of your car-
-- do you ignore it until the car breaks down,
or do you get it checked and correct the problem?  

Pain,
pain in your body-
-- do you ignore it until your body breaks down,
or do you get it checked and correct the problem?   

Pain,  do you cover up the pain by taking a painkiller?  Take a painkiller, mask the pain, and allow a problem to progress in your body?


Pain  Killing  medication???  =    16,000  deaths   ( probably  under-reported )
        DEATH ! ? ! ?    better   watch  out  on  those  medications!!!  

        NOTICE  ON  PAIN  RELIEVERS:

Label changes ORDERED by FDA;  the FDA announced proposed label changes for OTC over-the-counter pain relievers to  include the potential for stomach bleeding and liver damage (FDA news  206- 207;  12-9-06) ;
SIXTEEN THOUSAND DEATHS: "Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are effective medications for the treatment of many chronically painful medical conditions. However, it is estimated that 25% of all serious adverse drug reactions involve NSAIDs, with more than 100,000 hospitalizations and 16,000 deaths occurring annually due to NSAID-induced gastrointestinal (GI) events."----- http://hhc.sagepub.com/cgi/content/abstract/13/6/468   Home Health Care Management & Practice, Vol. 13, No. 6, 468-475 (2001)  Motrin, Advil = NSAIDS

    The  American Heart Association issued a scientific statement  recommending medical doctors change the way they prescribe OTC pain relievers from a first choice  to an alternate of recommending non-pharmacologic treatment (AHA statement  2-26-07).

    NSAID Acceleration of ARTHRITIS; an important side effect of Aspirin and other NSAIDS is that it will inhibit cartilage repair and accelerate cartilage  destruction ( Journal of Rheumatology, 1982; 9: 3- 5 ).   Many times people take NSAIDS  for  the pain of Arthritis,  not realizing these drugs may make the underlying condition worse.   These medications  cover  up  the  pain,  and  cause  the  problem  to   worsen.

http://rinf.com/alt-news/business-news/prescription-drugs-kill-300-percent-more-.
= An analysis of 168,900 autopsies conducted in Florida in 2007 found that three times as many people were killed by legal drugs as by cocaine, heroin and all methamphetamines put together.    BE  CAREFUL  WITH  THAT  MEDICATION !!!
It was reported in 2000, that 700,000 U.S. citizens die as a result from medical causes (iatrogenics). Of course, other records and statistics had the number above the one million mark. Whether 700,000 or one million people, that's a lot of innocent people dying from visiting a hospital and trusting a medical doctor.= http://www.dherbs.com/articles/iatrogenics-99.html

Pain  can  often  be  the  result  of  the  Vertebral  Subluxation  Complex.
Vertebral Subluxation  is  actually  a  quite  common  condition.   Doctors of Chiropractic look for pathological conditions which may require referral to other specialties,   and also look for 慡ubluxation? Other disciplines look for pathology, but overlook the importance of alignment and movement in the spine which affects our nervous system  (the master control system- ALL health disciplines learn this).  VSC- 慡ubluxation??can be the cause of many symptoms and conditions.


Only  a  Doctor of Chiropractic  will  evaluate  and  treat  for  VSC,   as  well  as  other  pathology.


The course of VSC is highly variable.   Some patients with VSC literally cannot walk, yet other patients with similar test findings may be able to run marathons or lift heavy weights.    Some patients immediately develop symptoms related to the VSC,  some patients take years to develop symptoms.  Some people suffer for only a few days with pain and symptoms, some people suffer for months.  Some people recover in days, some take months or years, depending upon severity of the condition.

A subluxation interferes with the proper functioning of the nervous system (the master system which controls and coordinates all function within the body) and may cause various other conditions, symptoms and problems.
The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position.  When subluxated, joints are in a stressed, vulnerable, compromised condition.  Subluxation may cause Arthritis, Disk Herniation, or aggravate such conditions.

     Vertebral  Subluxation   cannot   be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching,  yoga,  vitamins  or  physical  therapy  alone.       Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular-    mechanical-    problem  requires  a    mechanical correction-  -  -    a manipulation,         best  performed  with  the  chiropractic  adjustment.

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

If you need further information, do not hesitate to REcontact me here at AllExperts.com: http://www.allexperts.com/ep/965-100794/Chiropractors/Victor-Dolan-DC.htm .

Thank you for your question.  Your pain COULD be coming from that MRI finding, your paind could be coming from the Vertebral Subluxation (see above) associated with that MRI finding.
Visit a different- perhaps specialist chiropractic doctor for another opinion, and perhaps different tratment.

Again, Happy Holidays--- and a HEALTHIER  New Year !!!

Good Luck, and I wish you Good Health, Naturally!

Your Staten Island Chiropractor,
Dr. Victor Dolan