QuestionSevere pain and loss of range of motion sent me to a chiropractor. The pain was/is between my shoulder blades. X ray showed that my spine veers to the left, just a little, between my shoulder blades and also 2 fused vertebrae in my neck. Several chiropractic visits later gave me some relief, but the pain always returns. Can this "lean" in my spine be reversed? What can i do about the pain (OTC pain meds do virtually nothing to reduce the pain)? What can i do to help myself? Do i have to see a chiropractor forever? etc. Please help. Thank you for your time.
AnswerStaten Island Chiropractor, range of motion, scoliosis
Hello Blair,
I am sorry to hear of your complaints/ condition.
The Doctor of Chiropractic is a good choice for your complaints. Unfortunately "....Severe pain and loss of range of motion....", show that your condition has progressed very far. You state: ".... 2 fused vertebrae in my neck....."- what is your age?, are you young- with these fused vertebrae being with you from birth?, a developmentsl anomaly?, are you middle aged- AFTER a surgical spinal fusion?, are you a little older with ARTHRITIC fusion? THESE answers are VERY important.
"..... Several chiropractic visits later gave me some relief, but the pain always returns......", you can certainly use Chiropractic like a pain-killing medication: go to the Doctor when you are hurting, go a few times and often the pain can be reduced or eliminated.
Kind of like going to the dentist- some people only go when their cavity is HURTING them.
Some people practice prevention- they go to the dentist yearly for checkups, see the hygienist avery 3- 4 months for cleanings. Some people do the same for Spinal Hygiene- see the doctor every month for preventative chiropractic.
You sound like you have a severe problem. You can focus on 'first aid', on 'band aids', focus on 'pain management', or you may desire a longer term solution and undergo a regimen of Chiropractic for corrective / rehabilitative reasons.
"....Can this "lean" in my spine be reversed? ...."- unkown given the information listed here.
Need more info- similar questions: ' ".... 2 fused vertebrae in my neck....."- what is your age?, are you young- with these fused vertebrae being with you from birth?, a developmentsl anomaly?, are you middle aged- AFTER a surgical spinal fusion?, are you a little older with ARTHRITIC fusion? THESE answers are VERY important. ' . This 'lean', this scoliosis could be permanent, or may not.....
"....What can i do about the pain (OTC pain meds do virtually nothing to reduce the pain)?....."-BE VERY VERY VERY CAREFUL with PAIN MEDICATIONS !!!!
In my Staten Island Chiropractic office I give out this information to my patients:
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.
Dr. Victor E. Dolan, Staten Island Doctor of Chiropractic; Diplomate, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomate, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST Chief of Chiropractic in a Hospital in New York State (DHSI); As Seen in PREVENTION Magazine , Invited to Colorado Springs (Olympic Training Center) to Care for USA Olympic Athletes 2010
As you can see from the research- pain killers sometimes kill more than just the pain!!! BE VERY VERY CAREFUL TAKING THE MEDICATION !!!!
"....What can i do to help myself?....."- only you can set your own priorities. You certainly can continue to take pain medications with the posible side effects listed above, death, liver damage, kidney failure, stomach bleeding, etc.
Perhaps surgical intervention is appropriate- talk to your Doctor of Chiropractic- see if surgical referral is needed!
Perhaps a short term of Chiropractic care is needed- just a couple of months to get out of pain, followed by a corrective course of Chiropractic for correction/ rehabilitation of your spine, like physical therapy after surgery, this may only take a few months.
You ask; "....Do i have to see a chiropractor forever? ......", of course not- you can stop seeing a Doctor ANYtime you want to. Diabetics do not HAVE to take their medication every day if they do not want to. You do NOT have to see a Dentist- even if your teeth are hurting!- only YOU can decide what YOU want to do!
Again I have an information sheet that I hand out to my Staten Island Chiropractic patients for their own information:
Treatment Regimen
Why do I need to have treatment __________________ ? ! ??
( TWICE A DAY, EVERY DAY, 3- 4x/week, 2- 3x/week, 1- 2x/week ) Depending upon your specific condition, your specific case, you may need to be seen many times in a short period. If your condition is severe, complicated, particularly painful; you may need close, frequent attention. Similar to medicine, usually the more severe the case the more often medicine is taken with larger doses. The Doctor of Chiropractic works with hands and therapy in person to accomplish the goal, the MD can treat 憀ong distance?via medicine without actually seeing the patient for treatment.
Why do I need to have treatment for (weeks, months, years!?! ) ?
Again, the Doctor using chiropractic techniques needs to get 慼ands on?in person. An MD can treat a patient without actually physically seeing the patient every day through medicine; i.e.: 搮Here are 60 pills, take one a day every day, and I will see you in two months厰. The dentist can say- 搮here, wear these braces 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for the next two- three years. I will see you every two weeks, but I抣l be treating you every day, 7 days a week, 24 hours a day for the next few years厰 .
People can wear braces and retainers for YEARS. It can take YEARS to move the bones (known as teeth) into their proper position. It can take years and years, and thousands of dollars ! But, those teeth (bones) have to be properly aligned to have a nice smile. BUT you do not have to keep wearing the brace or retainer, you can take the brace off any time,,,, and let the teeth go back to their misaligned positions (habit).
Some people with certain conditions have to take a medicine every day, seven days a week, 365 days a year; 搮..for the rest of their life??. Sometimes someone can have a damaged heart, lung, liver, kidney, pancreas; and they have to take a medicine, sometimes a FEW medicines, every day, sometimes for years, sometimes 搮for the rest of their life厰 . Similarly, a damaged neck or back, a damaged spine, a damaged nervous system can sometimes use treatment ?..for the rest of their life厰 .
Most people who go to the Doctor of Chiropractic feel a difference in their pain in as little as two or three weeks. Instead of taking years (like braces and the teeth) to make changes, the dynamic spine can start to feel better very quickly. To maintain the proper position and movement of the vertebrae (bones) it can take a continued regimen of care (of course not as frequent as the initial schedule, but to maintain gains, maintenance has to be performed). BUT you do not have to keep up with treatment, you can stop any time you want,,,, and let the vertebrae go back to their misaligned positions (habit).
It is a joke amongst Chiropractors that the DC is a magician- first Chiropractic makes the pain disappear, and then the patient disappears as well !!, BUT- pain is the last thing that comes in a problem, and the first thing that disappears under treatment,,,, but the disappearance of pain does NOT mean complete correction of the underlying health problem.
Dr. Victor E. Dolan, Doctor of Chiropractic; Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST Chief of Chiropractic in a Hospital in New York State (DHSI); As Seen in PREVENTION Magazine
AFTER correction is made, often maintenance is needed:
What ? ! , I have to brush my teeth!?,,, after EVERY meal ! ? ,,, For the REST of my life ! ? ! ... I don抰 want to. period. I won抰. To heck with it ! If I get a hole (cavity), THEN I抣l take care of it. Maybe I won抰 get any cavities anyway?.
It took the American Dental Association YEARS to educate people that they should brush frequently to avoid dental disease. It has taken YEARS to educate patients that visits to the Dentist for hygiene, cleanings, flossing, coatings, etc. are necessary to PREVENT dental problems. Some people still do not floss after every meal, some do not even brush often enough (yyyuuukkkk), so some people still have severe dental problems despite all the knowledge about PREVENTION and dental health maintenance that is out there. Can you believe it ?? !!
Some people have the same problem with PREVENTATIVE Spinal Health
that used to exist with preventative dental health. Some people come to the Doctor of Chiropractic and say, ?..do not adjust me, just give me therapy...? some people say,
?..What ? ! , I have to practice SPINAL HYGIENE !?!, (practice proper postures, proper movement patterns, and see the Chiropractor periodically !?!), Naahh, ... I don抰
want to. period. I won抰. To heck with it! When I get PAIN, then I抣l take care of it.
( pain is often the LAST symptom to appear- whether a cavity or a heart attack ! )
Vertebral Subluxation Complex (a.k.a. 憇ubluxation?
The vertebral subluxation complex can be the underlying cause of many healthcare problems. 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.
This (Subluxation) is a serious condition identified by its five parts:
Spinal Kinesiopathology, Neuropathophysiology, Myopathology,
Histopathology, Pathophysiology.
The Vertebral Subluxation Complex describes what happens when spinal bones lose their normal movement patterns and position.
Automobile accidents, improper lifting, improper posture, alcohol, emotional stress, chemical imbalances, and long periods of sitting can cause the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
Vertebral Subluxation cannot be corrected through chemicals (medicine), stretching, yoga, massage, vitamins or physical therapy alone. Subluxation- a neuro/skeletal/muscular- mechanical- problem requires a mechanical correction- - - a manipulation, best performed with the chiropractic adjustment. For good health- Treat the Cause, not just the Symptoms.
Chiropractic corrects the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.
You cannot be 慼ealthy?if you have a Subluxation. You MAY feel it, with a pain, stiffness, or a 慿ink?in your neck/ back. You may NOT even feel it-
just as people often do not feel the cavity growing in their tooth,,,, until it hits the nerve; or you may not feel it at all, like people do not feel high blood pressure or diabetes until AFTER damage has been done!! PREVENTION- Visit the Doctor of Chiropractic REGULARLY,,, just like your dentist! (practice spinal hygiene as you do dental hygiene -PREVENTION!-
Dr. Victor E. Dolan, Staten Island Chiropractor; Diplomat, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomat, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST Chief of Chiropractic in a Hospital in New York State (DHSI); As Seen in PREVENTION Magazine
Often safety issues can come up when discussing ANY type of treatment- Again, this Staten Island Chiropractor has information for the patient, perhaps these statistics will be of help to you:
Safety Issues
Are you aware of the SAFETY issues relevant to different health approaches / treatments? Here is some PUBLIC published information that may interest you:
Pain Killing medication??? = 16,000 deaths ( probably under-reported )
DEATH ! ? ! ? better watch out on those medications!!!
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
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)
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.
The above information must also be viewed in the light that these ADVERSE morbidity/ mortality statistics are in all likelihood--- UNDER-reported! Please see this research:
"Death by Medicine" is an eye-opening paper published as a Web exclusive in the March 2004 issue of Life Extension, a monthly magazine dedicated to "up-to-date coverage of the latest scientific and medical breakthroughs from around the world." As the grim title suggests, the paper explores the hazards of conventional medicine in the United States, analyzing and combining the complete published literature to date regarding injuries and deaths attributable to medicine.
In their introduction, the authors note: "Never before have the complete statistics on the multiple causes of iatrogenesis been combined in one paper. Medical science amasses tens of thousands of papers annually - each one a tiny fragment of the whole picture. ... Each specialty, each division of medicine, keeps their own records and data on morbidity and mortality like pieces of a puzzle. But the numbers and statistics were always hiding in plain sight. We have now completed the painstaking work of reviewing thousands and thousands of studies. Finally putting the puzzle together, we came up with some disturbing answers."
The "disturbing answers" the five researchers uncover are an indictment of the entire American medical system:
* "The total number of deaths caused by
conventional medicine is an astounding
783,936 per year**." ( **caused by medicine )
* "The number of people having in hospital, adverse drug reactions (ADR) to
prescribed medicine is 2.2 million."
? "Richard Besser, of the CDC, in 1995, said the number of unnecessary antibiotics
prescribed annually for viral infections was 20 million. Dr. Besser, in 2003, now
refers to tens of millions . of unnecessary antibiotics."
"The number of unnecessary medical and surgical procedures performed
Annually is 7.5 million."
* "The number of people exposed to unnecessary hospitalization annually is 8.9 million."
* "It is evident that the American medical system is the leading cause of death and
injury in the United States."
The authors are especially concerned that "(a)s few as 5% and only up to 20% of iatrogenic acts are ever reported." (It must be noted that these reports on MEDICAL failure are compiled by MEDICAL personnel, and therefore these statistics a probably BIASED in favor of medicine, with poor outcomes being omitted or dismissed from the research. The statistics are probably LOWER than the reality.)
They also project that the costs associated with deaths caused by medical interventions total approximately $282 billion per year, and estimate that the costs for unnecessary hospitalization and medical procedures total $16.4 billion per year.
As if this information isn't startling enough, the paper goes on to review the drug industry world. The authors discuss the dangers of many types of drugs and how their overuse is affecting our health and our environment, Next, they discuss the dangers of surgical procedures, the lack of error reporting and unnecessary hospitalization. The paper concludes with a discussion of how women are mistreated by medicine, and the dangers awaiting the unsuspecting elderly: "A total of 20% of all deaths from all causes occur in nursing homes."
The complete text of "Death by Medicine" was found online at www.lef.org/magazine/mag2004/" mar2004_awsi_death_01.html. (as of 2006)
More than 150 references and an extensive appendix support the discussions and conclusions presented in this paper. While many will find it quite disturbing, every health care provider and every patient should read this paper.
Reference
1). Gary Null, PhD, Carolyn Dean, MD ND, Martin Feldman, MD, Debora Rasio, MD, Dorothy Smith, PhD. "Death by Medicine." Life Extension March 2004
Compared to these statistics (above), many 慛atural? 慉lternative? 慔olistic? (aka Wholistic), Complementary approaches such as chiropractic, acupuncture, nutrition, exercise; these CAM approaches, by research statistics seem much safer.
Comments on Chiropractic (see at: http://www.chiropracticissafe.org/ )
Spine: 15 February 2008 - Volume 33 - Issue 4S - pp S176-S183 doi: 0.1097/BRS.0b013e3181644600
搮.Positive associations were found between PCP visits and VBA stroke in all age groups?.? ( = visiting your MEDICAL DOCTOR seems to have increased risk of STROKE ),,,, continued-搮.Conclusion. VBA stroke is a very rare event in the population. The increased risks of VBA stroke associated with chiropractic and PCP visits is likely due to patients with headache and neck pain from VBA dissection seeking care before their stroke. We found no evidence of excess risk of VBA stroke associated chiropractic care compared to primary care??= NO increased risk from Chiropractic.
David Cassidy (^^ above study Co-Author) states: 搮.Has it ever happened that a Doctor of Chiropractic has CAUSED a stroke?, I cannot say it has never happened. BUT, if it is happening, it is not happening at a greater risk then when visiting the General Practitioner Doctor of Medicine??
This research could surprise you, but you should be aware of the relative risks of the different treatment approaches you may utilize.
I hope this information helps you make an informed decision. If you need further, do not hesitate to REcontact me here at ALLexperts.com.
I wish you good luck whatever health decisions YOU make for YOU, your Staten Island Chiropractic Expert signing off,
Dr. Victor Dolan, DC
Staten Island Chiropractor; Diplomate, American Chiropractic Board of Sport Physicians; Diplomate, American Academy of Pain Management; Certified Clinical Nutritionist (IAACN); FIRST Chief of Chiropractic in a Hospital in New York State (DHSI); As Seen in PREVENTION Magazine , Invited to Colorado Springs (Olympic Training Center) to Care for USA Olympic Athletes 2010
