Question
QUESTION: I have a pinched nerve resulting in numbness in my left hand (pinky, ring finger and top/outside edge). I visited a chiropractor who found my forward head carriage was 34mm, and my C5 and C6 discs were degenerated (level 3 or 3.5 out of 4). He is recommending I sign up for 116 visits for spinal adjustments and attend several workshops, stating that this should result in straightening out my spine and also allow my degnerated discs to regenerate. It should also correct the pinched nerve, and should imporove my stenosis. I am a 50 year old male in general good health. This treatment seems excessive and expensive to me. Do you feel this aggressive approach will really deliver on the promises made? Thanks very much!  sb

ANSWER: Steve:  run as quickly as you can out of this office!!   I would also suggest that you report this doctor to your state's licensing board, stating to them exactly what you stated to me.   That chiropractor's behavior is totally unethical and completely out of bounds of any logical clinical parameter.   Degenerated discs do not regenerate...  Your spine will not straighten out... Oh brother!  It is so very embarassing...    If you want to see something different, go to www.westhartfordgroup.com   or www.acbsp.com   and find an evidence-based, ethical doctor of chiropractic.   If you don't speak up to the licensing board, then clowns like this will negatively impact the unknowing public, and further will do no justice to the legitimate chiropractic profession that deserves the highest regard in our healthcare system.

Please feel free to contact me again if need be.

'Best,

Dr. G


---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Quick follow-up - is there any validity to the forward head carriage reading of 34mm, and is this something I should try to improve through chiropractic treatments? (Doctor I went was really pushing this...) Thanks!

Answer
Steve,

We hypothesize that forward head carry is bad because it puts undue strain on the neck tissues and can cause headaches and back pain, etc.   What we don't know is if it really impacts our health.   Look around.  Nearly everyone has forward head carry, but they all don't suffer with ailments as a result.   We simply do not know the impact of forward head carry, nor do we know how to effectively un-do it, nor do we know if un-doing it will change your pain picture.   There is no guarantee that changing the angle of your cervical spine curve will result in anything meaningful.   So why would anyone want you to undergo some ridiculous number of treatment sessions if there is no understanding of the potential outcome?  What about the potential harm?   There is no more evidence that the forceful neck extension fulcrum methods or joint manipulation will improve your head posture any more than you doing exercises.   Did the doctor mention that it is plausable that conditioning your hamstrings could improve your forward head posture?  What about foot orthotics changing your head posture?   How much money do you want to spend to test these theories?    Personally, I'd bank on the hamstring conditioning and foot orthotics...  

'Hope this helped.

Dr. G