Question
Dear Scott,
I would like to ask about cervical bone spurs and would appreciate your sound advice. Presumably a person met with a car accident and damaged his cervical spine, meaning that there happens to be a bone spur on the C5 and C6 disc columns. The bone spur has decreased the disc space and is presses on the spinal nerves as a result, causing numbness and pain to the limbs and back of course. Surgery proposes that the disc causing the bone spur be removed and replaced with an artificial bone that ultimately reduces the pressure on the nerve, thereby reducing the numbness. Or is seeking chiropractic help better and less riskier? I heard that chiropractic help can aid to increase the disc space so as to decrease the pressure on the nerves. Thanks.

Answer
Joel,

People with bulging discs and bone spurs (or both) can find relief in some cases with commonly employed manual therapy from a chiropractor.  It depends on the amount of neurologic impairment caused by the disc/spur, if there are issues of instability to the vertebrae, and also on the inherent nature of the patient.   No two patients will respond the same way.  Some might be indicated for surgery, but could find relief with manual therapy.  Others might seem indicated for a course of manual therapy but do well at all, or worsen, and end up doing well with a surgery.   Without knowing all the symptom and physical examination parameters of the patient, it is difficult to truly know which methods will be best.   The patient simply must undergo examination by both the surgeon and the chiropractor.   As for risks, chiropractic is very safe (I can evidence this by my puny malpractice premiums).   We treat people with these conditions every day.   Some of the reasons why patients with radiating neck/arm/hand pain and numbness get better remain elucive, and we only have hunches as to whether it was disc hydration, adhesion reduction, or less chemical pressure on nerves.   For neck injury patients with radiculitis with no signs of nerve damage and who are not eager to consider surgery, it is surely worthwhile to give the chiropractor a few weeks worth of treatment to see if the symptoms can be improved.  

'Hope this answers your question.

Dr. G