Question
Some chiropractors sound like snake oil salesmen by claiming to cure everything.  Realistically, what could they treat and what conditions are better treated by traditional health care professionals?

I used to go for adjustments about ten years ago to treat neck pain.  I did get relief for several years, but then found that the pain did not respond to treatments anymore. When in addition to pain, I began to loose strength and coordination in my hand, I saw a neurologist and orthopedist who specialized in the spine. I had large bone spurs compressing my c-5 c-6 levels.  I went to a neurosurgeon who did a two level decompression foraminectomy WITHOUT fusion. He said that the spurs were large and if I had waited much longer, I would have had permanent nerve damage.  He also said that the discs above and below the treated levels were not great and that if I had been fused, I would have ended up with the domino effect and permanently disabled.  The surgery was done seven years ago and was successful.  Post op MRIs showed that decompression was achieved and flex xrays showed that my spine was stable.

Lately, I have been experiencing lots of muscle tension in my neck and shoulders. Would adjustments be safe seven years after the cervical surgery?

I also had ruptured the disc at the l-5 many years ago and five years ago, the spinal surgeon said that I had 5 percent of the normal disc space left and the substance that remains is like a powdery consistency. He called it vacuum disc.  I did NOT have surgery for that. I do sometimes get flare ups of muscle spasms at that level.

Would adjustments be safe at the L-5?

How could adjustments help carpal tunnel?

My husband has had neck pain for years but the past two months has been in agony. He also has shooting pains down his arm and into his hand. He recently saw an orthopedist who took xrays and discovered large bone spurs.  Flexeril takes the edge off but doesn't really help.  He is starting PT tomorrow.  

When bone spurs are compressing the nerve, is it realistic to expect chiropractic treatments to help?  If so how?

Answer
Hi Amy,

Some chiropractors are like snake oil salesmen...  
First off, let me say that "adjustment" means different things in different chiropractic offices.    I wish to define it for this discussion as: manual, high velocity joint manipulation to the spine.  When done skillfully, it is generally safe to perform regardless of bone spurs or disc degeneration.  Even when there are positive neurologic signs, e.g. reduced reflexes or weak muscles, it can be safe and effective.  It also can make things worse.  While this can be said for any therapeutic intervention, the point I want to make is that it can be done effectively to help improve a musculoskeletal condition.   Chiropractors, by professional definition via global consensus, treat musculoskeletal conditions, particularly of the spine.  There are "adjustments" as well as a host of other methods at the chiropractor's disposal.   This includes different forms of soft tissue mobilization.   There is active myofascial release techniques, Graston Technique, massage, along with modalities such as therapeutic ultrasound and targeted exercises.  In your case, it is a matter of trying different methods and seeing which ones help or not.   It is manual medicine, not a pill, and there is an artistic component.  In other words, the hands-on skills of the doctor can make a difference.   You may find that some DC's have a great feel for working on you and also have enough training in different methods that they can draw on their educational experiences and apply what they've learned to help you achieve a therapeutic goal.    There is a difference between evidence-based chiropractic doctors and those that present themselves like "snake oil salesmen."  You will know the difference...   

I hope this was helpful.

Dr. G