Question
I see a chiropractor on a reg. basis once a month. For about 3 or 4 months my back has been causing a lot of pain. I must note that I have had 2 laminectomie, one in '85 and one in '91. My chiro. sent me for  MRI to see what the problem was. The report came back with bulging annulus at L4-L5 and Central 6.2 hernated disc at L3-L4 with effacement of the ventral subarachnoid sac. My 2 prior surgeries were at L4-L5 and L5-S1. He says he can treat me. Will I be doing more harm then good by continuing with the chiro.?

Answer
Hello Virginia,

Sorry to hear of your back pain and repeated surgeries.

Your condition, unfortunately, is not that uncommon.  Often once you have had one back surgery, a second, third and even a fourth often comes along.  Changing the natural biomechanics of the joints causes aberrant motion, dysfunctional wear and tear, and often necessitates further invasive intervention.
Your Doctor of Chiropractic has viewed new MRI films, and perhaps had other testing done (EMG/ncv, thermography, paraspinal ultrasound)?

Your Doctor of Chiropractic (the so called 'spine specialist' by many people) can certainly treat your spine with and / or without the herniated disc, bulging disc, prior surgeries, prior epidural injections, prior physical therapy.  Chiropractic has many treatment options; from spinal manipulation under anesthesia, to noninvasive spinal decompression traction, to soft tissue work, to traditional osseous approaches, to instrument adjustment.  Doctor of Chiropractic work on old and young spines ALL day, every day.  Fat spines, skinny spines, spines with all kinds of conditions can be worked on with one Chiropractic technique or another.

I think you will be doing more good then harm by going to the Doctor of Chiropractic.  Communicate with your DC, tell your Doctor what your concerns are.  Given your complicated condition you may need an increased visit schedule, a more rigorous treatment regimen; perhaps you could use a different approach.  But, you are at the right discipline, and probably the right doctor.

Disk   Herniation

Herniated  disk  is  actually  a  quite  common  condition.   However,  the course of the condition is highly variable.   Some patients with a herniated disk literally cannot walk, yet other patients with similar MRI findings may be able to run marathons or lift heavy weights.   Some people suffer for only a few days with pain and symptoms, some people suffer for months. Although the course is highly variable, there are certain steps that are always helpful to follow:  Ice the area when painful-  10/ 15minutes on, 30/ 45 minutes off;  avoid certain postures and movements;  bend the knees when coughing or sneezing;  bend the knees when lifting anything;  do not extend legs straight out when sitting, laying down, lifting, or driving.   Avoiding certain movements and postures will prevent aggravation of the condition.   Practicing good postures and movement patterns will help the condition heal and be less painful.
Disk  Herniation  is often caused by, or often  concurrent with the Vertebral Subluxation Complex.

         Vertebral   Subluxation   Complex    (a.k.a.  憇ubluxation?
The vertebral subluxation complex is 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.

Subluxation  is  a  serious  condition  identified  by  its  five  parts:

    Spinal Kinesiopathology:
         This is fancy way of saying the bones of the spine have lost their normal motion and position. It restricts your ability to turn and bend. It sets in motion the other four components.

    Neuropathophysiology:
         Improper spinal function can choke, stretch, or irritate delicate nerve tissue. The resulting nerve system dysfunction can cause symptoms elsewhere in the body.

    Myopathology:
          Muscles supporting the spine can weaken, atrophy, or become tight and go into spasm. The resulting scar tissue changes muscle tone, requiring repeated spinal adjustments.

    Histopathology:
         A rise in temperature from an increase in blood and lymph supplies result in swelling and inflammation. Discs can bulge, herniate, tear, or degenerate. Other soft tissues may suffer permanent damage.

    Pathophysiology:
         The VSC contributes to OsteoArthritic degeneration.  Bone spurs and other abnormal bony growths attempt to fuse malfunctioning spinal joints. This spinal decay, scar tissue, and long-term nerve dysfunction can cause other systems of the body to malfunction.

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.

I hope this helps.  I wish you luck and good health, naturally !

Thanks for the question,your staten island chiropractor signing off.

Dr. Victor Dolan, DC
http://www.DocDolan.net
http://www.GoodHealthNaturally.info
http://drvictordolan.chiroweb.com  (email newsletter)