Question
QUESTION: Dove into swimming pool age 17, hit teeth on bottom, snapped neck back.  Felt electric shock down spine, but no paralysis.  What an idiot.  Now 45yo & having pain under (R) clavicle.  pain ranges from burning to aching to bee sting-type pain.  When palpated get click-click noise to left and some (r) arm numbness and tingling.  Would lidoderm patch be of any help.  Thank you!

ANSWER: pinched nerve versus muscle spasm, numbness tingling, lidoderm patch

Hello, sorry to hear of your lifetime of symptoms.

First I will start with the lidoderm patch.  This medical procedure is best discussed with your Medical Doctor.  As a Doctor of Chiropractic  I do not recommend for or against Medical procedures or Medicines: only a Medical Doctor is allowed to recommend for/ against medicine.  That being said, we can discuss the lidoderm patch with the understanding that I am neither recommending for or against.

The lidoderm patch, as I understand it is a painkilling medication applied topically through a patch.  Good thing about it is that you can probably put right over the painful area or close to the painful area.  Probably an effective pain killer.  Different people tolerate different drugs differently.  If you have had problems with anesthetics in the past, you need caution in using this. Pain killers are certainly necessary when we cannot tolerate the pain, but painkillers do not help heal or treat the cause of a condition. Painkillers 'confuse' the body, block pain signals while the underlying condition remains.  Painkillers provide symptomatic relief- covering up the symptom of pain, while not treating the condition.

Pinched nerve, muscle spasm, numbness, tingling- You give your history with a spine injury as a teenager.  I would certainly recommend a visit to yourFamily Doctor of Chiropractic for an evaluation.  Your cervical spine was damaged years ago.  The nerves from that damaged spine are probably irritated.  The spine is probably deteriorating, degenerating through the process called osteo-arthritis, 'degenerative disc disease',  'degenerative joint disease', possibly concurrent with a herniated disc or two.

The above condition(s) would be well evaluated and treated by your Doctor of Chiropractic, and most DC's would also add some long-term nutritional supplementation for bone, joint and nerve support.

Muscle Spasm is usually not primary, muscle spasm is usually a symptom of an irritated nerve.  Nerve irritation usually begins at the spine, so your conservative spine specialist- the family DC would be a good professional to visit.

As always, this article is meant for discussion, informative, educational purposes only.  Only the treating Medical Doctor can comment upon appropriateness of medication.  Only a treating health provider can give a specific DX and TX.

Thank you for your question, good luck and
Good Health, Naturally,

Victor Dolan, DC
http://www.GoodHealthNaturally.info
http://www.DocDolan.net

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

QUESTION: Disc degeneration is a progressive disease, then.  What happens when left untreated (other than worsening pain, will I   loose the ability to flex or rotate my neck)?  Can DJD be "cured"?  If not, what methods, other than surgery, can slow its progression?  I know that chiropractic manipulation is always a good option, but would this have to be done for the rest of my life.  Do bone, nerve, joint supplements really work?

Answer
Hello again, thank you for the followup and additional info.

Yes, Disc degeneration is usually a progressive problem.  That being said, I have patients into their eighties with a minimum of spinal joint degeneration (a minimum of spinal osteo-arthritis), and young people in their thirties with advanced DJD.  Why the difference?- In part due to the treatment regimens chosen by the patient.


Perhaps you drive an automobile.  If you do drive, you probably practice PM or preventive maintenance upon your auto.  Occasionally you may bring the car in for a checkup and the front end may need to be properly aligned.  You do not HAVE to align the front end, but if you do NOT align the front end, the car does not track properly, steer correctly, and the parts and tires wear out abnormally fast. The CHOICE to properly align the front end or not is yours.  Proper alignment allows slower degeneration of the parts and tires.  Improper alignment allows quicker, fast degeneration of the parts and tires.  Replacement of the parts ("Surgery") without proper alignment allows even the new parts and tires to wear out quickly.  Proper alignment allows the parts and tires to last longer with fewer problems.  The CHOICE is yours.

Our body joints are similar.  When our joints are in proper alignment wear and tear does not occur as quickly as when the joints are not in proper alignment.  I have older patients (60's,  70's,  80's) who through their lives have had all of the car accidents, falls, sport injuries, etc that occur to all of us- - - but they went to the family Doctor of Chiropractic for treatment of these injuries (which caused improper alignment of their joints) and their recovery was faster, more complete, with less followup degeneration.  I also have younger patients who suffered an injury, who took painkillers, muscle relaxants, anti-inflammatories; which were good- as far as they went to treat pain, spasm and inflammation; but the improper alignment was left unaddressed- and degeneration followed.

Joint degeneration, joint deterioration, osteoarthritis, left untreated is a highly variable disease.  On average however, it is a progressive disease.  If you do nothing, in all likelihood it will progress, meaning increasing pain, decreasing motion, increasing spurs, decreasing strength, possible fusion of joints.

I know of no surgery to stop this progression.  I do know that spinal surgery on one level usually increases osteoarthritic degeneration of neighboring levels due to compensatory changes.

Can  DJD be "cured"?  Like many conditions, it can be managed, not really cured.  Many people are stuck with medicine every day, for the rest of their lives.  Many people take medications for their symptoms and some suffer severe  side effects.  Blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, pain, many conditions REQUIRE  medication for THE REST OF THE PATIENT'S LIFE.  But, actually I am incorrect; to treat the symptoms, the patient is required to take meds forever- -  - but they do not have to, the CHOICE is theirs, they can stop taking meds, and experience the results, perhaps suffer the consequences.  Perhaps, the patient could lose weight, exercise, take some targeted nutrition, change their lifestyle, do something (something instead of nothing), and get off the medications and concurrent side effects, and not suffer from the condition!

But of course, the lifestyle change would have to be FOR THE REST OF THEIR LIFE.   The choice is theirs.

Can DJD be "cured"?.... '... chiropractic manipulation is always a good option, but would this have to be done for the rest of my life.... ',  Well,  DJD can be managed, like many conditions we humans experience.  Cured? Not really.  Require a daily treatment by a Doctor of Chiropractic? (daily treatment, like pills for blood pressure, cholesterol, pain, diabetes, etc), daily treatment, no, probably not.  Weekly treatment? possibly- depending upon the age of the patient, age of the condition, severity of the condition.
One or two treatments a month? possibly- dpending upon the age of the patient, age of the condition, severity of the condition.

Do you HAVE to see the family Doctor of Chiropractic? No. I have learned that in life,,, we only have two things we absolutely must do:
we unfortunately HAVE to pay our taxes, and unfortunately we HAVE to die.  There are no other 'have to's '  in life.  You do not have to see the chiropractor for spinal hygiene, it is your choice.  You do not have to brush your teeth for dental hygiene, it is your choice.

The 'rest of your life' could be a long time.  Personally I hope you CHOOSE to do the best for your health that you can.  Avoid disease by a proper lifestyle.  Manage conditions as conservatively as possible, with the fewest side efects possible.  Yes, the rest of our lives requires certain 'work'- but we can choose not to do the work, not to do the preventive maintenance.

Do supplements work?  I think so, I have seen many conditions improve through conservative chiropractic, nutritional management,,, even sometimes, depending upon condition, resulting in a 'cure'.

Take a look at the outcome of a naturally healthy life:  one of my heroes- Jack LaLanne- Well into his 90's and 'healthy' as a horse!
Of course, he exercised every day of his life, and will for the rest of his life. He ate properly, and will for the rest of his life. He trained as a Doctor of Chiropractic in the 1930's - - - but made more money as a personal trainer!, His life and health are NOT an accident.  His  CHOICE  was health and fitness.

Certainly there are things not in our control.  But just because some things are not within our control does not mean we should give up on the things that are in our control.

We know what builds ill health.  We kow what builds good health.  The CHOICE is ours, and yes- for the rest of our life!

Hope this helps.  Do not be discouraged.  It is a cinch by the inch.  Little changes can pay big dividends.  Eat right, take some glucosamine, chondroitin, calcium, magnesium, etc.  See the Doctor of Chiropractic- build better health- for the rest of your life!

As always, this article is meant as information, education, a discussion on the conditions described.  Specific evaluation and recommendations can only be made by the treating health professional.

Wishing you- Good Health Naturally!

Victor Dolan, DC
http://www.DocDolan.info
http://www.GoodHealthNaturally.info