Question
HELLO, DR. GILLMAN        I HAVE JUST COMPLETED MY 2ND NECK ADJUSTMENT OF C-6, C-7.  X-RAYS SHOWED DEGENERATION OF THE DISKS IN THIS AREA.  SINCE MY 2ND ADJUSTMENT, I HAVE EXPERIENCED SOME TEMPORARY NUMBNESS ON THE SURFACE OF MY RT. THUMB, WHICH WENT AWAY AND CAME BACK SEVERAL HRS. LATER ONLY TO RESOLVE AGAIN AFTER 15 MIN.  AM I HARMING MYSELF WITH THESE ADJUSTMENTS, AS THIS HAD NOT HAPPENED PREVIOUS TO THEM?   I HAD ONLY EXPERIENCED NECK AND LT. SHOULDER PAIN PRIOR TO THE CHIROPRACTIC TREATMENT?  THANK YOU  [email protected]

Answer
Jay,

From the information you provided me, it sounds like you already had an arthritic disc problem going into the chiropractor's office.  Degenerative discs and joints in the lower neck, as well a bulging/irritated discs usually cause neck pain as well as pain or discomfort into the shoulder and along side of the shoulder blade in the upper back (the medial scapular border).  These degenerative changes to the cervical spine also can cause numbness and tingling into the hand and fingers.  The skin over the thumb gets a branch of the C6 nerve.  Very likely the adjustments provoked your condition and caused this numbness, and also it is very likely that the numbness will resolve on its own.  There are a variety of methods for chiropractors to use in treating your spine.  If the only treatment is a forceful adjustment to the arthritic bones, then you must ask your DC to reconsider.  Manual tractioning may be helpful, as well as gentler techniques or techniques that avoid the C6 area.  While most likely the numbness in your thumb will resolve, your DC should not completely dismiss the symptoms.   Tell your DC about the symptoms and ask to have a brief neurologic check of skin sensation, arm/finger strengths, and reflexes to be sure that there is nothing bad going on.   Joint manipulation is quite safe even when applied to arthritic joints.  But, it depends on the individual as to how they will respond to it.  Some very arthritic people handle high velocity manipulation well and feel great, and others with minimal arthritic changes somehow do not tolerate the procedure.  So your DC may have to modify the methods to suit your particular needs.  This may involve heat and massage prior to spine adjustment, or the avoidance altogether of high velocity maneuvers.  With your treatment modifications done in this fashion, you are not likely to be harming yourself.  The goals of care are to improve symptoms and functional abilities, and NOT to "correct misalignments" as was once believed.  

I hope this was helpful.

Dr. G