Question
QUESTION: My question is simple; is thoracic disc (T4, T5) repair possible?

ANSWER: Hi Dan,

Depends on what is wrong, if it's just herniated, sequestered, bulging or prolapsed than flexion/distraction will decompress it non-invasively. This will prevent the risk of paralysis, permanent disability, unnecessary pain and suffering and least of all, expense.
Many Chiropractors have flexion/distraction tables, call around and find one that does. You can expect significant results in 2 weeks or less. If the disc is completely collapsed and foraminal narrowing impinges the nerve root, a laminectomy is required. That would be the only mechanical reason to get surgery. If you still have doubts, look at all the questions in the spine surgery section and you won't find one success story, only nightmares.

http://www.coxtechnic.com/

Good Luck!

Dr. Timothy Durnin

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

QUESTION: Hi,

The information is actually for my brother Mike.  I have attached an email he has sent out to some places in the states with little or no luck at all.  His pirits are quite low and he needs to find help.  

Thank you
Dan


If you'd like to reply directly to him, his address is:

[email protected]

"My name is Mike Mielhausen. I live in Ontario Canada.

I have been suffering with what was (finally) diagnosed as Degenerative Disc Disease about three years ago now.

Previous to that, I was told I had very mild scoliosis with curvature and rotation...and that there didn't seem to be any reasons for the intense pain I was experiencing.

Without digging out my MRI results, etc...

I went through the gamut of hopeful "fixes"... chiropractic, massage, physical therapy, acupuncture treatments, pain specialists, surgeons, anti-inflammatories, muscle relaxers, and a host of pain medications... the last of which was Hydromorph Contin...
of which I took myself off of, "cold turkey", two summers ago... because the dose had increased very much and it wasn't helping me... and I simply did not like who I had become while on them.

I had become a "couch potato" that, when looking at myself in the mirror, because of the apparent level of "relaxation" (or whatever) of said medication, would see one eye slowly drift away from being straight on with the other... ???

I presently do not even have a doctor and am trying, unsuccessfully, to just deal with the always present, discomforting pain.

I've been off work since sometime in 2002, and life in general, is not good.

Something I consider to be important mechanical information about this problem:

Two summers ago, I had "facet shots" into these degenerated discs... and the whole problem vanished (!)... for about two days. So, my hopes of the problem being fixed went right through the roof, back to extreme disappointment...

So, mechanically, discs slanting forward being set back straight with the cortisone facet shot injections, is a large hint in my mind, that something to permanently set them straight, IS the fix...

So, my question to you, quite simply:

What are the options to repairing THORACIC discs, numbers T4-5, with implants or other?

Thank you very much for looking at all this.

I'd be grateful and hope to hear something, any information you may have, in the near future.

Thanks again,
Mike Mielhausen"

Answer
Hi Dan,

He sounds pretty "bumbed out",:(

He must understand that a DC with a F/D table is key, it doesn't matter if he saw 10 Chiro's with no results, if they didn't use flexion/distraction, it won't help, period!

You or he needs to call around his local area and find a DC with the tables, his problems are 50% gone in two weeks on average and cured (Discs) not scoliosis in 6-8 weeks. He needs to read that website I showed you to see if he had the treatment, if he did and it failed, he would be a very small minority that is contributed to physician incompetence and not treatment design.
In 16 years of practice and thousands of herniated disc patients, not one failed to recover fully, so he needs this treatment, finding it may take a day or two but there are plenty of DC's with F/D tables.

Let me know if there are any further issues and I will get personally involved by phone.

Good Luck!

Dr. Timothy Durnin