Question
Hello:
    A very good friend of mine has been experiencing painful and very annoying electrical sensations ever since he had a chiropractic adjustment of his lower back about 13 years ago.  The sensations shoot through his legs and up into his head, and they apparently began immediately after the adjustment.
    My friend has seen many doctors and mental health professionals over the years to try to solve this problem.  He has had countless MRIs and therapy sessions.  He has been told that the adjustment probably damaged his spinal cord, although there is no concrete evidence (e.g., from an MRI or other measurements) that this is the case.  He has been battling severe anxiety and depression.
    For the last several years, my friend has stopped trying to get to the bottom of the issue and has been, instead, treating the symptoms with various drugs, including: klonopin, morphine, vicodin, xanax, alcohol, and marijuana.  He had quit drinking alcohol for a few years, but he has recently resumed drinking alcohol.  It seems the approach has led to drug addiction because he is now convinced that he needs all these drugs, and he can't seem to get enough of them.  He has lied to his doctors to get what he thinks he needs.  Needless to say, I am very concerned about him.
    One thing that makes this so difficult is that, while I believe that he is experiencing the electrical sensations, it also seems possible that he is just using the electrical sensation story as a convenient excuse to obtain and use drugs.  He has an addictive personality and has always enjoyed partying and gambling.  I wouldn't be too surprised if the underlying source of his problem is not spinal cord damage or some other physical problem but is, instead, anxiety/depression coupled with drug addiction.
    Any advice you can give me is greatly appreciated.  Here are some specific questions for you:
1. Is it possible that the electrical sensations were a result of the chiropractic adjustment?  If so, is there anything that can be done to treat them (e.g., deadening a nerve) besides taking all of these drugs?  Is there any way to measure these sensations or to actually see the damage to his spinal cord?  (He was told several years ago that the damage would only have been visible, e.g., with an MRI, within a few days of the initial injury and that it is now too late to see the damage.)  (Also, my friend claims that he can bring on the electrical sensations by relaxing his bladder as if he were urinating.)
2. Any advice concerning his drug use?  It seems clear to me that he's using too many drugs, but maybe he truly does need some of these drugs to treat his pain.
3. Any specific specialists you can direct me to?
4. Any specific resources (e.g., websites, books) you can direct me to where I can learn more about this problem or learn about other people who have battled a similar issue?

Thank you very much!


Answer
Is sounds as though your friend has a lot of problems. To begin the spinal cord ends in the upper lumbar spine around L1 or L2. So a lower lumbar adjustment could effect some nerves if patient had a pre-existing condition such as a space occupying lesion (herniated disc, tumor, etc). I think you are right that you friend may be addicted to these drugs. If your friend had a herniated disc or spinal cord problem the MRI would have revealed it. Your friend could still have back pain not from an adjustment but from degenerative changes that will continue to progress.

You question might better be answered by a psychiatrist, or addiction specialist.