Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka Cares for Cervical Disc Herniations and Related Radiculopathy
Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka treats Sitka neck pain patients with cervical spine disc herniations that cause arm pain radiculopathy. Non-surgical care of arm pain radiculopathy helps Sitka neck pain and arm pain sufferers find some relief without surgery.
CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY
In managing for cervical spine-related arm pain known as cervical radiculopathy, research guidelines state conservative management as a first-line treatment option over surgery. Clinically, cervical radiculopathy can pose as motor change, paresthesia, reflex change, numbness and/or sensory change. Researchers have been collaborating to establish guidelines for its non-surgical management and treatment at various stages of pain including acute, subacute, and chronic. (1) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka uses such guidelines in planning non-surgical treatment for our Sitka chiropractic patients.
GUIDELINES FOR TREATING CERVICAL DISC HERNIATIONS
In writing the non-surgical guidelines, researchers described the risk-benefit ratio for surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy as less promising than for non-surgical, conservative care. In looking at care of cervical radiculopathy through its phases, the non-surgical interventions’ guidelines shift from more passive care in the acute phase to chronic/more active, individualized, self-managed care. Particularly, for the acute stage, multimodal management including spinal manipulation, patient education, exercise, and positioning that relieves the pain were helpful. For subacute cervical radiculopathy, enhanced specific exercises, supervised motor control motions and/or mobilization may be incorporated. For chronic pain, general aerobic exercise and strength training, postural instruction, and ergonomic assessment of job-related activities may be included}29}. (2) We find that our neck and arm pain patients are ready for activities like this that allow them to return to living.
TIME AND THE CERVICAL DISC HERNIATION
Overall, in one systematic review study, 56.4% of degenerative cervical radiculopathy patients - 39.1% of conservatively treated patients and 60.5% of surgically treated patients – described motor deficits before treatment. (3) A spine surgeon described a case report of a patient who was ready to undergo cervical spine discectomy/fusion surgery for a C4-C5 disc herniation whose repeated MRI showed that the disc had resorbed, making surgery needless. The researcher conceded that more research was available on lumbar disc herniations’ reducing as seen on MRI by 34.7% to 95% over 6 to 17 months and total resolution of the disc in 43% to 75% yet contended that cervical disc herniations were apt to do the same. (4) Like the author, Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka holds out hope for our cervical disc herniation and cervical radiculopathy patients that surgery may not be required. Our conservative Sitka chiropractic treatment may well help in relieving the symptoms and pain.
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Umar Ellahie on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he illustrates cervical radiculopathy and its relieving care with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Make your Sitka chiropractic appointment now. Cervical radiculopathy and cervical disc herniation sufferers experience a pain-relieving partner at our office.
