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Ashburn Chiropractic Care of Adjacent Segment Disease After Fusion

“For every action there is an equal and opposite reaction.” Just a physics rule? Not at all! It applies to many things in life, including neck and back pain. Adjacent segment disease shows this principle! When back pain is managed with back surgery, especially back surgery involving a spinal fusion, the reaction to the action of the fusion is pressure on the spinal segments above and below the surgical area. These are the adjacent segments. These segments take over the work of the surgical segment which they were not created to do. These adjacent segments protest with pain of their own. Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn soothes these rebellious adjacent segments with gentle, non-operative, pain-relieving chiropractic treatment.

WHAT IS ADJACENT SEGMENT DISEASE?

Researchers describe adjacent segment disease (ASD) as a “disappointing long-term outcome for both the patient and clinician.” Cervical and lumbar spine adjacent segment disease is reportedly between 2% and 4% a year according to one study. It influences reoperation rates after spinal fusion. Risks for ASD are assorted including existing degeneration of adjacent segments, predisposition to degenerative changes, and changed biomechanical forces due to a previous fusion. Non-surgical treatment for adjacent segment disease is the first option to try as long as progressive neurological deficit is not an issue. (1)

HOW DOES BACK SURGERY INFLUENCE ADJACENT SEGMENT DISEASE RISK?

Types of surgical approaches have an effect on the chances of fusion along with adjacent segment disease. Total disc replacements (TDR) for neck pain conditions using a ball and socket are devised to maintain motion and replicate normal motions of the cervical spine. In a surgery for adjacent segment disease in a patient with a TDR, fusion was seen, yet adjacent segment disease was present too which took the patient back to surgery. (2) Adjacent segment disease after a single level lumbar fusion was a substantial cause of post-surgical issues in a new report. It commonly signaled the need for reoperation following a thoracolumbar fusion, exposing patients to more post-surgical issues and longer recovery periods. (3) Low back pain patients who underwent fusion surgery had an elevated risk of post-surgical work-disability after insurance regulation alterations compared with low back pain patients who were treated non-operatively or with decompression alone. (4) In one study, the reoperation for ASD was 25.2% for L4L5 fusion though adjacent segment disease at L5S1 after an L4L5 fusion surgery was low. (5) Another study of 1000 patients who experienced back surgery with fusion reported that 9% experienced adjacent segment disease on average at 4.7 years after the first surgery. Adjacent segment disease was most common in degenerative spondylolisthesis at the cranial fusion segment. Risk for adjacent segment disease was elevated in patients whose fusions were longer. Adjacent segment disease happened more quickly after fusion in elderly patients and in those with degenerative lumbar scoliosis. (6) Chiropractic non-surgical care may meet the plea for non-operative treatment pain after back surgery including back surgery with fusion.

HOW DOES CHIROPRACTIC ADDRESS ADJACENT SEGMENT DISEASE?

Support via research for Ashburn chiropractic care of post-surgical continued back pain grows. A study of 32 post-surgical back pain patients cared for with Cox® Technic reported improvement of 41% to 57%, greater in those who had combined surgeries like fusions. (7) Another study of Cox® Technic treatment reported that 69 post-surgical continued pain (PSCP) patients experienced active chiropractic care in the form of Cox® Technic Flexion Distraction for an average of 11 treatments over a 49 day period. Pain relief was 71.6% (SD: 23.2). Twenty four months later, the sustained pain relief was 70% with 32 patients needing further care to keep their pain relief. PSCP patients showed pain relief following specific chiropractic distraction spinal manipulation. (8)

CONTACT Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn

Listen to Dr. Lee Hazen on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson about his care of a failed back surgical syndrome (aka post-surgical continued pain) patient with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

Schedule your Ashburn chiropractic appointment today. Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn cares for post-surgical continued pain and adjacent segment disease. It’s not necessary to suffer the reaction to the action of back surgery when Ashburn chiropractic non-operative care is available at Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn.

Poulin Chiropractic of Herndon and Ashburn offers relieving care non-surgically to back pain patients suffering with adjacent level pain after spinal fusion surgery. 
 
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."