Expert: Scott F. Gillman, DC, DACBSP - 3/23/2008

Question
I am 45 years old and was talked into a neck X-ray while visiting a chiropractor with a friend. I was advised that I had no curve and that two of the vertebrae were just about fused together. In fact it looked as though I was developing a bone spur. I had no pain when I went to see him. I functioned well. He told me we should look at the spine as well. The X-rays of the spine showed I had a curve in the mid to upper range of my back. He recommended 80 visits starting 3 x's per week to straighten the spine and put the curve back in my neck. We are done with the 80 visits and the back has improved quite a bit but the neck has a ways to go. At my age is it possible to get the neck to a normal curve? Can the two vertebrae that are almost fused together be corrected so that I don't get a bone spur? If not, what should I do to avoid the bone spur?

Answer
Carol,

Please review previous responses on the topic of neck curves and the outrageous treatment schemes that these chiropractors are pushing on the public.   Quite frankly, if you had no symptoms and were functioning well, then there is absolutely no reason to be getting xrays of your spine.  There is no proof that 10, 80 or 580 visits will ever straighten out a spine - and even if it did there is no proof that it will prevent you from having pain or losing your function (considering you had no function to lose to begin with).   It's absolute rubbish and it should be reported to your state's chiropractic licensing board exactly what you reported to me on this web site.  Fused vertebra or bone spurs cannot be corrected.  Improving the curvature of your neck has no bearing on your overall condition when you had no pain or disabilities to daily living activities.  As far as I am concerned you were suckered into an 80 visit scheme that likely did nothing for you.  If you had no pain and functioned well, why did you undergo 80 treatments and allow yourself to be exposed to xray?   This makes no clinical sense whatsoever.  Please feel free to bounce this off others on this AllExperts web site.  Even better, see what your state's licensing board has to say about this.  I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, but what you received in treatment falls outside of reasonable and clinically rational guidelines.   

'Sincerely,

Dr. G