Expert: Scott F. Gillman, DC, DACBSP - 9/3/2006

Question
hi . ive had back problems for the past 25 years . finally had an mri done and was referred to a orthopedic surgeon. he told me i have multi level arthritis but never explained anything else. my problems according to the mri are   disk herniation, disk dehydration, degereating disks, facet arthropathy with overgrowth. my question is .. can chiropractic treatment alone help my back.... needless to say i never went back to the orhto dr . he didnt explain nothing and was rather rude to me. please advice on what i can do . thank you , Diane

Answer
Diane,

Based on the limited information you've provided, what I can tell you is that you're back is not going to be easy to treat.  Nobody can un-do the degenerative changes to the joints.  If you have no nerve compromise, in other words, nothing is compressing or squooshing a nerve or narrowing your spinal canal, then you are likely not a candidate for surgery.  This means that you must stay in the conservative care realm.  Some people with arthritic joints like yours find temporary relief following various methods that chiropractors employ.  Distraction or decompression techniques should definitely be considered.  There are different types of "distraction tables" that DC's use.  Also, the latest buzz is "spinal decompression," though, sadly, some of the decompression system users will force you to pay $4000 to $5000 up front for the initial trial of care (usually at 4 times per week for 20 sessions...you should negotiate a fair price, or a shorter trial of care, e.g. 6 sessions, in order to see if the system is working for you).  I would suggest you find a DC who can employ distraction methods (e.g. Cox method distraction) to your spine both in flexion AND EXTENSION, and then add graded mobilization and then manipulation (to tolerance).   Other modalities, if you haven't already tried them, include soft tissue therapy (active myofascial release, Graston Technique) and exercise (often overlooked by doctors).  Lastly, there are various "pain management" specialists out there, MD's, who do injections into muscles and joints.  Some people find relief with these methods, and it's much less invasive than surgery.  Nutritionally - if you were my patient - I'd have you on Omega-3 fatty acids (e.g. fish oil) as well as a glucosamine/chondroitin sulfates, and possibly also on hyaluronic acid (though I'm waiting to read more about this one).      I hope this was helpful.   

Dr. G