Mar 24

Failed Back Surgery Pain Relief

Gentle spinal manipulation for back pain that lingers or returns after back surgery (aka persistent post-surgical pain or post-surgical continued pain) is proving effective. And Cox® Technic as used at our clinic is getting notice for its relieving outcomes! So, have you had back surgery? Do you still have back pain…or has it returned? You’re not alone, especially in wanting the pain gone. Some will choose more medical options like surgery or pain meds or physical therapy, etc. Others will seek non-medical options like spinal manipulation. A recent meta-analysis of published data on the types of spinal manipulation used to treat back pain patients with persistent spine pain after lumbar surgery concluded that spinal manipulation practitioners chose to use potentially gentler non-thrust techniques – 85% of practitioners chose gentle, non-thrust flexion-distraction (aka Cox® Technic) – over thrust techniques. (1) A published study of 69 post-surgical patients treated with Cox® Technic documented that in 11 visits over a 49-day treatment period 81% of the patients attained more than 50% relief of pain. The mean percent of relief was 71.6% at the end of care and 70% at 2-year-follow-up. (2) The frustration of back pain is understandable. The frustration of back pain after back surgery that was hoped to eliminate it is even more so. We offer Cox® Technic to reduce the pain…and the frustration!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Gary Stefanick on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he detailed the relief his patient got with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

TIP OF THE MONTH:

Another Reason to Be Up on Your Vitamin D! LBP And Disc Degeneration

Higher vitamin D levels were found associated with better physical performance in low back pain (LBP) sufferers with lumbar disc degeneration (LDD). Researchers measured vitamin D levels and muscle strength in 200 patients. Those low in vitamin D took more time in the gait speed, chair stand, and timed-up-and-go (TUG) tests. (3) Postmenopausal women with vitamin D serum deficiency (particularly those with less than 10 ng/mL which marked severe LDD and LBP) were noted to have LBP and LDD. Add in smoking, high body mass index, osteoporosis, and no D supplementation, and the moderate to severe pain was worse. (4) Another report stated that frailty status and physical performance measures (gait speed and TUG) were significantly associated with vitamin D serum concentration. (5) How’s your vitamin D level? Time to check it!

Thank you for making us a part of your spinal healthcare team! We’re here for you.

See you at your next appointment!

References for HEALTHY NEWS – March 2023

  1. Trager RJ, Daniels CJ, Meyer KW, Stout AC, Dusek JA. Clinician approaches to spinal manipulation for persistent spinal pain after lumbar surgery: systematic review and meta-analysis of individual patient data. Chiropr Man Therap. 2023 Mar 9;31(1):10. doi: 10.1186/s12998-023-00481-5. PMID: 36895028; PMCID: PMC9999664.
  2. Gudavalli MR, Olding K, Joachim G, Cox JM. Chiropractic Distraction Spinal Manipulation on Postsurgical Continued Low Back and Radicular Pain Patients: A Retrospective Case Series. J Chiropr Med. 2016 Jun;15(2):121-8. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2016.04.004. Epub 2016 May 25. PMID: 27330514; PMCID: PMC4913115.
  3. Dechsupa S, Yingsakmongkol W, Limthongkul W, Singhatanadgige W, Jitjumnong M, Honsawek S. Vitamin D Inadequacy Affects Skeletal Muscle Index and Physical Performance in Lumbar Disc Degeneration. Int J Mol Sci. 2023 Feb 5;24(4):3152. doi: 10.3390/ijms24043152. PMID: 36834562; PMCID: PMC9962334.
  4. Xu HW, Yi YY, Zhang SB, Hu T, Wang SJ, Zhao WD, Wu DS. Does vitamin D status influence lumbar disc degeneration and low back pain in postmenopausal women? A retrospective single-center study. Menopause. 2020 May;27(5):586-592. doi: 10.1097/GME.0000000000001499. PMID: 32049928.
  5. Vaes AMM, Brouwer-Brolsma EM, Toussaint N, de Regt M, Tieland M, van Loon LJC, de Groot LCPGM. The association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration, physical performance and frailty status in older adults. Eur J Nutr. 2019 Apr;58(3):1173-1181. doi: 10.1007/s00394-018-1634-0. Epub 2018 Apr 25. PMID: 29691654; PMCID: PMC6499878.