Jan 21

Sciatic Leg Pain Relief with Chiropractic – Even After Back Surgery!

Surgical and non-surgical options are open to back pain and leg pain sufferers. A recent published paper questioned the long-term results of randomized clinical trials of surgical microdiscectomy for lumbosacral radicular syndrome. A high-volume spine center gathered long-term outcome reports from 246 surgical patients. The review found that 26% of patients underwent re-operation. Further, 35% of patients who reported unfavorable recovery also had worse back and leg pain than the 65% of patients who had a favorable recovery outcome. The authors concluded that patient selection for surgery is important as well as informing patients about the chances for a less favorable outcome. (1) It certainly comes down to the right treatment for the right condition as well as having realistic expectations for all involved. We know there is a place for conservative care and surgical care. We work with great local spine surgeons for those patients needing their skills. For one patient who underwent spinal surgery for cauda equina syndrome, chiropractic care relieved symptoms she experienced after that surgery – low back pain and radicular leg pain – as well as reduced her opioid medication use and improved her low limb function. (2) Luckily, there is growing interest in the role of spinal manipulation therapy for low back pain symptoms following lumbar spine surgery, a condition that was formerly called “failed back surgical syndrome” and today more readily referred to as “persistent spinal pain syndrome” or “post-surgical continued pain syndrome” (PSCP) (3) Whatever it’s called, it’s spine-related pain that remains or occurs after spine surgery. Cox® Technic spinal manipulation used at our clinic is gaining momentum in its use and its successful pain-relieving clinical outcome publication. In one study of 69 PSCP patients, 81% showed greater than 50% reduction in pain levels with Cox® Technic. Two years later, 78% had continued pain relief of greater than 50%. (4) Non-surgical chiropractic care is relieving for many back and sciatic leg pain sufferers without and even after back surgery!

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. William Hoffman on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he describes relieving treatment of back pain and sciatic leg pain with the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.

TIP OF THE MONTH:  Nutrition’s Role in Cervical Spondylotic Myelopathy

The most common cause of myelopathy in the cervical spine is cervical spondylosis. Due to chronic compression of the spine cord and its resulting neurological disability in sufferers 55 years of age and over, cervical spondylosis lowers sufferers’ quality of life. Researchers wanting to help patients with this condition also want to find answers. Does nutrition play a role in cervical myelopathy’s care, its development, and its influence on surgical outcomes? In one review of 5835 papers of which 44 were relevant, poorer improvements physically and mentally as well as complications after surgery were seen in obese patients. An unbalanced diet, history of alcohol abuse, and malnourishment were linked to lower post-operative outcomes, leading the researchers to state that nutrition may have a significant role in optimizing the surgical outcome for degenerative cervical myelopathy patients. (5) One beneficial nutritional approach for cervical myelopathy is olive extract as it is documented to suppress inflammation and reduce oxidative stress and thereby protect cervical spondylotic myelopathy. (6) We are prepared to discuss this condition and chiropractic’s role in examining, diagnosing, and managing cervical myelopathy.

Happy New Year! We look forward to taking care of you in 2022!See you at your next appointment.

References for HEALTHY NEWS – January 2022

  1. Lequin MB, Verbaan D, Schuurman PR, Tasche S, Peul WC, Vandertop WP, Bouma GJ. Microdiscectomy for sciatica: reality check study of long-term surgical treatment effects of a Lumbosacral radicular syndrome (LSRS). Eur Spine J. 2022 Jan 7. doi: 10.1007/s00586-021-07074-x. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 34993584.
  2. Cook JR. Chiropractic Management of a Symptomatic Patient Who Previously Had Surgery for Cauda Equina Syndrome. J Chiropr Med. 2021 Jun;20(2):85-89. doi: 10.1016/j.jcm.2021.04.002. Epub 2021 Jun 16. PMID: 34987325; PMCID: PMC8703130.
  3. Trager RJ, Daniels CJ, Meyer KW, Stout AC, Dusek JA. Clinical decision-making for spinal manipulation for persistent spinal pain following lumbar surgery: a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis of individual participant data. BMJ Open. 2021 Dec 23;11(12):e054070. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2021-054070. PMID: 34949627.
  4. Gudavalli, M. R., Olding, K., Joachim, G., & Cox, J. M. (2016). Chiropractic distraction spinal manipulation on postsurgical continued low back and radicular pain patients: a retrospective case series. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 15(2), 121-128.
  5. Partha Sarathi CI, Mowforth OD, Sinha A, Bhatti F, Bhatti A, Akhbari M, Ahmed S, Davies BM. The Role of Nutrition in Degenerative Cervical Myelopathy: A Systematic Review. Nutr Metab Insights. 2021 Oct 30;14:11786388211054664. doi: 10.1177/11786388211054664. PMID: 34733105; PMCID: PMC8558601.
  6. Ibrahim S, Adeputra Nasution IF, Danil M, Sadewo W, Widyawati T, Eyanoer PC, Ritarwan K, Riawan W, Darmajaya R. Potential benefit of olive leaf extract in cervical spondylotic myelopathy model. Ann Med Surg (Lond). 2021 Nov 11;73:103040. doi: 10.1016/j.amsu.2021.103040. PMID: 35003721; PMCID: PMC8717420.