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SURGERY, MEDICATION, CHIROPRACTIC MANIPULATION
AND OTHER FORMS OF MEDICAL INTERVENTION
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Back pain responds to changes in posture and exercise, but other
medical treatments are sometimes considered by patients.
Surgery, chiropractic therapy, medications and injections are
sometimes suggested to back pain patients. A brief background
regarding these paths is probably in order....
Doctors of chiropractic and osteopathy attempt to manage back
pain and several other medical ailments by manipulating the
spine, joints and muscle tissues in an effort to relieve pain
and restore nerve function. Chiropractic practitioners may also
make recommendations regarding diet, exercise and rehabilitation
therapies.
Some surgeons and physicians consider forceful manipulation
dangerous and of dubious benefit. Others consider it one of
several possible beneficial therapies. The truth probably lies
somewhere between the two views: it may have potential but
within specific limits. The name chiropractic derives from the
Greek language and roughly translates as "practice by hand."
Chiropractic medicine was founded in 1895 by Daniel David Palmer
of Davenport, Iowa - a town which is also home to the Palmer
College of Chiropractic. By profession Mr. Palmer was a grocer
who was interested in the possibilities of manipulation in the
maintenance of health and relief of pain.
As proposed by Mr. Palmer, certain diseases and specific pain
have origins in pressures placed on the nervous system. The
restoration of normal function and relief from pain could be
achieved, he believed, by manipulation and treatment of the
structures of the body - especially the spinal column and back.
If pressure upon a nerve pathway is present, nerve impulses are
believed to be blocked to and from the brain which causes the
tissues served by these nerves to become more susceptible to
disease and pain. Disorders believed to be treatable by this
system, according to practitioners of chiropractic, can include
lumbago or back pain, high blood pressure, asthma and arthritis.
In chiropractic theory, dislocations and subluxations of the
vertebral bones cause pressures upon associated nerves which
leads to pain and decreased resistance to disease. A subluxation
is described as a partial separation or slippage of two joint
surfaces while a dislocation is the complete separation of both
sides of a joint, frequently with tearing or rupture of the
joint capsule.
Fourteen chiropractic colleges are accredited in the USA and
Canada to award the doctor of chiropractic degree. Students
normally begin study with at least a high school degree and in
many cases an additional two year liberal arts college
background. Training during a four year chiropractic college
normally includes courses in chemistry, neurology, X ray
diagnosis, anatomy and clinical practice. Currently all 50
states of the U.S. license chiropractic practitioners. Medicare,
Medicaid and workers compensation usually covers the cost of
certain chiropractic treatments.
Osteopathic doctors are also skilled in manipulation but unlike
chiropractors have attended a four year medical school of
osteopathy which is similar to mainstream medical training. In
most cases osteopaths are licensed to practice medicine like an
M.D.
Chriropractors are licensed to perform manipulations of the
body, back and spine and are limited for the most part to that
type of service. Chiropractic manipulation cannot push or move a
ruptured disc back into proper alignment - once a disc has
ruptured it is permanently weakened. Likewise a chiropractor
cannot treat meningitis, tuberculosis of the spine or tumors of
the spine. A herniated or ruptured disc cannot be treated by
manipulation and may even be dangerous if manipulated
improperly. Surgery may be the only course of action for cases
of severe disc rupture. Chiropractic practice has limits and
reasonable practitioners admit this.
Mobility and recovery from muscle spasm and joint facet problems
may, however, be benefits of manipulation. Beware, though, that
overly frequent chiropractic manipulation sessions can sometimes
cause swelling of tissues, delayed muscle spasm and a further
visit to the chiropractor - a vicious cycle which serves to
perpetuate further sessions.
A prudent course following chiropractic treatment is to protect
against further joint damage and embark on a program of exercise
rather than additional chiropractic manipulations immediately.
Manipulation of the neck or cervical region of the spine is
extremely dangerous because the spinal cord lies within the
spinal canal at that level of the spinal column. Manipulation of
the lower lumbar region is less risky since the spinal cord ends
just under the first lumbar vertebrae and is thus less likely to
be damaged by manipulation.
On balance, though, there may be benefits to specific
manipulations especially when muscle spasm or facet joint
movement is impaired. The American Medical Association
recognized chiropractic practice in 1980 after many years of
often heated debate about its validity.
Current practice of chiropractic has also developed to include
the study of kinesiology as proposed by George J. Goodheart in
1964. This branch of chiropractic practice proposes that it is
possible to treat some disorders by locating muscular weakness
and then manipulating the spine in a manner that directly
stimulates and strengthens the muscle. A side effect of this
development is the recognition that muscle weakness can be
directly caused by allergy or nutritional deficiencies and is
thus correctable in some cases by changes to diet. The
discipline of chiropractic is served by the International
Chiropractor's Association and the American Chiropractor's
Association which promotes public education and provides
continuing education and training to members.
The most conservative course to consider if you are
contemplating chiropractic treatments is to visit your physician
or orthopedic surgeon and ask if muscle spasm or facet joint
impairment is involved. If that is the case would he or she
recommend a competent chiropractor or osteopath to solve that
part of the backache?
Mainstream medical professionals are now referring selected
patients to chiropractors and osteopaths for some treatments and
therapies, so manipulation is no longer the "dark science" it
once was. In addition, many chiropractors are now recommending
specific back exercises following manipulation which represents
a "mainstreaming" of chiropractic practice towards
recommendations and continuing care generally followed by
physicians. Nevertheless, ask questions of professionals on both
sides of the chiropractic issue regarding exactly what a
manipulation treatment can and cannot do for you since there are
limits to what chiropractic practice can achieve.
Medications are available for some types of back pain, but be
aware that there is no magic pill which will provide a quick
cure. Generally three classes of medications are available to
back pain sufferers: 1) pain relievers or analgesics, 2) muscle
relaxants and 3) anti-inflammatory agents. Analgesics or pain
relievers treat the symptom of a backache - the pain - but not
the source.
Tylenol and aspirin are the most commonly prescribed medications
and aspirin has the added benefit of also being anti-
inflammatory. However aspirin and tylenol may be only partially
effective at relieving severe back pain.
Stronger pain relievers such as percodan, vicodin or codeine-
tylenol are usually prescribed for severe back pain. Codeine is,
of course, addictive if taken over longer periods of time. For
the most part these strong pain relievers are only offered
during the first few days to a week of a painful episode and
then discontinued.
The strongest analgesics such as demerol and morphine are used
on patients suffering from back pain in a hospital setting or
after back surgery. They are obviously quite addictive.
Recent studies of patients recovering from a variety of surgical
procedures show that these patients tend to have a more rapid
recovery when correctly treated with stronger pain relievers.
Strong pain relievers such as morphine are dangerously
addictive, but over very short periods can actually hasten
recovery.
If you are in severe or chronic back pain, do not be afraid to
ask the doctor for a stronger pain medication if a low level
analgesic is not controlling the pain - you may be able to
recover more quickly and begin a suitable therapy or exercise
program that much sooner. Strong or addictive pain medications
are usually best discontinued within two or three days - a
practice followed by most physicians. Appropriate bed rest is
usually just as effective at controlling chronic pain as most
analgesics after the first day or so.
A different class of drugs, anti-inflammatory agents, reduce
swelling in the muscles, ligaments and joints of the spine. The
most effective are cortisone and related medications. Cortisone
is not without side effects and is used very carefully by most
physicians who watch and monitor a patient closely. Other anti-
inflammatory agents include motrin, advil, nuprin, ibuprofen,
indocin, naprosyn, clinoril, felene and voltaren. Side effects
of these anti-inflammatory drugs include stomach irritation,
nausea, diarrhea and vomiting.
Not all patients will experience these side effects when taking
an anti-inflammatory, but if you are taking one of these drugs,
watch for side effects. Some patients will have inadequate anti-
inflammatory effect with one drug and may need to switch to
another medication under a doctor's supervision. This is common
with anti-inflammatory drugs and a period of "testing" may be
required by patient and doctor to find the one which gives best
anti-inflammatory result with little or no side effects.
Muscle relaxants loosen tight, spastic muscles. Robaxin,
flexeril, and norflex are common drugs in this classification.
Valium, a common but potent tranquilizer, is also a muscle
relaxant but can be addictive over long periods of time. Most
muscle relaxants work indirectly by affecting the central
nervous system or brain and NOT by working directly on the
muscle. In most cases these agents are useful during acute
episodes of back pain - especially painful sciatic attacks which
radiate down the legs. Some patients remain on these medications
for several months, but in most cases the drugs are discontinued
within a week or so after muscle spasm has decreased.
Medications administered orally are but one route to managing
back pain...
Local injections are sometimes used to relieve back pain. The
injected medications may consist of anesthetics alone or mixed
with cortisone. In most cases these injections are done
routinely in the doctor's office and provide only temporary
relief. They may be helpful in allowing a patient to overcome
the first day or two of pain after which adequate bed rest and
therapy or exercise is usually prescribed.
Epidural injections and facet joint injections are a variation
of the above idea. These injections are given into a much deeper
area - typically the irritated facet joint or exterior layer of
dura of the spinal cord. Usually these deep injections are given
by a licensed anesthesiologist under orders from a surgeon or
physician. Unlike a superficial local injection, the deep
epidural injection usually provides prompt relief for several
days. A combination of cortisone and anesthetic is usually
administered. Conditions such as disc ruptures, spinal stenosis
or compressed or irritated nerve roots are comfortably treated
in this manner. Relief does not last more than a few days and
further injections or other therapies and specific back
exercises are usually required in the end.
Ultrasound heat treatments are usually given by physical
therapists prior to additional massage or exercise of the back.
Diathermy likewise projects heat deep into the tissues of the
back and serves a similar purpose. By themselves, these
treatments have little permanent value unless combined with
additional exercises, massage or other therapies.
Surgical procedures for treatment of back pain are the most
drastic course of action. Frequently a physician will try other
courses to remedy the pain since surgery is useful only in
limited specific cases such as disc rupture. However, if a disc
has failed, an orthopedic surgeon may attempt to remove its core
via a variety of procedures.
Percutaneous aspiration of a disc describes the removal of the
pulpy core through a hollow needle which is inserted into the
disc. A modification of this method adds a tiny spinning burr or
reamer which is inserted through the needle and aids in breaking
up the disc core. It is important to note that only the core is
removed, not the entire disc structure. In most cases this
surgery will relieve direct pressure of a ruptured disc upon
adjacent nerve roots. However, the procedure has some risks such
as possible disc fragments remaining near the spinal canal.
Also, if back pain derives from nerve pressure due to overlying
ligaments and muscles or narrowing of the bone through which
nerve roots pass, this operation will have little beneficial
effect.
A surgical variation of disc removal is chemonucleosis which
makes use of an injection of the chemical chymopapain into the
core of the disc. This enzyme is derived from the papaya fruit
and can selectively dissolve the tissue collagen which is
contained within the disc core. Normally the needle is guided to
the injection site by X ray image. Once the injection has been
made, the core will slowly dissolve and in most cases relieve
pressure on irritated nerves. Side effects to this procedure is
the possibility of allergic reaction to the injection and the
possible irritation of nerve roots if the chymopapain leaks out
of the disc and comes into contact with nerve or muscle tissue.
The procedure has limits in other ways: completely ruptured or
extruded discs are not good candidates for this procedure.
Likewise, elderly or arthritic patients are not usually
recommended for chemonucleosis.
The most aggressive surgical method for treating a herniated or
ruptured disc is direct surgical dissection and removal of the
affected disc core. In most cases back pain which focuses on
irritated or compressed nerves may also derive from several
sources in addition to the damaged disc. Removal of the disc
core may thus be accompanied by surgical investigation of bony
growths between vertebrae, stenosis or narrowing of bone canals
through which nerves pass and compressed muscles and ligaments.
Typically removal of the disc by direct surgical intervention is
accomplished by direct incision over the affected spinal area.
Overlying muscles and ligaments are retracted to reveal the disc
space. The affected nerve root is usually revealed after
additional bone is removed. Finally the nerve root is retracted
and protected and the ruptured disc material is cut and
suctioned from the site. Other bony spurs which have grown in
proximity are trimmed with the idea of relieving pressure on the
irritated nerve root. Bed rest and specific therapy exercises
are usually prescribed depending on the recommendations of the
surgeon.
A different operation is attempted if a narrowing of spinal
canal places pressure on nerve roots or the spinal cord itself.
Sometimes this narrowing is a result of a disc rupture. Other
times it is a matter of aging or other disease processes. This
surgical procedure essentially opens a space around the nerve by
removing some of the bony surrounding tissue which encases it.
Foraminotomy is a similar processes but instead involves
enlarging the smaller bony canals through which nerves pass -
not the central spinal canal. Bony growths or spurs adjacent to
the facets of the vertebrae may also be trimmed to reduce
pressure on nerve roots during the surgery. Stenosis or
narrowing of the spinal canal or smaller foramen through which
nerves pass is more frequently seen in elderly patients over age
55.
Spinal fusion is another surgical procedure which is sometimes
attempted to relieve back pain. Sometimes damage or injury
causes the movements of one intervertebral bone to become
misaligned in relation to an adjacent bone or disc. The lower
lumbar area is notorious for instability and vertebral injury.
Back braces may be suggested to limit the range of motion in the
lumbar area of the back and prevent pain. However an external
brace may not be sufficient and a surgeon will attempt to
permanently fuse two vertebral bones together by taking bone
grafts from the large pelvic bone and bonding them to two
adjacent vertebrae. Bone tends to mend and grow together if
fractured or injured and this procedure makes good use of this
biological predisposition by grafting bone together at the site
of two adjacent vertebrae. Occasionally metal plates or screws
are added if the area is unstable or needs extra support during
healing.
Surprisingly, patients who have undergone spinal fusion still
retain a considerable range of motion in the back and over
several months may not even be aware of any decrease in
flexibility or function. Years ago surgical removal of a
ruptured disc core was accompanied by spinal fusion under the
theory that removal of the disc core necessitated spinal fusion
to strengthen the underlying area. However, today disc removal
is not usually accompanied by bone-to-bone intervertebral fusion
since appropriate rehabilitation and back exercises can
compensate to provide strength and support to the back.
It should be noted that surgical fusion requires several months
of recuperation for the grafted bones to heal and strengthen the
site while disc removal causes only a few weeks of recuperation
for most patients. The majority of patients who undergo surgery
are pleased with the results. However a program of exercise,
rest and specific medications are usually required - surgery is
only a foundation for relief from pain. Many months may be
required for complete recuperation and a return to a normal work
schedule. Fundamentally, removal of a disc or spinal fusion is
NOT the normal structure for a healthy back. In addition to
exercises, proper techniques for sitting, standing and lifting
will have to be learned by the recovering patient.
This tutorial is merely a starting point! For further
information on back care and back pain, be sure to register this
software ($25.00) which brings by prompt postal delivery a
printed, illustrated guide to back pain written by a physician
plus two software disks. From the main menu select "Print
Registration Form." Or from the DOS prompt type the command
ORDER. Mail to Seattle Scientific Photography (Dept. BRN), PO
Box 1506, Mercer Island, WA 98040. If you cannot print the order
form, send $25.00 to the above address and a short letter
requesting these materials. End of chapter.