If you’re one of the one in five individuals in Eden Prairie who experience pain over a year after back surgery, you may wonder if chiropractic care can help and whether it’s dangerous. You need to check with your surgeon whether it’s safe and appropriate. Most surgeons agree that it’s safe and may provide relief as long as the back has healed adequately.
Up to 12% of people with postoperative pain choose chiropractic care to help treat it. One small study by O’Shaughnessy et al identified 8 cases of back pain and pelvic pain that persisted after lumbar total disc replacement. The results were positive and there were no unusual adverse effects. Any benign issue was similar to those of non-surgical patients. Another study by Kruse and Cambron studied the use of chiropractic care on 32 patients after flexion-distraction mobilization. All benefited from treatments. Several other small studies following patients after spinal fusion also found chiropractic care brought relief without negative effects.
Back pain may continue for several months after surgery. It takes a minimum of three months for grafts to fuse bones. Treatment isn’t recommended during that time since any grafting may not have healed. It takes several more months of physical therapy to strengthen the muscles around the bones and make the graft more solid. Many surgeons recommend waiting up to a year after surgery and physical therapy for the area to be completely healed and strong enough for chiropractic therapy.
While spinal fusion or back surgery may solve one problem, patients may suffer from other back issues as a result of years of problems that the surgery corrected. Even though chiropractic care can help, the type of treatment makes a difference. Rotational-type treatments are discouraged. Instead, the Gonstead technique is often best. It’s a gentle manipulation using less force and more finesse and skill.
For more information, contact Zen Chiropractic!