Vancouver Disc Centers treats
Vancouver neck pain patients with cervical spine disc
herniations that trigger arm pain radiculopathy. Non-surgical care
of arm pain radiculopathy helps Vancouver neck pain and arm pain sufferers find
some relief without surgery.
CERVICAL RADICULOPATHY
In caring for
cervical spine-related arm pain (aka cervical
radiculopathy), research guidelines report conservative
management as a first-line treatment alternative over surgery.
Clinically, cervical radiculopathy can pose as numbness, paresthesia, motor
change, reflex change and/or sensory change. Researchers have been working
to establish guidelines for its non-surgical management and treatment
at different stages of pain including acute, subacute, and
chronic. (1) Vancouver Disc Centers considers such guidelines in planning non-surgical treatment
for our Vancouver chiropractic patients.
GUIDELINES FOR TREATING CERVICAL DISC HERNIATIONS
In presenting the non-surgical
guidelines, researchers explained the risk-benefit ratio for
surgical treatment of cervical radiculopathy as less favorable
than for non-surgical, conservative care. When studying the
care of cervical radiculopathy through its phases, the
non-surgical interventions’ guidelines shift from more passive care in the acute phase to chronic/more active,
individualized, self-managed care. Specifically, for the acute
stage, multimodal management including spinal manipulation, patient
education, exercise, and positioning that eases the
pain were helpful. For subacute cervical
radiculopathy, increased specific exercises, supervised motor
control motions and/or mobilization may be added. For chronic pain, general aerobic exercise and
strength training, postural instruction, and ergonomic assessment of
job-related activities may be included}29}. (2) We know
that our neck and arm pain patients are ready for activities
like this that get them back to living.
TIME AND THE CERVICAL DISC HERNIATION
Overall, in a recent systematic review study, 56.4%
of degenerative cervical radiculopathy patients - 39.1% of conservatively
treated patients and 60.5% of surgically treated patients – reported motor deficits prior to treatment. (3) A
spine surgeon presented a case report of a patient who
was ready to undergo cervical spine discectomy/fusion surgery
for a C4-C5 disc herniation whose repeated MRI showed that the disc had resorbed, rendering surgery unnecessary.
The researcher acknowledged that more research was available
on lumbar disc herniations’ decreasing as seen on MRI by 34.7% to 95% over 6 to 17 months
and total resorption of the disc in 43% to 75% yet contended
that cervical disc herniations were apt to do
the same. (4) Like the author,
Vancouver Disc Centers holds out hope for our cervical disc herniation and cervical
radiculopathy patients that surgery may not be required. Our
conservative Vancouver chiropractic treatment may
well help healing.
CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Umar Ellahie on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
describes cervical radiculopathy and its relieving care with
The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management.
Make your Vancouver chiropractic
appointment soon. Cervical radiculopathy and cervical disc
herniation sufferers have a pain-relieving partner at our
chiropractic practice.