Want to see a Chiro. and Phys. Ther. too? - Spinal Cord Disorders Message Board

LL37 · 03-20-2009, 08:00 PM

Hi,

I'm working with rehabilitating and have what I'm thinking is muscle imbalances in my neck and it's strength after a whiplash 5 months ago, and have gone back and forth from 2 different kind of health providers, and have found out I have torn discs, and one is bulging, etc..but I think my primary issue is the vertigo from suboccipital spams and SCM spasms when they get used. I'm just working on choosing how care is done for me and their advice, and working with limitations and having only certain companies take the auto insurance for the accident. I'm just hoping to find a friend who'd dealt with some of this, or a few people to chat with that can say they've been there. I'm finding Doctor's confusing, and I've hurt my neck before and I just feel particularly more confused and perplexed, and one group will do just these treatments and the other will just do those. And my chiro. that I just went back to is trying to make change fast, and I'm struggling with recovery from appointments and spasms. I'm hoping next week to ask and coordinate some form of physical therapy and this Chiro. I've never known if it can be done, or if since this Chiro. has a Dr. that comes by once per week and can take over some management of my case/meds, etc...he can agree or discuss this and negotitate since my muscles are needing so much support that maybe a way to do this without the physical therapy being too little care, and the chiro.beign too much, to incorporate the two and do less chiro. and some physical therapy with exercise(for building muscles/stability). Anway I'm just hoping to find others who've worked with the med. community and found interesting or combinations of treatements that may have worked too?

PNo · 03-22-2009, 12:09 AM

Hi - I am a patient like you. I have been dealing with spine issues since 2004 and have done just about every treatment out there except for nerve burning. I was wondering if you have the text of your MRI that you can post here. From my personal experience if I had torn discs (did they tell you annular tears??) I don't think I would be doing chiro manipulations - you could actually herniate them more, leaking disc material into spinal cord and nerve root areas and make more pain which can also initiate more muscle spasms. If you post more detail maybe I can offer some spinal experience advice. If you do have a leak this could also be causing ther vertigo or if you have any compression or from the whiplash compression you could have traumatized the cord.

cjlivinlife · 03-22-2009, 06:30 AM

Be careful with the chriopractor! I think that is what put me over the edge with my neck. I always had bone spurs and arthritis in my neck and a little pain in my left shoulder blade but I went to a chriopractor and I should have known when he didn't do any xrays. He started doing adjustments and then I started getting some tingling and numbness in my left arm and hand so he tired a different neck adjustment and it was like pins and needles going down my arm. I think he put me over the top with herniated discs at C5-7 and compression on the spinal cord. My neuro told me that you should never ever let a chriopractor adjust your neck, that it is way too fragile. He said that it is ok on the rest of your back and sometimes there is a need for it but never on the neck. So be careful and I hope you see some relief.
Take care,

feelbad · 03-22-2009, 10:19 AM

a big ditto on what NP just told you. did you actually even have an MRI done or was this limited info from just a plain x ray? if you DO have an MRI report, letting us see the findings at the very end of that report in the "summary" would help us to really give you the very best type of advice for your extent of problems, not everyone should see a chiro,trust me on that one. marcia

nochange · 03-22-2009, 11:07 AM

dear laura. i've had a severe whiplash almost 3.5 years ago. i have 2 bulging disks, that's what was in the mri. anyway, i've done physical therapy, tens, massage, you name it. nothing helps. it only gets worst and worst as years go by...i don't have any single day without neck pain and it's pretty severe. i'm taking pain medication like percocet(doctor said not more than half a pill! so i won't be addicted, can you believe it), now using lyrica...it helped in the first month now totally losing its strengh.
i can't sleep at night since the whiplash i had. i don't have any position in the pillow i can lay my neck and sleep without sleeping pills.
now they offer me to go to accupuncture perhaps you should try this.
sory i don't have so many great news. i can't explain you all the pain i have to deal on a daily basis with my neck. i hope in your case things will get better. mine never did.