Spinal fusion is a surgical process that effectively fuses two or more vertibrae together. It is done in extreme cases of pain where other therapies have failed or offer insignificant impact on it. It’s aim is to reduce physical motion in that area of the back and thus help to eliminate pain. Factors that accelerate the need for spinal fusion include injuries or fractures and general dysfunction due to age. There are other factors of course, but these are the main two.
It should be done as a final resort where other therapies are not able to produce the results so before getting to that point, you should have tried many of the following:
- Physical therapy
- Pain injections
- Manipulation Under Anesthesia
- Cold Laser Therapy
- Acupuncture
- and of course chiropractic
If all or most of these therapies have not worked, then it may be time to consider this surgery and naturally, the decision must be made with your doctors and surgeons for the optimal outcome.
There is one other factor to take into account and that is the back has been designed (or evolved) to operate as it does in normal circumstances; that is it is supposed to be flexible. Fusing two or more vertibrae together should resolve the main problem of the immediate and acute pain that you have, but over time the joints above and below the area are going to adapt and take a different burden as the back will not be as it was originally. This means that you may find aches and pains in and around those areas around where the injury was worked on.
And this is why chiropractic care can help again. To ensure that you remain out of pain and have as good range of motion as possible, chiropractic care can really help. At Warwick Chiropractic, we can work around your surgery and help reduce the risk of pain and improper range of motion in your back as it compensates itself from the surgery. Regular treatments can help in enabling you to maintaining a pain free and active life.
However, before getting to the point of surgery, do exhaust all options available to you for as long as you can. Surgery does carry certain risks and once done, it is permanent. If you are unsure as to your own condition, come in and see us and we can examine you and see where you’re at. If we are unable to achieve the results you desire, we will be able to refer you on to someone else who can help you further, but please try conservative care first before under going surgery.
Getting patients out of pain and back to a full life is why we do what we do. We are walk in friendly, but if you want to make an appointment, we can help you there as well. Call today 360-951-4504.
