I have tried everything for my lower back pain, Surgery is my next step...

We recently recieved this email from a patient who was suffering with lower back pain:


Dear CT Spine and Disc Center, I have Spinal Stenosis and Spondylolisthesis. I have worked with a Chiropractor, done physical therapy and just had my 2nd epideral steroid injection on Tuesday, next step is surgery. Would this DRX program be able to assist me? - Dorie

Dear Dorie, You may be a candidate. As long as the Spondylolisthesis is stable you should be fine. Typically we determine this with a flexion and an extension x-ray (Basically take a picture of your back, then one with you bent forward and one with you bent back). This will show us if it's stable or unstable. An unstable spondylolisthesis will slide quite a bit upon body movement.

If it is unstable, there is no sense in trying to heal it with decompression because the disc may "slip out" again.

The good news is that most Spondylolisthesis' we see are because of degeneration and are stable. If this is the case the spinal decompression may be able to help.

The best thing to do would be to schedule a consultation with Dr Bellinger. Let us know where you may have had xrays or MRI's so we can request those reports. You can call us at 860-633-8756

CT Spine and Disc Center is located in central Connecticut- Specializing in patients who suffer from sciatica, disc degeneration, bulging disc or herniated disc in the lumbar spine. Call us at 860-633-8756 to see if you are a candidate for non surgical spinal decompression

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Additional Reading Resources:

• "I Was Told I Having Stenosis. They Said Nothing Can be Done And I've Gotta Live With My Pain!"
  
• "I Have Stenosis And Arthritis in My Lumbar Spine. Is It Too Late To Relieve My Back Pain?"
  
• Herniated or Bulging Disc, Get Help Before its too late
  
• Understanding Non Surgical Spinal Decompression: FAQ's
  
• Research about Non Surgical Spinal Decompression
  

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Alternative to Back Surgery?

A recent large-scale study from Great Britain has results that’ll make you wonder whether back surgery is always necessary (Bhattacharyya M. Does the risks and benefits of spinal manipulation in patients with low back pain as a nonsurgical approach translate into better outcomes in routine clinical care: a prospective observational cohort study. J Bone Joint Surg 2008;90B:Suppl.492.). One hundred two patients were followed while they waited to see a spinal surgeon. The patients had disk herniations confirmed by MRI and had sciatic/leg pain. They had also previously tried 4 weeks of medications (non steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs), which had provided no benefit.

While they waited to see the spinal surgeon, they were referred for manipulations provided by experienced chiropractors. The adjustments were given five days per week.

A few patients had some transient increase in pain and there were three treatment failures (out of 102). Overall the results were very encouraging with patients moved off of the surgery wait-list.

But how is this possible? The disks are the hard cartilage separating each vertebra in your lower back. When this ligament sprains it can bulge onto a nearby nerve, causing back pain or pain down your leg. Precise adjustments use the bones as levers to affect the alignment of these vertebrae and the movement of the joints in the lumbar spine. If alignment is improved, then there is better posture and distribution of loads. When the mobility is more symmetrical, this also may prevent unequal loading of the soft tissues. Helping these mechanical aspects to heal can be enough to lessen your pain and help you to regain your quality of life. In some cases, it seems it may even keep you from a potentially unnecessary back operation.

Based on the results of the study, anyone without need of emergency surgery should try chiropractic care before having an elective operation for a disk or sciatica/leg pain disorder. Emergency problems would be symptoms like bowel and bladder dysfunction and numbness over the tailbone or hips. Most patients do not fit into the emergency-surgery camp.

If you would like to schedule a complimentary consultation to discuss your complex back problem, or you want a second opinion before trying surgery, just call. We're always available at 860-633-8756 to make an appointment so that you and the doctor can discuss your individual health concerns.

To learn more about your lower back spine and natural, safe remedies for lower back pain or leg pain visit www.ctbackdr.com.