OMT with bulging discs

[12R34Y]

a question......if someone has low back pain with occasional pain in the buttock and down the leg (nothing severe and quickly goes away) would manipulation possibly harm this person? thanks for replies

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[UHS2002]

It depends on the etiology of the pain. If the pain was indeed caused by bulging disks, that would be a contraindication to HVLA. Remember that there are other modalities of OMT that can be used in this case, other than HVLA.

If it was just a nerve impingement caused by muscle spasms for instance, that wouldn't be a contraindication for HVLA.

Always keep in mind that there are "softer" techniques than HVLA than can be used on most patients.

Recently I saw a patient who was possibly harmed by a treatment performed by a chiropractor (he "cracked" this patient). This guy either didn't get any x-rays on this patient or didn't know how to read them. We did, and this guy's back was a mess, with a couple of fused vertebrae and tons of OA changes. THIS is the kind of patient I would not do ANY HVLA on. Soft tissue techniques might be helpfull for someone like him, but my personal approach would be muscle relaxants, a steroid shot just to get him over the incredible acute problem he NOW HAS ("thanks quackopractor") and a quick referral to a pain management specialist and an orthopod

By the way, do you (or did you) work for MAST?

 

[12R34Y]

I have never worked for MAST. I work for a fire department in Johnson County and on the emergency ambulance service in Johnson county.

 

[njdevil]

You have to diagnose before treatment...in any aspect of medicine.

Here is a start, check pulses and use a reflex hammer?

 

[UHS2002]

Nice try, but checking pulses and a reflex hammer will not do anything to r/o bulging disks...

 

[kidterrific]

This may be WAAAAAAY off base, but a friend of mine had a sciatic nerve injury, and that's what she was feeling. Could it be the same thing?

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KidT
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