The problem with spinal manipulation is that it may even aggravate spinal injuries, and you probably do have dislocated disc. Getting an MRI is probably the wisest thing to do. In orthopedics, we don't usually recommend going to chiropractors when we have patients with spinal injuries like yours. You should at least have an MRI done and see if there are any problems.

99.9% i think means he is not sure keep pushing for an MRI it sucks that you cant just get an MRi so you could know for sure whats going on see if you can get a guarantee from him about the MRI so he cant go back on his word.

Good luck

You should definitely have an MRI. Disks and spine injuries are not something to be 99% sure about. I have horrible neck and back pain from a disk injury several years ago and my pain is intermittent and I have a bulging disk with a tear in it. I didn't have an mri until 9 months after I first started having symptoms and I wish I had gotten it sooner. Pain in your arm is certainly a nerve problem related to someting in your neck. I would absolutely get an MRI. And if you don't have a primary care doc you can go to a new regular doctor and they will order one if you tell them the ER doc suggested it. I would stop having spinal manipulation until you know. It can be unsafe. THe chiropractor won't tell you that because they make money by manipulating you. Good luck.

I can't believe some of the misinformation you have been receiving regarding chiropractic. I am a chiropractor, and we are spinal specialists, perfectly capable of dealing with a case such as yours.

The last person went so far as to suggest your chiropractor is more concerned about your money than your health and I'm assuming they have never met. (A prejudiced statement)

I am going to give you an independent, second opinion, based on my expertise in the field.

Your chiropractor has a multitude of possible tests he may have performed to give him input into whether your issue is a disc herniation, muscular, or subluxation based; including Dejerine's triad, SOTO Hall, Valsalva's, muscle testing, reflexes, dermatome sensation testing, palpation, etc. I am assuming that he has performed some of these tests and developed a diagnosis and care plan for you as an individual. He probably has spent the most time with you and has the best clinical indication of what is taking place out of any input you are receiving from any of us.

There are only three contraindications to receiving chiropractic care; if the area that needs to be adjusted has cancer, a fracture, or osteomyelitis (infection). Everyone else is a candidate for chiropractic care and can benefit from it. Disc herniation is a regular case I see in the office and can be treated safely and patients show great improvement. Many have avoided surgical intervention, which should be a last resort. There are many different ways to administer an adjustment or manipulation and if you have a good chiropractor, he has many different forms he can utilize which range from higher to lower force or gentle adjustments.

The most important person to be listening to is YOU, your body. If an adjustment doesn't feel right then mention it to your chiropractor and he can modify his delivery so that you are comfortable. If they don't have different techniques you may need to look for someone else.

There are 2 reasons you don't need to have an MRI right NOW:

1. Your chiropractor is following the standard of care. This very well could simply be vertebral misalignment and muscular issues (the 99.9% according to your chiropractor). Treatment and monitoring for improvement is the right thing to do. If in two weeks you are not responding to treatment, standard of care is to change the treatment method (rehab methods for example) and monitor for another 2 weeks. If again no improvement, then I would consider having the MRI.

2. MRIs are expensive and should only be used when clinically necessary, i.e. when a diagnosis, treatment, or prognosis cannot be given without the information that would be gathered from the MRI. Many disc herniations can be diagnosed without an MRI, in some cases MRIs are necessary but not all. Time will tell. Regardless of whether insurance, your government or you pay for an MRI out of pocket, YOU pay in the end. Healthcare systems across the world are crashing because of the expense of employing advanced technologies such as MRIs. If done too soon and the film comes back clear, then that money would have been better spent training staff, increasing nurse and physician staffing, or buying equipment. When necessary a MRI should definitely be done, but only when necessary.

The last thing I don’t understand is if the ER was so sure you needed the MRI NOW, why didn’t they take the time to order one for you right then and there?

Sorry for the novel, but I truly wanted to help you. I hope you have a speedy recovery.

I may have been out of line about suggesting that chiropractors only want to make money, so please excuse me for that. However, you have ignored that an ER doctor, who the original poster saw because of intense pain that was not fixed by chiropractic care, suggested that she consider an MRI. I think it is AS important to consider the ER doctor's opinion as it is to consider the chiropractor's opinion.
I know that chiropractic care can be very helpful. But I also know that it can hurt patients with spinal and disc injuries. My chiropractor caused nerve damage in a patient with a disc injury, and my physical rehabilitation doctor told me about it so I would be wary of treating myself without complete information.
Constant pain, without improvement, or with worsening, after physical therapy or other care, is worth investigating further. And second opinions are always a valid way to do that. I would suggest that the original poster see a physical rehabilitation doctor, if you have health insurance that allows you to see specialists without referrals. If not, then I think it would be very prudent to seek an additional and different medical opinion. If nothing else, you will put your doubts to rest and confim that the care you are receiving is the best for you.
I spoke so very strongly about all of this because I have had to seek the opinions and services of more than 15 people to treat my chronic muscle problem that resulted from a disc injury. I think it is important to listen to your body and be your own advocate. Not everyone who treats you always has all the right answers.
Best of luck!!

Hi all,

I don't believe I ignored the ER doctors recommendation, I question why they didn't order an MRI on the spot if they were so concerned. It's my belief that the ER doctor wasn't extremely concerned that it happen right away, otherwise they would have done it him/herself. An ER doctor should understand that healing would take sometime and giving your body that time before an MRI would be the right thing to do.

The poster said they went back to the ER because of "pain in my right wrist and forearm in addition to my neck and lower back hurting"; a new complaint, not because of "intense pain". So the chiropractic care hasn't failed to treat the issue, it is going to take more time for it to heal. If there was no healing taking place in a few weeks, then it's time to look elsewhere adn consider the MRI. Again, MRIs are a great diagnostic tool but should only be done AFTER enough time has passed to allow for healing to take place, ie. the chiropractor should have given the original poster a care plan.

Quote "But I also know that it can hurt patients with spinal and disc injuries. My chiropractor caused nerve damage in a patient with a disc injury, and my physical rehabilitation doctor told me about it so I would be wary of treating myself without complete information."

I have never actually seen any scientific research showing a link between chiropractic and disc injury. If your rehabilitation doctor could provide some research then i would consider the possibility. Recent studies I have seen were actually testing for just that and they found no correlation. The only side effect to care were mild such as muscle strain, temporary dizziness, headache, etc. Again, a chiropractor should also have enough tools in their toolbox to pick a safer technique for someone with a potential risky issue.

And i couldn't agree more, second opinions and listening to yuor own body are a great way to go. I've given the poster my opinion, hopefully we'll hear from the original poster that things are going well.

Wishing u health