Patient Success Story Chiropractic Care After a Spinal Fusion in Plymouth Gabriela came to see me with a spine that had already been through a lot, and she knew very little about what had actually been done to it. She had lived with low back stiffness her whole life and years of nagging mid-back discomfort, and she assumed chiropractic was off the table. She first walked into my Plymouth, Minnesota office with a history of low back discomfort and two very large scars, one across her abdomen and one down her lower back. As a child, she had a significant scoliosis that was corrected with an aggressive spinal fusion, and her parents handled most of those decisions at the time. Years later, she learned the surgeon had warned of a risk of paralysis if the surgery had not gone well, and she had been managing ever since by staying active and focusing on nutrition. What she did not know was where that fusion started and stopped. Key Takeaways THE CHALLENGEA five-segment lumbar fusion left her low back unable to move, so her mid-back absorbed the range of motion it was never meant to handle. THE ADJUSTMENTI adjusted only above and below the fused segments, using drop table in the thoracic spine, the activator in the upper cervical region, and hands-on soft tissue work. THE RESULTShe felt relief of pain after care, regained range of motion, and the stiffness in her mid-back eased. Guessing on a fused spine is how people get hurt, so we took X-rays right away. Those films showed a five-segmented fusion in her lumbar spine that had corrected her significant scoliosis, along with some things I was not expecting: an extra cervical vertebra and additional lumbar vertebrae. Knowing exactly where the hardware started and stopped is what made safe, specific Spinal Alignment Care possible for her. Project Summary Patient Profile: Adult patient with a childhood spinal fusion for scoliosis Project Location: Plymouth, Minnesota (Twin Cities West Metro) Primary Objective: Reduce years of mid-back stiffness and discomfort above the fusion through Scoliosis Chiropractic Care Adjusting Approach: Drop table and manual adjusting above and below the fused segments, activator in the upper cervical spine, plus Active Release Technique soft tissue work Key Outcome: Relief of pain after visits, improved range of motion, and a sustainable once- to twice-weekly pace Plymouth Exam and X-Ray Findings Her exam started with a conversation and a full history, and the scars told me a big part of the story before the films did. The X-rays confirmed a five-segment lumbar fusion that had corrected her scoliosis, and they also showed an extra cervical vertebra and additional lumbar vertebrae that neither of us expected to see. Her main complaint sat just a few segments above where the fusion ended, and that makes mechanical sense. Every surgery has a side effect, for better or worse, and in her case the fused low back cannot move, so the mid-back takes on the range of motion the body still needs. When she moved too much or too little, that mid-back let her know about it. Adjusting Above and Below the Fusion I do not adjust where a fusion is. Those vertebrae are no longer independent, and you cannot force motion where the body has structurally eliminated it, which is exactly why the film mattered so much. Everything I did focused above and below the fused segments, with the thoracic spine getting the most attention because that is where she was compensating and where she felt it. I used drop table through the thoracic spine because it is lower force and lets me be very specific about the segment I am contacting, and with hardware in the picture you want to control how much force goes into the system. Some visits I used the activator, especially in the upper cervical region where she has that extra segment, because precision beats power there. Hands-on work got the mid-back moving well, and I paired it with soft tissue work like Active Release to keep the surrounding muscles from locking things back down. Trust mattered as much as technique here. I tell every nervous patient the same thing: you are the boss, it is your body, so I will show you what I plan to do and you tell me whether to proceed. If you are not comfortable with hands-on work, there are other ways to get a joint moving, and you can read more about those options under Chiropractic Techniques or in our Spinal Pain Treatment overview. Less Stiffness, More Mid-Back Motion After receiving care, she notices relief of pain, more range of motion, and far less of that stuck feeling in her mid-back. Her pacing is different from most patients because of the muscle balance built over many years of development with a fused spine, so once a week to twice a week turned out to be the right rhythm to keep her from backing up or stiffening again. Her work adds to the load, with a physical job that has her in the field, at a desk, and in the car a lot. She eventually moved away for a period of time, and when she moved back into the cities she picked her care right back up. That is the part I appreciate most: she stopped assuming her fusion ruled chiropractic out and started managing the spine she actually has. Living With a Spinal Fusion? We see patients every week who were told, or who simply assumed, that a fusion means no one can help them. I would rather have the conversation, look at what is actually there, and tell you honestly what I can and cannot do than have you guess. Consultations here are completely free, because I want people to know what they need instead of assuming. Wondering whether chiropractic care is a safe option for your fused or post-surgical spine in Plymouth? Let's take a look together and talk it through. Bomberg Chiropractic 15600 35th Ave. N #101, Plymouth, MN 55447 Call (763) 450-1755 or Schedule Online Frequently Asked Questions Can a chiropractor adjust a spinal fusion in Plymouth, MN? No, and that is the honest answer I give every caller who asks. A fusion has no segmental motion, so there is nothing to adjust there and forcing it is not a smart idea. What I can do is adjust the areas above and below the fused segments so those joints move freely, which is where the stiffness and soreness usually come from. Why does my mid-back hurt above a lumbar fusion? Because the motion has to go somewhere. When the lumbar spine cannot bend or rotate, the segments just above the fusion take on the range of motion the body still demands day to day. That is why this patient's worst discomfort sat a few segments above her hardware, and why the thoracic spine got the most attention in her care. How often will I need care with a fusion? Everyone's pacing is a little different, and it depends on your history, your work, and how long you hold an adjustment. For this patient, once a week to twice a week kept her from getting stiffer and worked around a job that mixes field work, desk time, and a lot of driving. On imaging, I take as few films as possible, so once we have your X-rays you usually will not need another set for a few years, because we are not trying to correct an X-ray, we are trying to correct how your spine functions.