When it comes to chronic pain, problems can present themselves in all sorts of unexpected ways. For Cady Dolan, a regional vice president in mutual fund sales and an experienced athlete, issues originating in her spine began to cause difficulties with the muscles, tendons, and nerves in her calf.
“I do a ton of triathlons, and there were several races where I would cross the finish line, but I couldn’t feel my feet or my lower legs,” she recalls. “I didn’t realize that could be related to conditions of the lower back.”
Attorney Becky Ferrell-Anton’s chronic pain problems, though more traditional, left her similarly concerned. “I knew something was wrong that hadn’t been there before. I have had back problems for years, but they got worse recently. An MRI showed that I had a herniated disc and seven bulging discs.”
In each case, consultations with their trusted chiropractor led to a referral to a spinal specialist, Luis E. Crespo, MD, and the recommendation for a highly effective, non-invasive treatment known as manipulation under anesthesia, or MUA.
About MUA
“I am pleased to offer patients like Cady and Becky an alternative to traditional management of chronic pain,” says Dr. Crespo. “Manipulation Under Anesthesia is a safe and effective procedure that addresses not only the pain resulting from the scar tissue, but also the pain of bulging or protruding spinal discs, failed back surgery, fibromyalgia, chronic sprains or strains, unresponsive muscle contractures, and chronic neuromusculoskeletal conditions.
“Many patients don’t realize that a lot of their pain is caused by scar tissue that forms deep in soft tissues following an injury or surgery,” informs Dr. Crespo. “Following an injury or surgery, as patients try to go about their daily activities, they often find that as they stretch, reach out, or bend over, they experience pain that causes them to draw back from their actions. They’ve stretched their scar tissue too far, causing the muscles around the scar tissue to experience painful spasms.”
All too often, Dr. Crespo asserts, patients are treated with pain management techniques that mask a patient’s discomfort but do little to address the underlying source of the pain.
For some patients, there is a better approach.
“In many cases,” notes Dr. Crespo, “MUA can return patients to normal activity levels and a restored quality of life without medication or invasive surgeries.”
Thorough evaluation
Before determining whether a patient is an appropriate candidate for treatment with MUA, Dr. Crespo conducts a thorough medical evaluation, including a physical examination, complete medical history, and, when necessary, blood work, x-rays, EKGs, and MRI and/or CT scans.
Generally, Dr. Crespo assures, more conservative methods for pain relief are considered before a recommendation for MUA is made, including physical therapy, epidural steroid injections, chiropractic manipulations, or medication.
“MUA is particularly helpful, however, for patients whose chronic pain has been unresponsive to conventional treatment modalities,” says Dr. Crespo, “and it is also an effective treatment for some cases of acute pain.”
Manipulation Under Anesthesia is a non-invasive procedure that makes use of short-lever manipulations, passive stretching, and defined articular and postural kinesthetic maneuvers. These manipulations target fibrous adhesions and scar tissue in the spine, surrounding tissue, and other joints.
Manipulations are performed only by physicians trained in the use of MUA, supported by a team that includes an anesthesiologist and surgical staff who have been trained in this technique.
“I perform MUA in my office-based surgery center,” Dr. Crespo assures, “where a board-certified anesthesiologist places the patient under ‘twilight’ sedation and monitors blood oxygen levels and heart function throughout the procedure and the subsequent recovery period.”
The patient is under anesthesia for a relatively short period of time, during which Dr. Crespo is able to manipulate the joints and work through the scar tissue. The treatment is repeated for three consecutive days to ensure the greatest possible results.
“MUA allows me to reconfigure a patient’s scar tissue so they once again have full range of motion and can reach, bend, and twist without pain.”
Shoulders, hips, and knees often develop restricted range of motion due to the build-up of scar tissue from injuries or surgeries, and all respond well to MUA.
“For area physicians seeking to offer their patients effective, non-surgical treatment of chronic (and, in some cases, acute) pain, Manipulation Under Anesthesia is an excellent choice, and I welcome the opportunity to share with these doctors the amazing changes MUA has made in people’s lives.”
“Phenomenal results”
In fact, she says, the toughest part for her came after the treatment was completed. “Telling an athlete to sit on the couch for a couple of weeks is difficult,” she explains. “I wasn’t allowed to resume any normal physical activity, and I just felt like I needed to do some sit ups or pushups to get the muscles going again.”
As challenging as that was, however, she says she followed Dr. Crespo’s instructions exactly and now finds herself very happy that she did so. “The results have been absolutely phenomenal. I’ve been able to do several races since the MUA, and I have no problems with any numbness in my feet or my calves.”
Becky’s experience with the MUA treatment was similar in that the most difficult part had more to do with preparation than with the procedure itself. “My veins are really small, and you need an IV to do the MUA, so that was the bad part of it for me,” she says. “But they helped me through it and, beyond the IVs, I didn’t feel anything. There is no pain from the treatment.”
Following the MUA treatment, Becky says chronic pain no longer gets in her way. “I’m back to what I’m used to,” she reports, “rather than that sharp, Oh, this really hurts, I can’t even sit at my desk sort of pain, which is what I was fearing. I knew that was where I was going to end up if I didn’t try to get on top of it.”
And thanks to the caring professionals at Crespo and Associates, both women feel as though they made the right choice.
“I had already ruled out any sort of surgery, which, I think, a lot of times doesn’t work and then it’s permanent,” Becky explains. “I knew MUA was my best chance to feel as good as I can for as long as I can.”
Cady agrees. “I was getting to a point in my athletic career where I couldn’t move forward, and this was the best non-invasive, non-surgical option. I decided to go ahead with it and I’m extremely thankful that I did.
“Dr. Crespo and his staff are wonderful and very, very friendly,” Cady adds. “I felt comfortable the moment I walked in.”
FHCN – Brenda Klettke