A 52-year-old female was treated by her chiropractor over a period of three months. During the last three weeks, chiropractic manipulative therapy (CMT), ultrasound and massage were no longer effective, so she sought help from an orthopedic surgeon who had treated the patient's friend.
Because the orthopedic surgeon recorded his opinion that the chiropractic physician caused the disc herniation and aggravated the cervical degenerative process, the patient obtained a lawyer and sued the chiropractor.
The chiropractic physician's defense lawyer contacted a neurosurgeon who collaborated with chiropractors, and asked him to review the records. The neurosurgeon said the following:
- The progressive degenerative cervical disease predated the CMT in question.
- The disc herniation was part of the progressive degenerative spine disease - cervical spondylosis.
- The CMT did not change the course of the cervical spondylosis.
- And most importantly, the chiropractor did not create the patient's neck pain and radiating arm pain, as the chiro-practor's records showed that those symptoms were the reason the woman sought chiropractic care in the first place.
The case continued on to court. Fortunately, the jury made the correct decision: The chiropractor was found not guilty of malpractice.
The Point
A patient going to an orthopedic surgeon/neurosurgeon hostile to chiropractic care can cause great problems and much anguish until the case is resolved. The chiropractic physician should refer the refractory patient to a doctor who understands the role chiropractors can play in multidisciplinary case management.
The American Academy of Spine Physicians
Elgin, Illinois
(847) 697-4660
www.spinephysicians.org