Brief Answer:
Back/hip condition

Detailed Answer:
Good morning Ms. Dxxxx,

I've read your paragraph. Obviously, not being in a position to be able and examine you directly puts me at a great disadvantage to make any type of "educated" guess as to what you may be suffering with, however, if I only analyze what the chiropractor has said then, my response is that the BEST way to verify the presence of a "pinched nerve" is to have the appropriate examination and appropriate workup that is usually conducted by a NEUROLOGIST or possibly ORTHOPEDIST....but when dealing with PINCHED nerves....most of the time the NEUROLOGISTS (such as myself get involved by preference).

As opposed to X-rays my approach would be to examine you first and do a thorough evaluation of the lumbosacral nerve roots in terms of any described pain, alterations in your sensation in the legs, and then, testing of muscle strength to determine WHICH nerve or nerve roots may be affected.

Next, I would likely order an MRI of the lumbar spine and evaluate the results with the possibility of sendin you for an electrical study called an EMG/NCV which will then, verify the location of the nerve root compression or damage since sometimes imaging studies can be misleading.

Based upon this information I would then, consult with either a physical therapist or rehabilitation specialist on a specific and regimented protocol which would NOT necessarily include "spine adjustments" since this is not a recognized therapeutic approach to this sort of problem in the allopathic world nor have I really seen it work in patients who say they get some relief simply because they are forever going back for more sessions and I don't really see much change in their complaints when they have them. In other words, they may feel a bit better while at the doctor's office but this is very temporary. Some people actually report feeling worse. Truth be told...physical therapy can sometimes cause the same difficulties but again, there are options to that as well.

I am a big fan of AQUATHERAPY and following the guidelines for exercises promoted by the XXXXXXX Arthritis foundation which you can find on their website. They will also give you access to places in your geographic area that offer aquatherapy for either FREE or very affordably. I don't believe you even need to referral by a doctor to participate but most of my patients certainly do go with the referral because I add instructions about their condition so that we avoid overstressing or doing things that they may not be able to handle well.

Therefore, I believe you still could use a formal workup with a better diagnosis than just "out of alignment" because I have little knowledge of what that means when it comes to an actual specific level for a radiculopathy that could be intervened on more precisely if we knew the location of the problem.

You should also know that "pinched" nerves will resolve on their own in a period of months without invasive intervention (i.e. you don't need surgery or shots, etc). However, for acute pain the neurologist or pain management specialist you see will have some ideas of what you can be offered based upon the specific problem that is found.

Bottom line, if this were a patient in my office or this were a family member of mine I would advise that they defer any further appointments with the chiropractor and get the problem properly worked up and evaluated by a neurologist in consultation with a rehab specialist to begin with and perhaps get pain management involved if necessary although I always try my own conservative measures such as aquatherapy and other more commonly prescribed medications for these types of problems first before getting pain management involved.

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This query has utilized a total of 20 minutes of professional time in research, review, and synthesis for the purpose of formulating a return statement.

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