Chiropractor & Seizures

[Malla]

Hi all.

I have an injured back/neck after a car accident. I am having a hard time figuring out if the chiropractic sessions are seizure triggers - or if my back/neck is actually causing the seizures.

Doctors deny back/neck causing seizures, so if they're right, I'm left with chiropractic work being a trigger. Anyone in here with same experience?

Hugs, Malla

[Nakamova]

Issues with pinched nerves or veins could certainly be a seizure trigger. It could be a pre-existing condition that is aggravated by your chiropractic sessions. Best way to try and sort it out is to keep a journal noting possible triggers and tracking when the seizures occur. Also consider seeing a different chiropractor to see if that helps -- Not all chiropractors are the same.

[CQ:)]

Hi Malla,

Have you noticed that your seizures are more frequent after a chiropractic session?
Have you looked at other triggers which might be causing your seizures?

I was going to a chiropractor for a couple of years to have adjustments on my neck & back. I think my back pain was more to do with because I volunteer at a charity shop & sometimes I help lift heavier items (eg - furniture or boxes). I used to often get a sore neck & headaches which the chiropractor said was because I had too many pillows (I used to sleep with up to 3-4 pillows) which would put strain on my neck. I bought a chiropractic pillow & just use that now which has helped with my sleeping & reduced the neck pains/headaches.

For me I didn't find the adjustments were a trigger for my seizures nor did they help stop my seizures either.

I had brain surgery in March & just before I had my surgery I asked my neuropsych about whether I should be getting adjusted after I had recovered from the surgery. My neuropsych advised me that it was best not to continue being adjusted after my surgery. She did tell me why it was best not to get adjusted but I can't remember her words but think it had something to do with when the chiropractor manipulates your neck it can affect the bone in your neck leading up to your brain.

My chiropractor felt I could still be adjusted after the surgery but suggested I wait at less 6 months after surgery before being adjusted. I decided to listen to my neuropsych & haven't been adjusted since end of February.

There are some other posts on chiropractors on here which may help you but I can't remember how to attach them onto a message . If you go to search & type in chiropractor you should be able to find them.

[valeriedl]

I've had lower back pain for years. At first it was an on and off again thing and when the pain was "on" it was horrible. I wouldn't beable to move and I'd end up in the er. Over about the last two years it was always there, but just a constant dull pain in my lower back- sitting, standing, laying down it would just always be there. Every so often it would act up very bad, if I'd move pain would shoot down my leg and my back would cramp up. In the summer my back was still hurting plus my right calf started going numb, like it is asleep.

If you can name the type of dr I think I've gone to them, even a chiropractor. The dr's did all sorts of tests and said they couldn't find anything wrong so they gave me pain meds, which did nothing at all, I just stopped taking them. I don't know if the pain meds not working had something to do with the epilepsy or the epilepsy meds or not.

The last dr I went to was the chiropractor. I only went for about 4 visits and the pain was starting to ease up but it was still always there. I didn't notice any seizures that had to do with seeing him. I had to stop going to the chiropractor because I was having surgery and both him and the dr giving me the surgery didn't think it would be a good idea to go until they knew I was healed up. The surgery was about a month ago.

Last week I had a HORRIBLE seizure. Two days after the seizure I noticed that the back pain was gone. I did all sorts of twists and turns but no little cramps or anything. I don't know if the seizure fixed my back in some way or not. I've been back pain free for about a week now but my calf is still numb.

I go to the neurologist next week and I'm going to ask him about this and see if he thinks that they could somehow be epilepsy/seizure related or not.

[Malla]

CQ, yes my seizures are more frequent both after a chiropractor session - AND when something "pops out" in my back. It made me wonder if the seizures were located in my back, so to speak - but I doubt they are, because I also have other triggers like flickering lights/pc monitors and even coffee.

Valeried, wonderful that the seizure fixed your back )

[CQ:)]

Malla - Have you thought of other treatments like acupuncture to help with the neck/back pains?

I have both family & friends (none of them take seizures) who have tried acupuncture to help with back or leg pains & it has helped control ease their pain.
I have never tried acupuncture myself so I don't know if it can trigger seizures but maybe someone else on here has tried it.

[Malla]

Hi CQ, no I have not tried acupuncture, but I have tried acupreassure and I do feel some relief. What I have found helps the most, is actually healing, massage and meditation - combined. Generally I am now able to handle both pain and fear better. I have also had one hypnosis session. Apart from being the most fantastic experience ever (since I'm very spiritual) it has helped me tremendously with understanding my current situaton. It was actually a past life/higher self hypnotic session. Recommended.... All of this sort of "leads the way to my recovery". I am convinced that my seizures would not be as frequent as they are, if it wasn't for the troubled neck/back...

[epileric]

I just came across this article that says yoga &/or proper stretching might help your back.

Yoga classes were linked to better back-related function and diminished symptoms from chronic low back pain in the largest U.S. randomized controlled trial of yoga to date, published by the Archives of Internal Medicine as an "Online First" article on October 24. But so were intensive stretching classes.

Yoga eases back pain in largest US study to date