Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) is a non-invasive procedure that may be the solution for acute, recurrent, and chronic conditions not responding to traditional chiropractic and medical care. These conditions include neck pain and back pain, joint pain, soft tissue dysfunctions including fibrous adhesions and spasm, as well as long-term pain syndromes. Patients suffering from conditions such as frozen shoulder, failed back syndrome, and disc pathology could greatly benefit from the MUA procedure.
Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) is a safe and effective procedure that is utilized to treat pain arising from the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine as well as the sacroiliac and pelvic regions. MUA is also effective for a variety of knee and shoulder conditions.
Manipulation under anesthesia uses a combination of specific adjustments or manipulations, passive stretches, and other manual therapy maneuvers to break up fibrous adhesions and scar tissue around the spine or joint and surrounding tissues.
These manipulation procedures can be offered under general anesthesia, mild sedation, or following the injection of anesthetic solutions into specific tissues of the spine. The treatment is rendered in a hospital or surgery center by licensed physicians with specialized training and certifications that were obtained specifically for the practice of the MUA procedure.
A MUA team includes an anesthesiologist, the primary chiropractic or medical physician/surgeon who performs the manipulations, and the first assistant, also a medical or chiropractic physician certified in manipulation under anesthesia.
The combination of manipulation and anesthesia is not a new concept for pain relief, as this treatment has been a manual therapy used in the medical field for more than 60 years.
Certain spinal and extremity conditions can respond poorly to conventional care. In theory, adhesions and scar tissue may have built up around spinal/extremity joints and within the surrounding soft tissues, which in turn causes chronic pain. This may have come about as a result of past or present injury or medical condition.
Patients may have undergone treatments such as physical therapy, chiropractic care, epidural injections, or back surgery. These treatments do not typically address the fibrous adhesion related component of a patient’s pain and dysfunction. A patient may feel better temporarily with these treatments, but the pain typically returns.
In most instances, patients that are selected for manipulation under anesthesia are those who have received conservative care that is non-surgical in nature for approximately 6-8 weeks. If improvements in the patient’s pain and symptoms have been found to be limited or unfavorable and/or corresponding objective findings have came about, then MUA may be an appropriate alternative for treatment of their condition.
Prior to receiving treatment, in addition to X-ray, an MRI or CT scan (amongst other appropriate diagnostic testing) may be obtained or ordered to support the patient’s injuries and aid with treatment. MUA is an effective addition to the treatment rendered for trauma related conditions from an auto accident injury.
After the the MUA procedure the patient should receive care from a chiropractic physician and/or a licensed physical therapist for a minimum of 4-6 weeks to ensure the most optimal results. The treatment should include gentle spinal manipulation (and extremity manipulation when applicable), rehabilitative exercise, and other physiotherapy modalities to the areas that underwent the MUA procedure.