PC3 Treatment
Thankfully, 85% of patients with PC3 can be managed non-surgically. However, typical options used for 'arthritis' usually fail. Best candidates are those with canal narrowing between 7-10 mm diameters (normal 12-15 mm)
A new, innovative therapy program was developed locally to address what is essentially a spinal cord issue. The cervical cord is not thought to be damaged, but intermittent compression of it appears to act as a remarkable irritant. The treatment target is the spinal cord - not the bulging disks or arthritic bone spurs. Much of this program has been recreated on a DVD sponsored by the National Fibromyalgia Research Association and is available to patients, therapists and clinicians interested in treating PC3.
Many options known to reduce spinal cord tissue irritation can play a therapeutic role, but medications do not replace the therapy, which teaches patients to avoid cord compression and reduce cervical instability. Medication options should be carefully considered by patients and their treating clinicians on an individual basis, but applicable choices can include muscle relaxants, antiepileptics, antidepressants, analgesics and benzodiazepines - although these are usually limited to those that address cord irritation and secondary autonomic dysregulation (i.e., lorazepam and clonazepam at night).
