Peak Health and Wellness is committed to providing you with a wide range of holistic and alternative options beyond what your GP or surgeon can provide. A lot of the time, these approaches can help you achieve improved or longer-lasting pain relief, minimize or eliminate dependency on pharmaceuticals, and even delay or avoid surgery. One option is manipulation under anesthesia, also known as MUA. This is a completely non-invasive treatment that can help relieve chronic pain along the spine and neck, even when other more invasive procedures have failed.
As the name implies, sedation is required for MUA. When a patient is sedated, our practitioner can perform spinal maneuvers and stretches that are otherwise too uncomfortable or painful when the patient is alert. Pain addressed by MUA is often caused by scar tissue and/or muscle spasms, but under anesthesia the patient can undergo this manipulation pain-free.
MUA vs. Regular Manual Manipulation
You’ve probably heard about regular manipulation that isn’t performed under anesthesia, such as maneuvers performed by chiropractors and physical therapists. MUA isn’t brand new—it’s been available for decades. However, usually only pain clinics provide this treatment and it can be very effective for stubborn pain.
When spinal joints are too painful to move with regular manipulation, MUA might be an option. Scar tissue, otherwise known as fibrous adhesions, lead to chronic inflammation in nearby areas such as muscles and nerves. It might feel like these areas hurt too much to move when you’re awake, but under sedation it is possible to move these areas without damaging or causing pain. Anesthesia causes the muscles to relax and allows your pain doctor to put your joints through necessary ranges of motion. These movements can stretch and break up fibrous adhesions so they become less resistant and inflamed.
Planning for MUA
Different kinds of anesthetics may be used in MUA including local anesthetic, mild sedation (where the patient is still awake), and general anesthesia. Most sessions take under an hour, with many MUA sessions requiring just 10 – 15 minutes. MUA can be used to treat chronic pain caused by inflammation, reduced range of motion, muscle spasms and tenderness, and entrapped nerves. Learn more or schedule your consultation with Peak Health and Wellness by calling (801) 689-3389.