Manipulation Under Anesthesia

What is Manipulation Under Anesthesia?
When other chronic back and neck pain treatments are ineffective in a patient, chiropractors may recommend Manipulation Under Anesthesia, or MUA. This non-invasive procedure is employed when a patient is unable to undergo manual manipulation treatments and other forms of physical therapy due to the pain of excessive scar tissue build up around the joints.

This scar tissue can build up due to injuries and past surgeries, and can make it extremely difficult for a patient to move in certain ways. MUA involves putting the patient under anesthesia – general or local depending on the severity of their pain – while chiropractors stretch the scar tissue around the joints and spine.

Manipulation Under Anesthesia Goals

– Painless and Non-Invasive: For some patients, various forms of physical rehabilitation and manual manipulation can be too painful to bear. MUA gives these patients the opportunity to undergo these exercises and stretches without suffering from too much pain.
– Cost-Effective Treatment: MUA is also a cost-effective option to much costlier alternatives, such as spinal surgery. This treatment aims to relieve a patient and break down fibrous adhesion (excessive scar tissue) without the use of surgical equipment.

What does Manipulation Under Anesthesia treat?
– Acute muscle spasms
– Fibromyalgia
– Limited range of motion
– Pinched nerve
– Chronic neck and/or back pain
– Fibrous adhesion
– Chronic disc conditions
– Failed back surgery syndrome
– Chronic strain