Manipulation Under Anesthesia

Manipulation under anesthesia (MUA) is a non-invasive procedure that begins with the patient receiving anesthesia from a licensed anesthesiologist. It can differ between conscious sedation and being put to sleep; it depends on the chiropractor. Once the patient has been sedated, the chiropractor goes to work on the affected area or areas, without worrying about hurting the patient. It’s a relatively short procedure, usually between 15 and 25 minutes. Patients will start to come out of anesthesia within 30 minutes of its beginning, and are usually ready to go home in less than two hours after the process began.

Dr. Murphy is a licensed MUA chiropractor in Arizona. Having performed countless procedures with the most desirable of results achieved, you should consult with Dr. Murphy about whether MUA is the right treatment for your chronic pain. For more information, contact Action Chiropractic & Rehab. You can also visit Dr. Murphy at his new Gilbert chiropractic location.

MUA has been around since the 1930’s as a treatment for those who needed more extensive physical therapy or treatment than they could get without sedation.

Originally it was only performed by osteopaths and orthopedic surgeons, and then fell out of practice because anesthesia was pretty dangerous at the time. Now that anesthesia is more reliable, it’s come back into practice. Its use by chiropractors has grown and is believed to be a very effective procedure helping patients regain range of motion in certain parts of their body, as well as pain relief in other areas.

Studies have shown patients saying they feel better to be as high as 85%. The degree of success might not be as universal, but the overwhelming majority stated that they felt better after the procedure was performed. Some patients need a second procedure within a week to achieve better results, but there have been few complaints about it.

There are some patients who shouldn’t have the procedure. If a patient has osteoporosis, it’s not recommended. The same goes for having other maladies such as heart disease, cancer, severe diabetic complications, or other circulatory diseases. Patient should be fully evaluated before undergoing any procedures that involve anesthesia. Overall, MUA seems to be a safe and effective procedure.