Reversed Neck Curve and Lower Back Corrected with Chiropractic

A case report study published on November 21, 2011 in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research documents the improvement of a person who was suffering with lower back pain and had a reversal of their neck curve.

The authors of the study start by noting that lower back pain is one of the most common conditions today with between six and twelve percent of the population suffering from this problem. They also report that medical care has not found a solution for this issue in spite of the fact that there has been a 629% increase in medical spending on lower back care.

The authors point out that chiropractic has consistently been shown to be effective in helping people with lower back pain. They also report that other studies have shown that abnormal curvatures of the spine have been linked to a variety of health related problems, including back pain. In this case the authors show a correlation between the two.

In this case a 41-year-old woman went to a chiropractor with lower back pain that she had been suffering from for two years. It had started when a chair she was sitting in gave way and she fell on her back. She had gone to multiple doctors including chiropractors and had not gotten relief. Her MRI showed problems with the vertebrae and discs in the lower back.

A motion x-ray (video fluoroscopy) was also done and showed abnormal spinal motion in both her lower back and her neck. X-rays also revealed a reversal of the neck, which should have a bending curve forward when viewed from the side on x-ray. Based on the x-rays and an examination, it was determined that spinal subluxations were present in her lower back and neck. A series of specific adjustments were initiated.

The case study reports that by the 11th visit the patient was completely pain free in her lower back and her leg, with only minimal pain still in her hip. After 6 weeks of care a follow-up set of x-rays were taken to monitor the progress. What was noticed was that the curve in the neck had gone from a reversal, to a normal curve during the course of care. This, coupled with the fact that the woman was feeling much better led the researchers to the conclusion that the neck was a large contributing factor in this person’s lower back pain.

In their conclusion, the authors noted that the structure of a neck curvature can have a profound effect on lower back issues. They state, "Correcting the abnormal structure within the cervical spine can alleviate most symptoms associated with LBP."

Resolution of Frozen Shoulder with Chiropractic Care!

From the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research, December 3, 2015, comes a study documenting the resolution of a case of frozen shoulder following chiropractic care. The study authors point out that shoulder problems are common with up to 67% of the population experiencing some type of shoulder issue over a lifetime.

The study reports that common medical treatment usually consists of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and/or analgesic drugs in combination with activity modification, manual therapy, and/or physical therapy. If this type of care is ineffective, they report that injection with local anesthetics and corticosteroids are considered.

This case involved a 51-year-old man who sought chiropractic care due to suffering from right shoulder pain and restricted motion. His shoulder pain was of short origin having started only 2 days earlier. He could not move his arm more than 90 degrees due to the pain, and he was having a pinching pain in his lower neck on the opposite side. He rated his pain as 9 out of 10, with 10 being extreme.

After examining the shoulder and neck area, the chiropractor determined that subluxation was present and offered the patient chiropractic care to for correction of subluxation. The patient received a specific neck adjustment and noticed a positive result immediately. The man reported that just seconds after his adjustment, his pain dropped to just 3 out of 10. In addition, he was able to move his shoulder much more than before the adjustment. All this occurred even though no treatment was rendered to the man's shoulder.

By the second visit, the man's shoulder had regained even more movement and his pain had further reduced to only 2 out of 10. On a two week follow up, the patient had reported regaining full shoulder range of motion along with being pain free. As a result of the outcome of his care, the man elected to continue chiropractic on a wellness basis.

In their conclusion the authors wrote, "This case report provides supporting evidence that upper cervical (upper neck) adjustments may benefit patients with sudden insidious shoulder pain and limited range of motion."