Do Chiropractors Treat Pregnancy Related Pain? Is Chiropractic Safe with Surgical Rods?
The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published an unusual study on March 23, 2017, documenting the case of a pregnant woman with lower back pain being helped by chiropractic. What makes this case unusual is that the woman had previous spinal surgery and had Harrington rods inserted into her spine.
According to Wikipedia, the Harrington rod is a stainless steel surgical device that was implanted along the spinal column to treat curvatures of the spine, or scoliosis. Up to one million people had Harrington rods implanted for scoliosis between the early 1960s and the late 1990s.
The study begins by noting that chiropractic care for pregnant women has been a popular occurrence for much of the chiropractic profession’s history. Commonly, women seek chiropractic care to address physical complaints such as pregnancy-related musculoskeletal complaints. However, many pregnant women seek chiropractic for wellness care and to improve the birth experience.
In this case, a 28-year-old woman who was in her 21st week of pregnancy, sought chiropractic care with a chief complaint of shoulder and neck pain, which she attributed to her scoliosis. She had surgery seven years prior for a moderate scoliosis. Harrington rods were inserted into her spine from her second thoracic to her second lumbar vertebrae.
She rated her constant pain as 6 out of 10, with 10 being the worst. She recalled that this episode started when she was lying on her left side and she felt a muscle tightened so tightly that it was pulling on the rods from her scoliosis surgery. Her pain was worse at night and was too painful for her to get a massage. Her left shoulder was restricted and she claimed that she could not lift anything with her left arm. Additionally, she reported that she occasionally suffered with headaches and sinus congestion.
A chiropractic examination was performed, and it was determined that subluxations were present. A series of specific chiropractic adjustments were begun to address the woman’s subluxations. After each adjustment the patient reported a decrease in her pain.
After 13 weeks of chiropractic care, it was reported that the woman’s pain had significantly decreased and was now only a 2 out of 10. Additionally, her posture had improved as had her spinal range of motion. A week later, the patient suffered a fall which caused a minimal increase in her symptoms. Care was continued and she continued to improve in most areas. She delivered a seven pound girl vaginally with minimal assistance.
The complexity of this case, due to the patient’s spinal surgery history, contributed to variations in her symptoms as care was given. Overall, the quality of her life was improved and she was able to deliver a healthy baby. In their conclusion, the study authors summed up this unusual case by stating, “This case report provides supporting evidence on the effectiveness of chiropractic care throughout pregnancy and in particular, pregnant women with surgical rods to address scoliosis.”
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The study begins by noting that a loss of the normal neck curve is a common finding in a chiropractic office. The study points out that once a neck curvature starts to decrease or reverse, the condition, if left untreated, makes itself worse over time. Many health issues seem to follow the progression of a loss of neck curvature. These problems include low back pain, disc degeneration, spondylosis, ossification of spinal ligaments, adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, improper rib cage expansion, early osteoarthritis, osteoporosis, vertebral compression fractures and spondylolisthesis.
The author begins by describing forward head posture as the condition whereby the head is projected forward of the middle of the neck. This situation would be similar to holding a bowling ball out in front of you instead of up against your body. Even though the weight of the bowling ball does not change, it is harder to hold the ball further away from your body.
The study begins by noting that about 5% of all births in the U.S. are either by forceps or by vacuum extraction. They report that forceps delivery is associated with an increased death rate during birth, and that vacuum extractions are associated with increased head injuries, facial paralysis, and other head and nerve problems. Chiropractors are interested in this problem from a standpoint of the effect these types of births have on the upper portion of the neck.
In this case, a 30-year-old married man presented himself to the chiropractor. His chief complaint was that he was suffering with general tiredness and loss of energy. He also reported having occasional headaches and acid reflux.
The study begins by reporting that, “The use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) for women and particularly for women of childbearing years and during pregnancy is substantial.” Chiropractic is one of the most widely utilized forms of CAM. The authors note that about a third of all pregnant woman use some form of CAM, but only half of them disclose this information to their medical practitioner.
Recurring headaches in children can have a profound effect on their school, their activity, and their interactions with family and friends. Most of the drugs used to treat children’s headaches were never approved for usage in children. Several studies show that between 29% to 41% of children with headaches used alternative, non-medical forms of care including chiropractic.