Fibromyalgia Helped Following Chiropractic: A Case Study

What is Fibromyalgia? Can Chiropractic Care Help Fibromyalgia Pain?

On March 13, 2017, the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published a case study documenting the improvement from chiropractic of a woman who had been suffering with fibromyalgia, widespread pain, fatigue, depression, and headaches.

Fibromyalgia Helped Following Chiropractic Austin TX Chiropractor Best Reviews Yelp Google Facebook NextdoorFibromyalgia is a chronic, widespread pain syndrome with an unknown medical cause. The word itself is actually a descriptive term that can be broken down into three words. “Fibro” is a Latin word meaning fibrous tissues such as tendons and ligaments. The middle part “my” is short for “myo” which is Latin for muscles. And the word “algia” is Latin meaning pain. The study authors note how common this problem is by stating that, “It is estimated to affect 2-3% of the American population and is the second most common diagnosis made in rheumatology clinics in the United States.”

Fibromyalgia is about ten times more common in women than men, and commonly starts between the ages of 60 to 79 years. Due to many patients with fibromyalgia also suffering from depression, common medical treatment is low-dose antidepressants as well as pain medication.

In this case, a 40-year-old woman went to the chiropractor with an 8-year history of medically diagnosed fibromyalgia. Her symptoms included widespread pain, including neck pain, mid and upper-back pain, and arm and shoulder pain. She was also suffering from headaches, high blood pressure, and depression. The medical care she had been receiving for her condition included three non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAID) per day, seizure medication, and a series of three cortisone injections.

A chiropractic examination was performed to access the woman’s spine and nervous system. This consisted of postural evaluation, x-rays of the spine, paraspinal surface electromyography (sEMG), paraspinal thermography, range of motion (ROM), and motion and static palpation. Additionally, a 36-question short-form (SF-36) questionnaire was given. This questionnaire is a standard and verifiable measurement of quality of life as stated by the patient. It is often used to gauge the overall improvement of a patient in their abilities to have a normal and function life. The scores that the patient can give themselves in each of the areas range from 0 for the worst possible, to 100 representing the highest level of functioning possible.

The woman received a total of 44 chiropractic visits over a 5 month period after which a re-examination was performed and all tests were compared to the original findings. The study records that all objective findings showed improvement including the patient’s range of motion, the sEMG tests, as well as x-ray findings.

The SF-36 patient questionnaire showed considerable improvement in most all the areas as reported by the woman. Her emotional well-being improved 10 points from 39.6 to 49.6. Her reported energy/fatigue improved 37.5 points from a 16.6 to 54.1. She reported that her general health improved 35.0 points from a 3.0 to 38.0. As for pain, her original rating was a complete 0, which improved 36.7 points. Likewise she rated her physical functioning at 0 before her care which improved to 39.4 after chiropractic. Her limitations due to emotional problems improved 8.3 points from 50.9 to 59.2. The woman reported that her social functioning improved 37.5 points from an original 21.2 to 58.7 after chiropractic.

In their conclusion the authors wrote, “Reduction in radiographic vertebral subluxations and improvements in spinal alignment and posture, ranges of motion, musculoskeletal pain, headaches, and health-related quality of life were achieved using [chiropractic] on a patient diagnosed with fibromyalgia.”

If you or anyone you know could benefit from a better functioning nervous system, please call us at 512-452-2525 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Swanson. Austin chiropractor located in north central Austin, TX.


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Severe Neck Pain, Anterior Head Positioning and Spondylolisthesis Helped with Chiropractic

What is Spondylolisthesis? Can Chiropractic Care Help Degenerative Pain?

The Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published a case study on November 7, 2016, reporting on chiropractic helping a woman suffering with severe neck pain, neck stiffness, and pain in the upper back associated with spondylolisthesis in her neck.

severe-neck-pain-anterior-head-positioning-and-spondylolisthesis-helped-with-chiropractic-austin-tx-chiropractor-back-pain-help-fast-best-reviews-nextdoor-app-yelp-google-facebookOn the website WebMD, spondylolisthesis is defined as “…a condition in which one bone in your back (vertebra) slides forward over the bone below it. It most often occurs in the lower spine (lumbosacral area). In some cases, this may lead to your spinal cord or nerve roots being squeezed. This can cause back pain and numbness or weakness in one or both legs.”

The authors of this study further describe this condition as it relates to the neck by stating, “Spondylolisthesis of the spine refers to an anterior or posterior displacement of vertebrae relative to the vertebrae below. In the cervical spine, anterior or posterior vertebral displacement typically results from degenerative or traumatic causes.” This form of spondylolisthesis is known as degenerative cervical spondylolisthesis (DCS).

In this case, a 52-year-old woman suffering from neck pain, neck stiffness, and thoracic pain went to the chiropractor seeking relief. The woman reported that she experienced the pain frequently. She described the pain as severe, resulting in a tense and swelling sensation in her lower neck and upper back areas.

X-rays of the woman’s neck showed that the fourth vertebrae in her neck (C4) had moved significantly forward over the top of the fifth neck vertebrae (C5). Additionally, her C6 vertebrae had also move forward over her C7 neck vertebrae. The x-rays also showed that, overall, the woman’s head was significantly forward of a normal head position.

Based on the x-rays and a chiropractic examination, specific chiropractic care was started. After 30 visits, a re-evaluation was performed. This new examination with x-rays showed that the woman’s spondylolisthesis had been measurably reduced in both areas of her neck. Additionally, her overall head position had greatly improved. Due to these positive changes, the woman reported a complete resolution in her pain, stiffness, tension, and swelling.

In explaining how the mechanism for spondylolisthesis occurs, the authors of the study stated, “Abnormal posture, translational instability of vertebral segments, and abnormal facet angles have all been found to be predisposing factors for cervical degeneration and spondylolisthesis. These physiological changes can result in altered biomechanics leading to increased stress on the intervertebral discs and joints of the spine.”

If you or anyone you know could benefit from a better functioning nervous system, please call us at 512-452-2525 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Swanson. We are located in north central Austin, TX.


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Female Infertility Helped with Chiropractic Care: A Case Series

Can Chiropractic Care Help Infertility? Can Chiropractic Care Help Me Get Pregnant?

From the September 15, 2016, issue of the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research comes a case series showing that chiropractic care resolved two documented cases of female infertility. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) define infertility as the inability to conceive after one year of attempting to do so.

female-infertility-helped-with-chiropractic-care-austin-tx-chiropractor-for-pregnancy-delivery-obgyn-helpThe study begins by noting that infertility affects approximately 11% of reproductive-age women, which accounts for approximately 6.7 million individuals. Many different mechanisms have been attributed to female infertility including hormonal issues, cysts, and ovarian dysfunction.

Medical assistance to achieve pregnancy includes several procedures such as in-vitro fertilization. The costs of these can range over $10,000 per attempt. These procedures and the drugs included are very invasive and can carry significant side effects. For these reasons, the study reports that more people have been turning to alternatives such as chiropractic.

In this case series, two individual women who were unable to conceive received chiropractic care. In the first case, a 28-year-old teacher with a primary complaint of infertility was recommended by a friend to seek chiropractic care. In addition to her infertility, she was also suffering from occasional headaches, allergies, indigestion, low energy, trouble sleeping, and depression. She also revealed a history of two significant motor vehicle accidents.

An examination revealed a significant reduction of range of motion in her neck. X-rays showed spinal misalignments in the upper neck. The conclusion was that subluxations were present and specific chiropractic adjustments were given to address the subluxations. Approximately one month into her care plan, the patient reported that she was pregnant.

The second case involved a 37-year-old woman suffering with upper back and shoulder tension, and infertility issues. She had two daughters that were conceived through fertility treatments. As with the woman in the first case, this woman also had a history of 2 significant motor vehicle accidents years prior to seeking chiropractic care.

An examination consisting of palpation, range of motion, thermographic studies, and x-rays confirmed the presence of subluxations in the woman’s spine. Specific chiropractic adjustments were performed to address the subluxations.

In this case, the woman noted a number of health improvements including less tension in her shoulders, improved sleep quality, more energy, more relaxed, fewer colds, increased overall comfort, and increased neck comfort, and an overall improvement in health in general. Within months of starting chiropractic care, the woman became pregnant without the assistance of medical fertility treatments of any kind.

In their discussion, the study authors explain that subluxations affect body function that can lead to a variety of health issues. They quote the Association of Chiropractic Colleges definition of subluxation which may explain subluxation best as “…a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and general health.”

If you or anyone you know could benefit from a better functioning nervous system, please call us at 512-452-2525 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Swanson. We are located in north central Austin, TX.


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