There are so
many spinal conditions! Your Manchester chiropractor is well aware
of this. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries welcomes them all! For best
relief of pain and limited function, the initial step is to
recognize the condition then set up its proper
treatment. Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries is experienced in both! This week’s highlighted
condition is inflammatory back pain, axial spondyloarthritis, and the spine-specific
kind, ankylosing spondylitis.
AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS
Axial spondyloarthritis is an inflammatory back pain condition.
It is commonly missed as a cause of chronic low back pain although
approximately 1% of the US population experiences it. Traits
of axial spondyloarthritis include onset before 45 years of
age, morning stiffness, improvement with exercise not rest, alternating
gluteal pain, and good response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug treatment. Other characteristics of axial spondyloarthritis
involve enthesitis (inflammation of tendons and ligaments as
they insert into bone), dactylitis (inflammation of a toe or finger), peripheral arthritis, extra-articular appearances (like psoriasis,
inflammatory bowel disease, or uveitis), positive for the human leukocyte
antigen B27, and a family history of the disease. Prompt diagnosis
is important as is a rheumatology referral for evaluation and cooperative care. (1)
Not only is axial spondyloarthritis overlooked in medical practices,
but it is sometimes overlooked in chiropractic offices, too. (2) It’s just not recognized for what it is: an immune-mediated
inflammatory disease. Your Manchester chiropractor is aware and looks for it so that typical lapses of time - sometimes years - will not go by between symptom onset and diagnosis. Being
a back pain condition, axial spondyloarthritis can be diagnosed and co-managed
with chiropractic care for effective outcomes.
ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS: A SUBSET OF AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS
SPECIFIC TO THE SPINE
One variety of axial spondyloarthritis is ankylosing
spondylitis. Spondylitis means inflammation of the vertebrae.
Interdisciplinary management with chiropractic
and medical care with rehabilitation frequently works well for
these patients in reducing their symptoms and increasing
musculoskeletal function. (3) Treating this condition requires
gentle care that certified Cox® Technic chiropractic physicians are good
in delivering. A case of a 30-year-old male first diagnosed when
he was 12 years old whose condition, despite medical care, led
to fusion of his sacroiliac joints and his
facet joints in the lumbar and cervical spine. The patient underwent chiropractic spinal manipulation of his thoracic, lumbar, and
cervical spine areas and physical therapy stretches for 12 weeks. His advanced
condition reacted well with some improvement in
pain and flexibility. (4) Another male patient who was 34 years old with a 10-year history of AS was treated for 18 weeks with chiropractic spinal manipulation and mobilization. This led
to a 90% improvement in a disease activity index and an 85%
improvement in a functional index from start to finish.
(5) Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries delivers very gentle spinal
manipulation and mobilization in the form of Cox® Technic distraction
decompression. An advanced state of the condition doesn’t
preclude chiropractic care or its resulting
good outcomes.
CONTACT Manchester Chiropractic & Sports Injuries
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Gabriel Monterrubio on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson. He describes his use of the Cox®
Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for treating ankylosing
spondylitis.