Case Study: Chronic Fibromyalgia Resolved Under Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care

On July 13, 2015, a study was published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research (JUCCR) documenting the successful resolution of a case of fibromyalgia with chiropractic care. According to womenshealth.gov, "Fibromyalgia affects as many as 5 million Americans ages 18 and older. Most people with fibromyalgia are women (about 80 - 90 percent). However, men and children also can have the disorder. Most people are diagnosed during middle age."

The authors of the JUCCR study begin by noting that fibromyalgia is a chronic pain syndrome characterized by widespread, moving, and very frequently debilitating pain and fatigue. Most sufferers of fibromyalgia are very sensitive to being touched as even a small amount of pressure elicits pain.

In this case, a 32-year-old woman presented herself for chiropractic care after having suffered with fibromyalgia for two years. Her history indicated that she had suffered a separated shoulder seven years prior which was re-injured just prior to her fibromyalgia problems. Previously, the woman was treated medically with a cortisone injection and then sent to a physical therapist. She stated the pain worsened during those two months of physical therapy treatment.

In the month following her physical therapy, her health and vitality rapidly declined to the point where she was eventually bedridden. She was suffering with extreme fatigue, pain, and depression. She tried a variety of care including acupuncture, elimination diets, supplementation, tai chi, and meditation, which yielded no results.

She was given a variety of medications which caused her to experience side effects such as visual, sound, and tactile hallucinations, fits of rage, suicidal tendencies, and massive seizure-like muscle jerking episodes. She was then admitted to the hospital for observation by a neurologist for three days.

Due to her condition and the large amounts of medications she was given, by the time she had presented herself for chiropractic, she was not only suffering with her fibromyalgia, but with a variety of other health issues. These included rheumatoid arthritis symptoms, migraine headaches, hypothyroidism, polycystic ovarian syndrome, swollen ankles and feet, cold hands and feet, muscle weakness, numbness in the thigh, eczema, dry skin, blurred vision, excessive tearing, pressure over the eyes, indigestion, hemorrhoids, frequent urination and dribbling, painful and irregular menstruation, difficulty sleeping, irritability, fatigue, depression, and a general feeling of being run-down.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included palpation, range of motion, thermography, postural analysis, and spinal x-rays. The results of the test indicated the presence of subluxation at the top of the woman's neck, known as the atlas vertebrae. Specific chiropractic adjustments were begun to address the subluxation.

After the first adjustment, the patient reported that she felt a 20% reduction in her pain. After three months of care, the woman voluntarily began reducing her medications because of the improvement she was feeling. At nine months into her chiropractic care, the woman had totally discontinued her medication and reported that her pain had improved by 90%.

At the four month mark, the woman reported that she was 100% symptom free and that she felt she had returned to full health and vitality. The study documented that she was no longer bedridden, and was free of pain, fatigue and depression. The woman reported that her life had changed to the point where she had started working with a personal trainer twice a week and exercising three to four days a week. She was also able to fully resume her daily activities.

(Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently on its own. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for any condition, disease or symptom.)

How To Spend Less On Upper Cervical Care And Chiropractic Care

Editors note: Today's post comes straight from our good friend Dr. Adam Tanase.  We are also big advocates of doing the right things so that you do not have to come in and get adjusted  anymore often than you choose to.  Also to the list below of what to do I would also include looking into Foundation Training (Dr. Tanase also mentions it in the stretching section) it is a great workout and I have seen it make big improvements in patients' spinal health.

How To Spend Less on Chiropractic Care

BY DR. ADAM TANASE

I might be a chiropractor, but I’m also a chiropractic patient… And the notion of having to get adjusted every week (or every month for that matter), really irks me. It’s time-consuming and costly when you have to get adjusted that often.

Fortunately there are things we can do, and not do, to reduce the need for frequent/excessive adjustments. I call it spine management. So if you’re interested in decreasing the number of trips you make to the chiropractor’s office, while increasing your overall quality of life in the process, take these tips into consideration.

Activities and behaviors that stress, strain, or wear down the spine in an untimely manner can be considered “bad” spine management.

Examples of Bad Spine Management

• Poor general posture (slouching)
• Non-ergonomic work space
• Sedentary lifestyle (hours of daily couch-time)
• Spending too much time in front of a computer
• Hunching over a smartphone playing games or texting all day
• Not exercising for at least 20-30 minutes daily
• Not walking enough
• Sleeping on your stomach
• Using a dated mattress that provides inadequate support
• Using an unsupportive pillow
• Not drinking enough pure water
• Failing to stretch regularly
• Neglecting your spine by not getting periodic chiropractic checkups

These habits and behavior patterns can also trigger symptomatic flare-ups and relapses. In other words, just when you’re starting to feel like things are getting back to normal, your pain comes back with a vengeance.

Here’s what you can do to help prevent that from happening:

Examples of Good Spine Management

• Periodic chiropractic checkups – Seasonal checkups are my personal recommendation for patients who practice good spine management. This helps insure your body doesn’t remain misaligned or unbalanced for too long.

• Stretch regularly - Consider how inflexible most elderly people are… how do you think they got that way? Muscles abide by the “use it or lose it” principle. Avoid this fate by isolating key muscle groups and giving them a good daily stretch (I’m a big fan of the Foundation stretches to prevent recurring low back pain).

• Proper hydration - What happens if you don’t water a plant regularly? It wilts. The same withering effect occurs internally with every organ, muscle, and tissue in your body. Your spine and its supportive structures work best when they’re hydrated.

• Daily exercise - In addition to walking at least a mile per day (after dinner is great), join a gym and treat different muscles to a daily workout. Chest, back, legs, and core are the most important. BodyRock.TV offers dozens of great free workout plans.

• Supportive sleep environment - Your bed and pillow should both help keep your body in natural alignment. Dated and flimsy mattresses stress your hips, pelvis, and back, which inevitably lead to chronic pain. Buy a quality pillow that keeps your head level, and use a good mattress that firmly (yet comfortably) prevents your spine from dipping or sagging while you sleep.

• Be mindful of your posture - This applies to whatever you’re doing, whether you’re at work, home, in the car, at the gym, or simply standing up. So sit up straight! Good posture has benefits; poor posture has consequences.
  

The bottom line is this… patients who practice good spine management get the best results with chiropractic care, and spend the least amount of money in the process.