The variety of spinal conditions abounds! Your Fernandina Beach chiropractor is in the know. Amelia Chiropractic Clinic welcomes them all! For best
relief of pain and limited function, the first step is to
recognize the condition then set up its proper
treatment. Amelia Chiropractic Clinic is experienced in both! This week’s featured
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’s often missed as a cause of chronic low back pain while
approximately 1% of the US population experiences it. Traits
of axial spondyloarthritis consist of onset before 45 years old, morning stiffness, improvement with exercise not rest, alternating
gluteal pain, and good response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug treatment. Other features of axial spondyloarthritis
include enthesitis (inflammation of tendons and ligaments insertion 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 key as is referral to a
rheumatologist for evaluation and cooperative care. (1)
Not only is axial spondyloarthritis missed in medical practices,
but it is sometimes overlooked in chiropractic practices, too. (2) It’s just not recognized for what it is: an immune-mediated
inflammatory disease. Your Fernandina Beach chiropractor is aware and looks for it so that typical lapses of time - sometimes years - will not pass between symptom onset and diagnosis. Since it’s
a back pain condition, axial spondyloarthritis can be diagnosed and co-treated
with chiropractic care for positive outcomes.
ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS: A SUBSET OF AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS
SPECIFIC TO THE SPINE
One variety of axial spondyloarthritis is ankylosing
spondylitis. Spondylitis is defined as 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 experienced
in delivering. A case of a 30-year-old male first diagnosed at age 12 whose condition, despite medical care, resulted in fusion of his sacroiliac joints as well as
facet joints in the lumbar and cervical spine. The patient was
treated with chiropractic spinal manipulation of his thoracic, lumbar, and
cervical spine areas and physical therapy stretches for 12 weeks. His advanced
condition responded favorably 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 resulted in a 90% improvement in a disease activity index and an 85%
improvement in a functional index from beginning to end.
(5) Amelia Chiropractic Clinic offers very gentle spinal
manipulation and mobilization in the form of Cox® Technic distraction
decompression. An advanced state of the condition doesn’t
rule out chiropractic care or its subsequent
positive outcomes.
CONTACT Amelia Chiropractic Clinic
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 managing ankylosing
spondylitis.