There are so
many spinal conditions! Your Sitka chiropractor is in the know. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka welcomes them all! For best
relief of pain and limited function, the first step is recognition of the condition then arrange its proper
treatment. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka 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’s commonly missed as a cause of chronic low back pain while
approximately 1% of the US population has it. Traits
of axial spondyloarthritis consist of onset before 45 years of
age, morning stiffness, improvement with exercise not rest, alternating
gluteal pain, and positive response to nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory
drug treatment. Other characteristics of axial spondyloarthritis
include 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. Early diagnosis
is key as is a rheumatology referral for evaluation and cooperative care. (1)
Not only is axial spondyloarthritis missed in medical offices,
but it’s sometimes overlooked in chiropractic offices, too. (2) It’s just not identified as what it is: an immune-mediated
inflammatory disease. Your Sitka 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-treated
with chiropractic care for positive outcomes.
ANKYLOSING SPONDYLITIS: A SUBSET OF AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS
SPECIFIC TO THE SPINE
One type 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 decreasing their symptoms and increasing
musculoskeletal function. (3) Treating this condition calls for
gentle care that certified Cox® Technic chiropractic physicians are experienced
in performing. 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 aged 34
years 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) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka performs 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
good outcomes.
CONTACT Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. Gabriel Monterrubio on The Back Doctors Podcast with
Dr. Michael Johnson. He discusses his use of the Cox®
Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for managing ankylosing
spondylitis.