Chiropractic Care of Inflammatory Sitka Back Pain
There are so many spinal conditions! Your Sitka chiropractor is well aware of this. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka 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. Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka is experienced in both! This week’s featured condition is inflammatory back pain, axial spondyloarthritis, and the spine-specific type, ankylosing spondylitis.
AXIAL SPONDYLOARTHRITIS
Axial spondyloarthritis is an inflammatory back pain condition. It’s often missed as a cause of chronic low back pain although approximately 1% of the US population has it. Traits of axial spondyloarthritis include 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 involve enthesitis (inflammation of tendons and ligaments insertion into bone), dactylitis (inflammation of a finger or toe), 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 co-management. (1) Not only is axial spondyloarthritis overlooked in medical practices, but it’s sometimes overlooked in chiropractic practices, too. (2) It’s just not recognized for 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 pass 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 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 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 responded 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 beginning to end. (5) Arctic Chiropractic, Sitka performs very gentle spinal manipulation and mobilization in the form of Cox® Technic distraction decompression. An advanced type of the condition does not preclude chiropractic care or its resulting positive 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.
Set up your Sitka chiropractic appointment now. All types of spine-related conditions are accepted!
