Chiropractic Care of Inflammatory Vancouver Back Pain
There are so many spinal conditions! Your Vancouver chiropractor is well aware of this. Vancouver Disc Centers welcomes them all! For optimal relief of pain and limited function, the initial step is recognition of the condition then set up its proper treatment. Vancouver Disc Centers 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 experiences it. Traits of axial spondyloarthritis consist of 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 vital as is a rheumatology referral for evaluation and co-management. (1) Not only is axial spondyloarthritis overlooked in medical offices, 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 Vancouver 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 effective 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 medical, chiropractic and rehab frequently works well for these patients in reducing their symptoms and improving 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 responded favorably with some improvement in pain and flexibility. (4) Another male patient aged 34 years with a 10-year history of AS underwent 18 weeks of 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 start to finish. (5) Vancouver Disc Centers delivers very gentle spinal manipulation and mobilization in the form of Cox® Technic distraction decompression. An advanced type of the condition doesn’t rule out chiropractic care or its subsequent good outcomes.
CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers
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 treating ankylosing spondylitis.
Schedule your Vancouver chiropractic appointment soon. All types of spine-related conditions are accepted!
