Chiropractic Care of Inflammatory Juneau Back Pain
There are so many spinal conditions! Your Juneau chiropractor is well aware of this. Aurora Chiropractic Center welcomes them all! For optimal relief of pain and limited function, the first step is recognition of the condition then set up its proper treatment. Aurora Chiropractic Center is experienced in both! This week’s highlighted 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 is often missed as a cause of chronic low back pain although 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 care 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 is sometimes overlooked in chiropractic practices, too. (2) It’s just not identified as what it is: an immune-mediated inflammatory disease. Your Juneau 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 type of axial spondyloarthritis is ankylosing spondylitis. Spondylitis means inflammation of the vertebrae. Interdisciplinary management with medical, chiropractic and rehab frequently works well for these patients in decreasing their symptoms and improving 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 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 resulted in a 90% improvement in a disease activity index and an 85% improvement in a functional index from beginning to end. (5) Aurora Chiropractic Center offers very gentle spinal manipulation and mobilization in the form of Cox® Technic distraction decompression. An advanced type of the condition does not rule out chiropractic care or its resulting positive outcomes.
CONTACT Aurora Chiropractic Center
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.
Make your Juneau chiropractic appointment today. All types of spine-related conditions are accepted!
