ABSTRACT
Cervical radiculopathy (CR), while less common than conditions with neck pain alone, can be a significant cause of neck pain and disability; thus the determination of adequate treatment options for patients is essential. Currently, inadequate scientific literature restricts specific conservative management recommendations for CR. Despite a paucity of evidence for high-velocity low-amplitude (HVLA) spinal manipulation in the treatment for CR, this strategy has been frequently labeled as contraindicated. Scientific support for appropriate outcome measures for CR is equally deficient. While more scientific data is needed to draw firm conclusions, the present review suggests that spinal manipulation may be cautiously considered as a therapeutic option for patients suffering from CR. With respect to outcome measures, the Neck Disability Index appears well-suited for spinal manipulative treatment of CR.
ABSTRACT
The following case describes a 68 year-old woman with a 7(1/2) year history of worsening head and neck pain diagnosed as trigeminal neuralgia following surgical resection of a brain tumor. After years of unsuccessful management with medication and physical therapies, a therapeutic trial of chiropractic was carried out. Chiropractic care included ultrasound, manual therapies (manipulation and mobilization), soft tissue therapies, and home stretching exercises. After an initial treatment period followed by 18 months of supportive care the patient reported satisfactory improvement. It became evident that there were at least three sources of her symptoms: mechanical and/or degenerative neck pain, temporomandibular joint syndrome, and trigeminal neuralgia. While never completely pain-free, the patient continued to report that her pains reduced to minimal at times. At the most recent follow-up, the pain had not returned to pre-treatment intractable levels. This case study demonstrates the importance of diagnosing and treating multiple sources of pain and the positive role chiropractic care can have in the management of patients with these clinical conditions. The potential for convergence of sensory input from the upper three cervical segments and the trigeminal nerve via the trigeminocervical nucleus is discussed.
ABSTRACT
Lipid lowering drugs, such as statins, are commonly used to treat approximately 10 million Canadians affected by hypercholesterolemia. The most commonly experienced side-effect of statin medication is muscle pain. Statin induced myopathy consists of a spectrum of myopathic disorders ranging from mild myalgia to fatal rhabdomyolysis. The following is a presentation of 2 cases of statin induced myopathy in patients presenting in a chiropractic setting. In addition, discussion will surround the mechanism, predisposing risk factors and frequency of statin induced myopathy while highlighting the role that chiropractors and other manual therapists may play in its recognition and management.
