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Chiropractic Care of Inflammatory Carrolltown Back Pain

The variety of spinal conditions abounds! Your Carrolltown chiropractor is well aware of this. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation welcomes them all! For optimal relief of pain and limited function, the first step is to recognize the condition then arrange its proper treatment. Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation 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 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 insertion 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 referral to a rheumatologist for evaluation and cooperative care. (1) Not only is axial spondyloarthritis missed in medical offices, but it is sometimes overlooked in chiropractic offices, too. (2) It’s just not recognized for what it is: an immune-mediated inflammatory disease. Your Carrolltown 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 often 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 experienced in delivering. A case of a 30-year-old male first diagnosed at age 12 whose condition, despite medical care, led to fusion of his sacroiliac joints as well as facet joints in the lumbar and cervical spine. The patient was treated with 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 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 beginning to end. (5) Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation offers 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 resultant good outcomes.

CONTACT Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation

Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Gabriel Monterrubio on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson. He describes his use of the Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management for managing ankylosing spondylitis.

Make your Carrolltown chiropractic appointment now. All types of spine-related conditions are welcome!

Gormish Chiropractic & Rehabilitation offers gentle treatment for inflammatory back pain conditions, axial spondyloarthritis and ankylosing spondylitis.  
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"This information and website content is not intended to diagnose, guarantee results, or recommend specific treatment or activity. It is designed to educate and inform only. Please consult your physician for a thorough examination leading to a diagnosis and well-planned treatment strategy. See more details on the DISCLAIMER page. Content is reviewed by Dr. James M. Cox I."