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Management of cervical disc herniation with upper cervical chiropractic care
1Eriksen Chiropractic Center, Dothan, AL 36301-1105, USA.
Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics
|February 19, 1998
Summary
Chiropractic care, specifically the Grostic Procedure, effectively managed a patient with a C6-C7 herniated nucleus pulposus and radiculopathy. This approach offered significant relief, avoiding the need for surgery.
Area of Science:
- Chiropractic medicine
- Neurology
- Spinal diagnostics
Background:
- A 34-year-old male presented with chronic neck, lower back, and radicular pain.
- Previous medical treatments provided minimal to no relief for his debilitating symptoms.
Observation:
- Cervical spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed a herniated nucleus pulposus at C6-C7.
- Electromyography confirmed C6-C7 radiculopathy with C4-C7 involvement.
- X-rays indicated atlas and axis misalignment, with computerized analysis also detecting L4-L5 misalignments.
Findings:
- The patient received chiropractic management primarily through the Grostic Procedure, a manual upper cervical adjustment technique.
- Within one month, re-examinations showed dramatic improvements in both subjective and objective clinical findings.
- Long-term follow-up exceeding one year indicated that surgical intervention was not required.
Implications:
- This case study suggests chiropractic care is a potential treatment for cervical disc herniation.
- Further research into chiropractic adjustments for managing cervical disc herniation is warranted.
- Conservative chiropractic management may offer an alternative to surgery for specific spinal conditions.