Correction of a double spondylolisthesis of the lumbar spine utilizing Chiropractic BioPhysics® technique: a case report with 1 year follow-up.
Curtis A Fedorchuk, Douglas F Lightstone, Paul A Oakley and 1 others
PMID 33519081WHAT IT FOUND
In one 57-year-old man with chronic low back and leg pain, a chiropractic program of adjusting, traction, and exercises was reported to reduce measured vertebral slippage and pain at 1 year.
A single case cannot show that any treatment works for other patients.
Key findings
01After 50 treatments over 7.25 months, during a program of mirror-image adjusting, lumbar traction, and corrective exercises, the reported L3 retrolisthesis changed from -5.3 mm to -1.5 mm and the reported L4 anterolisthesis changed from 5.4 mm to 1.0 mm.
02At the first follow-up after 3 months, during the same program, the patient's low back and leg pains were substantially improved.
03The authors state that multiple procedures were used, so it is impossible to determine which procedure reduced the deformity.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
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What it does not show
This is a single case report, so it describes what happened to one person and cannot show that the treatment works for other patients. Multiple procedures were used together, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The authors declared conflicts of interest relevant to the technique: one author is a paid consultant for CBP NonProfit, Inc., and another teaches chiropractic rehabilitation methods and sells products used in the manuscript. The treatment was chiropractic mirror-image adjusting, lumbar traction, and corrective exercises, while physiotherapy is only mentioned as one possible conservative option. The paper notes routine X-rays are not recommended for medical management of low back pain, although it argues radiographic-guided manual therapy providers may use them.
Declared interests
The paper declares that Dr. Paul Oakley is a paid consultant for CBP NonProfit, Inc., and Dr. Deed Harrison teaches chiropractic rehabilitation methods and sells products to physicians for patient care as used in this manuscript.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that chiropractic BioPhysics reliably reduces spondylolisthesis. This is one case report, multiple treatments were given together, and the authors state the contribution of any single procedure cannot be separated.