Non-surgical improvement of cervical lordosis is possible in advanced spinal osteoarthritis: a CBP® case report.
Miles O Fortner, Paul A Oakley, Deed E Harrison
PMID 29410577WHAT IT FOUND
A patient with cervical kyphosis and severe degenerative changes reported less neck pain and radiographic lordosis improvement after 30 chiropractic multimodal sessions over 18 weeks.
This is a single case, not a pattern.
Key findings
01A follow-up cervical radiograph after 30 treatment sessions over 18 weeks showed improved lordosis and less anterior head translation.
02The patient reported neck pain becoming less severe and less often, with worst pain at 3/10.
03Follow-up NDI scores were 26% and 16%, and 5/8 or 4/8 SF-36 health indices improved.
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 cannot show that the treatment works for other patients. Several treatments were given together, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The patient did not follow the planned 3 times a week for 10 weeks schedule, so dose and timing are unclear. There was no follow-up to evaluate whether the alignment change remained. The authors have financial relationships with the technique and products used.
Declared interests
An author is paid by CBP NonProfit for writing the manuscript. Another teaches the chiropractic rehabilitation methods used and sells products used.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that cervical extension traction, exercises, or manipulation can correct cervical lordosis in osteoarthritis. This is a single case, several treatments were given together, and there was no long-term follow-up.