Reduction of progressive thoracolumbar adolescent idiopathic scoliosis by chiropractic biophysics® (CBP®) mirror image® methods following failed traditional chiropractic treatment: a case report.
Joshua S Haggard, Jennifer B Haggard, Paul A Oakley and 1 others
PMID 29200657WHAT IT FOUND
A 15-year-old with worsening adolescent idiopathic scoliosis showed a 19-degree curve reduction after 24 sessions of combined chiropractic mirror-image exercises, traction, and manipulation.
This single case cannot prove the treatment works, as multiple interventions were delivered simultaneously without a control group.
Key findings
01The patient's thoracolumbar scoliosis curve reduced from 27.3 degrees to 8.2 degrees, a 19-degree improvement, after 15 weeks of treatment.
02Pain and disability scores improved significantly, with the patient reporting 0/10 pain for headaches and low back pain at the final assessment.
03The treatment combined mirror-image exercises, spinal traction, and spinal manipulative therapy, making it impossible to isolate the effect of any single component.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTsWhat it means for SLPs
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What it does not show
This is a single case report with no control group, so it cannot establish cause and effect. Multiple treatments (exercises, traction, manipulation, ice, roller table) were delivered simultaneously, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. There was no long-term follow-up to determine if the curve reduction was sustained. The treatment was highly specialized chiropractic care, which may not be reproducible in general clinical settings. The authors are affiliated with the CBP technique, introducing potential bias.
Declared interests
The authors state that the images and concepts are compliments of CBP Seminars, Inc. The treatment described is a proprietary chiropractic method (Chiropractic BioPhysics) which the authors advocate for.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the 19-degree curve reduction as evidence that mirror-image exercises or traction alone will correct scoliosis. The patient received a combination of spinal manipulation, specific exercises, and traction simultaneously, and the authors explicitly state it is impossible to conclude which treatment had the greater effect.