Relief of exertional dyspnea and spinal pains by increasing the thoracic kyphosis in straight back syndrome (thoracic hypo-kyphosis) using CBP® methods: a case report with long-term follow-up.
Joseph W Betz, Paul A Oakley, Deed E Harrison
PMID 29410595WHAT IT FOUND
One 19-year-old man with straight back syndrome reported less neck/back pain and exertional dyspnea after exercise, traction, adjustments and manipulation.
Spinal measurements changed, but components were given together and one case cannot prove treatment works.
Key findings
01After 37 treatments over 12 weeks, the patient reported substantial decreases in back and neck pain and significant improvement in the primary complaint of exertional dyspnea.
02Thoracic kyphosis measured 28° vs. 14°, cervical lordosis −30° vs. −1°, and thoracic antero-posterior diameter 92 mm vs. 80 mm at the 12-week assessment.
03At 2 years and 9 months, after twelve further treatments, symptoms remained stable; most postural measures were maintained except some loss of lumbar lordosis, while APD and APD:TTD continued to improve.
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, so it describes what happened to one person, not a pattern. The patient received exercise, traction, adjustments, and manipulation together, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. The authors note that no CT scan data were available for more detailed information about straight back syndrome. The authors note manipulation has been shown not to affect spinal configuration, while exercise and traction may have contributed. The authors state that further studies are needed to distinguish the contribution of exercise from the contribution of traction.
Declared interests
One author was paid by CBP NonProfit for writing the manuscript. Another author teaches the chiropractic rehabilitation methods used and sells products to physicians for patient care used in this manuscript.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that increasing thoracic kyphosis relieved exertional dyspnea. One patient received exercise, traction, adjustments, and manipulation together, and the authors could not separate the contribution of exercise from traction.