Scheuermann's disease: non-surgical improvement in whole spine sagittal alignment in the treatment of a symptomatic patient using Chiropractic BioPhysics® technique.
Niousha Navid Ehsani, Paul A Oakley, Deed E Harrison
PMID 31871386WHAT IT FOUND
One young man with Scheuermann's disease reported complete relief of low back pain and headaches after 35 Chiropractic BioPhysics treatment sessions over 14 weeks.
Radiographs showed less forward head translation and thoracic kyphosis. This is one person, not proof the treatment works.
Key findings
01The patient's average low back pain was 5/10 and worst was 8/10; after 35 treatments over 14 weeks he reported total relief from low back pain and headaches.
02The Revised Oswestry Disability Index score changed from 42% to 0% for low back pain.
03Repeat radiographs showed forward head translation reduced from 36.8 mm to 18.4 mm, thoracic kyphosis reduced from 69.3° to 56.1°, posterior thoracolumbar sagittal balance changed from -17.8 mm to -1.3 mm, and sacral base angle increased from 31.5° to 39.7°.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTs
Read the rest of this summary
You get three full summaries a month, free, and we do not ask for a card. Search, the TL;DRs and your library stay unlimited either way.
What it does not show
This is a single case, so it cannot show that the treatment works for other people. There was no comparison group, so changes cannot be separated from natural variation, rest, or other care. The patient received thoracic extension traction, the birddog, prone back extension, horizontal arm extensions with a resistance band, arm W's on a PowerPlate, and full spine spinal manipulative therapy together, so the contribution of any single component cannot be separated. There was no long-term follow-up. The paper reports no primary outcome or formal effectiveness analysis.
Declared interests
Dr. Paul Oakley is a paid consultant for CBP NonProfit, Inc.; 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 read this as evidence that Chiropractic BioPhysics works for Scheuermann's disease. It is a single case, and the patient received thoracic extension traction, the birddog, prone back extension, horizontal arm extensions with a resistance band, arm W's on a PowerPlate, and full spine spinal manipulative therapy together, so no single component can be credited.