Remission of Dowager's hump by manipulative correction of spinal alignment: a case report.

Dowager's hump is described as excessive kyphotic curvature in the thoracic spine with a Cobb angle of more than 40 degrees. This case report presents a 61 years old female office clerk who experienced headaches and neck pain for 3 years that extended into her right shoulder and upper chest. She consulted her primary care physician two months before seeing the chiropractor when the neck pain worsened. A diagnosis of cervicalgia related to osteoarthritis was made based on cervical and thoracic X-ray findings. The patient received non-steroid anti-inflammatory drugs (celecoxib and etoricoxib) and stretching exercises at home. At the onset of chiropractic care, radiographs showed loss of cervical lordosis, narrowing at the C4-5, C5-C6, and C6-7 intervertebral disc space with marginal osteophytes. Based on these findings, a working diagnosis of cervicogenic headache was established. After treatment for 9 months, the patient showed improvement in symptoms and function from cervical curve radiographic change and dextro-convexity of the thoracic spine. Avoiding forward head flexion and maintaining correct posture in daily activities will be key mechanisms to prevent the reoccurrence of Dowager's hump. The improvement of symptoms following chiropractic therapy has been shown to correlate with radiographic markers of spinal realignment.

Effect of a prototype lumbar spinal stenosis belt versus a lumbar support on walking capacity in lumbar spinal stenosis: a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Lumbar spinal stenosis (LSS) can impair blood flow to the spinal nerves giving rise to neurogenic claudication and limited walking ability. Reducing lumbar lordosis can increases the volume of the spinal canal and reduce neuroischemia. We developed a prototype LSS belt aimed at reducing lumbar lordosis while walking. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to assess the short-term effectiveness of a prototype LSS belt compared to a lumbar support in improving walking ability in patients with degenerative LSS. STUDY DESIGN: This was a two-arm, double-blinded (participant and assessor) randomized controlled trial. PATIENT SAMPLE: We recruited 104 participants aged 50 years or older with neurogenic claudication, imaging confirmed degenerative LSS, and limited walking ability. OUTCOME MEASURES: The primary measure was walking distance measured by the self-paced walking test (SPWT) and the primary outcome was the difference in proportions among participants in both groups who achieved at least a 30% improvement in walking distance from baseline using relative risk with 95% confidence intervals. METHODS: Within 1 week of a baseline SPWT, participants randomized to the prototype LSS belt group (n=52) and those randomized to the lumbar support group (n=52) performed a SPWT that was conducted by a blinded assessor. The Arthritis Society funded this study ($365,000 CAN) with salary support for principal investigator funded by the Canadian Chiropractic Research Foundation ($500,000 CAN for 5 years). RESULTS: Both groups showed significant improvement in walking distance, but there was no significant difference between groups. The mean group difference in walking distance was -74 m (95% CI: -282.8 to 134.8, p=.49). In total, 62% of participants wearing the prototype LSS belt and 82% of participants wearing the lumbar support achieved at least 30% improvement in walking distance (relative risk, 0.7; 95% CI: 0.5-1.3, p=.43). CONCLUSIONS: A prototype LSS belt demonstrated significant improvement in walking ability in degenerative LSS but was no better than a lumbar support.

The effect of normalizing the sagittal cervical configuration on dizziness, neck pain, and cervicocephalic kinesthetic sensibility: a 1-year randomized controlled study.

BACKGROUND: Cervicogenic dizziness is a disabling condition commonly associated with cervical dysfunction. Although the growing interest with the importance of normal sagittal configuration of cervical spine, the missing component in the management of cervicogenic dizziness might be altered structural alignment of the cervical spinal region itself. AIM: To investigate the immediate and long-term effects of a 1-year multimodal program, with the addition of cervical lordosis restoration and anterior head translation (AHT) correction, on the severity of dizziness, disability, cervicocephalic kinesthetic sensibility, and cervical pain in patients with cervicogenic dizziness. DESIGN: A randomized controlled study with a 1 year and 10 weeks' follow-up. SETTING: University research laboratory. POPULATION: Seventy-two patients (25 female) between 40 and 55 years with cervicogenic dizziness, a definite hypolordotic cervical spine and AHT posture were randomly assigned to the control or an experimental group. METHODS: Both groups received the multimodal program; additionally, the experimental group received the Denneroll™ cervical traction. Outcome measures included AHT distance, cervical lordosis, dizziness handicap inventory (DHI), severity of dizziness, dizziness frequency, head repositioning accuracy (HRA) and cervical pain. Measures were assessed at three time intervals: baseline, 10 weeks, and follow-up at 1 year and 10 weeks. RESULTS: Significant group × time effects at both the 10 week post treatment and the 1-year follow-up were identified favoring the experimental group for measures of cervical lordosis (P<0.0005) and anterior head translation (P<0.0005). At 10 weeks, the between group analysis showed equal improvements in dizziness outcome measures, pain intensity, and HRA; DHI scale (P=0.5), severity of dizziness (P=0.2), dizziness frequency (P=0.09), HRA (P=0.1) and neck pain (P=0.3). At 1-year follow-up, the between-group analysis identified statistically significant differences for all of the measured variables including anterior head translation (2.4 cm [-2.3;-1.8], P<0.0005), cervical lordosis (-14.4° [-11.6;-8.3], P<0.0005), dizziness handicap inventory (29.9 [-34.4;-29.9], P<0.0005), severity of dizziness (5.4 [-5.9;-4.9], P<0.0005), dizziness frequency (2.6 [-3.1;-2.5], P<0.0005), HRA for right rotation (2.8 [-3.9;-3.3], P<0.005), HRA for left rotation (3.1 [-3.5;-3.4, P<0.0005], neck pain (4.97 [-5.3;-4.3], P<0.0005); indicating greater improvements in the experimental group. CONCLUSIONS: The addition of Denneroll™ cervical extension traction to a multimodal program positively affected pain, cervicocephalic kinesthetic sensibility, dizziness management outcomes at long-term follow-up. CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT: Appropriate physical therapy rehabilitation for cervicogenic dizziness should include structural rehabilitation of the cervical spine (lordosis and head posture correction), as it might to lead greater and longer lasting improved function.

Lumbar lordosis rehabilitation for pain and lumbar segmental motion in chronic mechanical low back pain: a randomized trial.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of lumbar extension traction with stretching and infrared radiation compared with stretching and infrared radiation alone on the lumbar curve, pain, and intervertebral movements of patients with chronic mechanical low back pain (CMLBP). METHODS: This randomized clinical study with 3-month follow-up was completed at the Cairo University research laboratory. Eighty patients (age ranged from 40 to 50 years) with CMLBP and a hypolordotic lumbar spine were randomly assigned to traction or a comparison group. The comparison group (n = 40) received stretching exercises and infrared radiation, whereas the traction group (n = 40) received lumbar extension traction in addition to stretching exercises and infrared radiation. The absolute rotatory angle, intervertebral movements, and visual analog scale were measured for all patients at 3 intervals. RESULTS: The results revealed a statistically significant difference between the groups at 2 follow-up time points compared with the baseline values for the translational and sagittal rotational movements of L3-L4, L4-L5, L5-S1, and L2-L3 (posttreatment) and absolute rotatory angle (P < .01). There were no statistically significant changes in pain (P = .1 and .3) and L1-L2 (P = .072 and .076) or L2-L3 (at follow-up; P = .3), and there was no significant difference between all the previous variables adjusted to the groups' baseline outcome interaction (P > .01). CONCLUSION: Lumbar extension traction with stretching exercises and infrared radiation was superior to stretching exercises and infrared radiation alone for improving the sagittal lumbar curve, pain, and intervertebral movement in CMLBP.

A computer-based measure of irregularity in vertebral alignment is a BMD-independent predictor of fracture risk in postmenopausal women.

UNLABELLED: Prevalent fracture and BMD are core elements of fracture prediction. In this control study case, we demonstrate that a simple computer-based estimation of local irregularities in the alignment of the lumbar vertebrae independently contributes to the fracture risk, thus supplementing current diagnostic tools. INTRODUCTION: We tested the hypothesis that degree of lordosis and/or irregularity in the alignment of lumbar vertebrae could be contributors to the risk of fragility fractures. METHODS: This was a case-control analysis including 144 elderly women; 108 maintaining skeletal integrity, whereas 36 sustaining a lumbar vertebral fracture during a 7.5-year observation period. The two groups of women were carefully matched for age, BMI, spine BMD and numerous classic risk factors. Lateral X-rays of the lumbar spine were digitized and the four corner points of endplates on each vertebra from Th12 to L5 were annotated. The degree of lordosis and irregularity of vertebral alignment was assessed by image analysis software. RESULTS: Degree of lordosis was not predictive for fractures. In contrast, irregularity was significantly higher in those who later sustained a fracture (1.6 x 10(-2)vs. 2.0 x 10(-3) cm(-1), p < 0.001), and further increased upon a sustained fracture (2.8 x 10(-2) cm(-1), p < 0.001), but was unchanged in controls (1.6 x 10(-2) cm(-1)). The predictive value of irregularity was independent of classic risk factors of fractures, including BMD (p < 0.01). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the herein introduced simple measure of irregularities in vertebral alignment could provide useful supplement to the currently used diagnostic tools of fracture prediction in elderly women.

Concurrent validity of flexicurve instrument measurements: sagittal skin contour of the cervical spine compared with lateral cervical radiographic measurements.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to compare flexicurve surface contour measurements of the cervical spine with radiographic measurements of cervical lordosis. METHODS: One examiner evaluated 96 patients with chronic neck pain in neutral posture using a flexible ruler, flexicurve, to measure sagittal contour of the skin over the cervical spine from the external occipital protuberance to the vertebra prominens. The flexicurve skin contour and neutral lateral radiographs were digitized and compared. The flexicurve and radiographs were categorized into height-length ratio, curve angle, curve depth, sum of depths, modified Ishihara's index, and inverse of radius. Mean values, SDs, mean differences, and limits of agreement were calculated. The differences between flexicurve measurement mean values and x-ray mean values were deemed significant if the lower limit of agreement exceeded 15% of the mean values for the x-ray measurements. RESULTS: For all variables, except the height-length ratio, the mean values of the flexicurve variables differed significantly from the corresponding mean values of the radiographic measurements. All Pearson correlation coefficients were in the very poor range (r < 0.15). CONCLUSION: The flexicurve sagittal skin contour measurement has poor concurrent validity compared with established radiographic measurements of the cervical lordosis. The flexicurve tracings always predicted lordosis, overestimated the lordosis compared with x-ray values, and cannot discriminate between radiographic lordosis, straightened, S curves, and kyphotic alignments of the cervical curve.

Determining the relationship between cervical lordosis and neck complaints.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the presence of a "functionally normal" cervical lordosis and identify if this and the amount of forward head posture are related to neck complaints. METHODS: Using the posterior tangent method, an angle of cervical lordosis was measured from C2 through C7 vertebrae on 277 lateral cervical x-rays. Anterior weight bearing was measured as the horizontal distance of the posterior superior body of the C2 vertebra compared to a vertical line drawn superiorly from the posterior inferior body of the C7 vertebra. The measurements were sorted into 2 groups, cervical complaint and noncervical complaint groups. The data were then partitioned into age by decades, sex, and angle categories. RESULTS: Patients with lordosis of 20 degrees or less were more likely to have cervicogenic symptoms (P < .001). The association between cervical pain and lordosis of 0 degrees or less was significant (P < .0001). The odds that a patient with cervical pain had a lordosis of 0 degrees or less was 18 times greater than for a patient with a noncervical complaint. Patients with cervical pain had less lordosis and this was consistent over all age ranges. Males had larger median cervical lordosis than females (20 degrees vs 14 degrees) (2-sided Mann-Whitney U test, P = .016). When partitioned by age grouping, this trend is significant only in the 40- to 49-year-old range (2-sided Mann-Whitney U test, P < .01). CONCLUSION: We found a statistically significant association between cervical pain and lordosis < 20 degrees and a "clinically normal" range for cervical lordosis of 31 degrees to 40 degrees. Maintenance of a lordosis in the range of 31 degrees to 40 degrees could be a clinical goal for chiropractic treatment.

Upper crossed syndrome and its relationship to cervicogenic headache.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the management of upper crossed syndrome and cervicogenic headache with chiropractic care, myofascial release, and exercise. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 56-year-old male writer had been having constant 1-sided headaches radiating into the right eye twice weekly for the past 5 years. Tenderness to palpation was elicited from the occiput to T4 bilaterally. Trigger points were palpated in the pectoralis major, levator scapulae, upper trapezius, and supraspinatus muscles bilaterally. Range of motion in the cervical region was decreased in all ranges and was painful. Visual examination demonstrated severe forward translation of the head, rounded shoulders, and right cervical translation. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: The patient was adjusted using high-velocity, short-lever arm manipulation procedures (diversified technique) and was given interferential myofascial release and cryotherapy 3 times weekly for 2 weeks. He progressed to stretching and isometric exercise, McKenzie retraction exercises, and physioball for proprioception, among other therapies. The patient's initial headache lasted 4 days. He had a second headache for 1.5 days during his exercise training. During the next 7 months while returning to the clinic twice monthly for an elective chiropractic maintenance program, his headaches did not recur. He also had improvement on radiograph. CONCLUSION: The principles of upper crossed syndrome and the use of exercise, chiropractic care, and myofascial release in the treatment of cervicogenic headache are discussed. A review of the literature indicates that analyzing muscle imbalance as well as vertebral subluxation may increase the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment for cervicogenic headache.

Evaluation of axial and flexural stresses in the vertebral body cortex and trabecular bone in lordosis and two sagittal cervical translation configurations with an elliptical shell model.

BACKGROUND: Osteoarthritis and spinal degeneration are factors in neck and back pain. Calculations of stress in clinically occurring configurations of the sagittal cervical spine are rare. OBJECTIVE: To calculate and compare combined axial and flexural stresses in lordosis versus cervical configurations in anterior and vertical sagittal head translated positions. DESIGN: Digitized measurements from lateral cervical radiographs of 3 different shapes were used to calculate axial loads and bending moments on the vertebral bodies of C2-C7. METHODS: An elliptical shell model was used to model horizontal cross-sections of the vertebral bodies of C2 through T1. Axial and flexural stresses were calculated with short compression block equations. Elliptical shell modeling permitted separation of stresses into cortical and inner medullary regions. Digitized radiographic points were used to create polynomials representing the shape of the sagittal cervical curvatures from C1 to T1. To calculate bending moments at each vertebral segment, moment arms from a vertical line through C1 were determined from digitizing. RESULTS: Compared with the normal lordosis, stresses on the anterior vertebral body cortical margins of C5-T1 in the sagittal translated postures are compression rather than tension. At the posterior vertebral bodies in the anteriorly translated position and vertically translated postures, the stresses change from compression to tension at C5 through T1. In absolute value (ABS) compared with values at the same segments in a normal lordosis, the magnitude of the combined anterior stresses in the sagittal postures are higher at C5-C7 (eg, ABS[sigma(straight)/sigma(normal)] approximately 1.25 to 4.25). CONCLUSIONS: Vertebral body stresses are reversed in direction at C5-T1 in sagittal translated postures compared to a normal lordosis. Stress analysis, with implications for bone remodeling, indicates that both sagittal head translation postures, anterior head carriage, and vertical head translation, are undesirable configurations in the cervical spine.

[Diagnosis and therapy of vertebrogenic vertigo]. / Diagnostik und Therapie des vertebragenen Schwindels.

Functional disorders of the cervical spine may lead to vertigenous symptoms. The typical pathological finding in these patients is a hyperlordotic position of the cervical spine. This causes functional problems of the C0/C1 and C1/C2 joints. X-rays show morphological changes of the vertebrae and may also point to functional disorders. Physiotherapy is the most important treatment modality and preventative measure in static dysbalance of the cervical spine. sometimes chiropractic therapy by an experienced manual therapist or carefully directed infiltration therapy is necessary.