Chiropractic Helps Patient with Wide Variety of Health Issues Including Back Pain and Depression

The second quarter 2023 issue of the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal published a case study of a patient helped by chiropractic who was suffering with a wide variety of health issues for a number of years.

This study documents the case of a 42-year-old man who went to the chiropractor primarily to see if chiropractic could help his long-standing back problems. He was a bricklayer and the pain in his lower back, buttocks and legs was so severe that it was limiting his ability to do his job. Prior MRI and CT scans had confirmed the presence of a disc herniation.

Upon further inquiry into his history, it was discovered that the man also suffered from a variety of other traumas and health issues. These issues included neck pain, hip pain, sleep problems and erectile dysfunction. He had been involved in several auto accidents and suffered the stress of seeing a co-worker die due to a work accident. With the additional stressors in his life, as well as recently having experienced the death of his father, the man also had problems with anxiety, alcoholism, and depression.

A chiropractic examination showed several postural and orthopedic positive indicators. Based upon the examination, chiropractic care was started utilizing a variety of specific techniques. Due to the severity of his pain and disability, the man was seen initially five times per week.

At the four-week update of his care, the man reported some improvement in various parts of his body as he stated that he was generally able to move around better. After 8 weeks of care, he reported a decrease in the pain in his legs and back. He was able to decrease his pain medication which resulted in him being able to sleep better.

At the 12-week mark, the man reported that he was breathing easier, moving around better, had a significant reduction in pain and had improved with is erectile dysfunction issues. He noted that his sense of humor had returned, and he was more engaged with the people at his work.

The self-reported improvements noted by the man in this case were also supported by examination findings that showed improvements in posture, neurological testing, x-rays and clinical evaluations.

In the study discussion, the authors wrote, "A degree of pain control was achieved in the context of what was almost certainly going to be a surgical case. However, the return of reproductive function and the reduction in medication intake indicates a system returning to normal. Patient self-reports regarding mood and antidepressant usage, as well as anecdotal (observational) data by the Chiropractor indicate a significant improvement in mental health and coping."