Chiropractic Case Studies

The following are summaries of real cases treated at the Peterborough clinic. The names have been changed to maintain patient confidentiality.

James – shoulder pain with numbness and tingling in the right arm

James (32) had strained himself weight-lifting 4 years previously and had suffered recurring pain and weakness in his right arm and shoulder ever since. He also had a history of stiffness and crepitus (‘clicking’ and ‘crunching’ noises) in his neck. For no identifiable reason, the feeling of numbness in his right arm had got worse in the 2 weeks before he came for treatment. The chiropractor diagnosed 'thoracic outlet syndrome' and treated him accordingly. After 2 treatments, the feeling of numbness had gone from his arm and his shoulder had stopped being painful. After 3 treatments his neck also ‘felt a lot easier’ and the crepitus had greatly reduced.

John – low back pain

John (50) came in for treatment after suffering a night of agonising low back pain during his shift at the local sorting office. John described having similar pains in the past but nothing of the intensity he was now experiencing. John enjoyed great relief from his first treatment, immediately describing himself as ‘80% better’. By the time of his second treatment a week later his back was stiff rather than painful. His chiropractic treatment was augmented by massage to relieve tight muscles in his back and legs. By the time of his third visit, John had returned to working 12 hour shifts at the sorting office.

Jane – back pain and migraine

Jane (42) originally came for treatment for back pain after straining herself playing badminton. After 4 visits (once a week) the back pain had resolved. At this point, Jane noticed that her migraine headaches, that had previously been occurring at a rate of two or more a month, had not affected her since the start of her treatment. She would still get ‘muzzy bad head’ feelings but not the full-blown migraines that could immobilise her for a day or more at a time.

Bill – whiplash

Bill (49) came for treatment two weeks after a car accident in which he was shunted from behind. He was suffering severe pain and almost continuous muscle spasms in both his neck and the lumbar area of his back. The slightest movement could trigger agonising pain. By the end of his first treatment, the muscle spasms had stopped and Bill described his neck as feeling ‘much looser’. He had one recurrence of muscle spasms four days later but both his neck and back had greatly improved by the time of his second treatment. After 4 treatments (once a week), Bill reported no further pain in his back and only ‘a slight niggle’ in his neck.

Kate - long-standing pain in ribs, shoulder blades, neck, shoulders and spine

Kate (57) presented with pain in her ribs, shoulder blades, neck, shoulders and spine. The rib pain meant that it hurt to laugh, cough, or even breathe deeply. This had started 23 years previously after the difficult birth of her second daughter. Three weeks of traction in hospital only seemed to aggravate the problem. Coping with the pain had been part of her life ever since. Her daily regimen of painkillers included amytryptoline, paracetamol and tramadol. She was very limited in what she could do without causing herself severe pain – lifting and carrying the lightest of loads was a no-no. Her daughters grew up knowing that ‘Mummy couldn’t carry them’. She had been looking for years for an effective treatment: osteopathy, Chinese medicine, acupuncture, physiotherapy and various forms of massage had all been tried without success.
With a long-standing problem like this one it would be expected that a longer treatment plan would be needed to achieve results, but the first visit left Kate able to move and breathe more easily. In subsequent visits, the focus of the treatment moved from her back and ribs, to her neck, and then to her shoulders. After 15 visits she was able to report two major successes: (i) she was no longer taking any painkillers; and (ii) she was able to carry her new grandchild.

Graham - reduced sense of taste

Graham (65) presented with low back pain after slipping on a ladder. During the pre-treatment screening that all patients go through it emerged that Graham had very little sense of taste. This was a problem he attributed to having been a heavy smoker when he was younger.
At his second visit to the clinic, Graham's back pain was much improved but he was keen to talk about something else: he reported that, straight after his first treatment, he had noticed the taste of his evening meal for the first time in years. Whatever nerve inhibition had been interfering with Graham's ability to perceive the taste of his food appeared to have been cleared.
At subsequent visits, Graham's back problem continued to improve and his improved sense of taste was maintained.