Fibromyalgia
Increased rates of fibromyalgia following
cervical spine injury: A controlled study of 161 cases of
traumatic injury. Buskila D, Neumannn L, Vaisberg G, Alkalay
D, Wolfe F. Arthritis Rheum 1997;40:446-452.
In this Israeli
study it was revealed that adults with neck injuries had
a 13-fold increased risk of developing fibromyalgia within
1 year of their injury compared with adults with lower extremity
fractures.
Trauma and fibromyalgia: is there an association
and what does it mean? White KP, Carette S Seminars in Arthritis & Rheumatism
29(4):200-216, 2000.
There is some evidence supporting an association
between trauma and fibromyalgia. More research is needed.
Upper
cervical management of primary fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue
syndrome cases. Amalu WC. Today’s Chiropractic
May/June 2000 Pp.76-86.
This is a paper of 23 successive cases
(5 male, 18 female from 11 to 76 years of age) of primary fibromyalgia
and chronic fatigue syndrome suffering from 2 to 35 years.
Total
care visits ranged from 20 to 48. All patients reported maintaining
their improvements at 1 to 1 ½ years or
more of follow up. After care every patient was ale to resume
normal activities including full time work.
The author writes “Improvement in symptoms of 92-100%
was achieved in both these syndromes subsequent to corrections
of aberrant arthrokinematic function of the occipito-atlanto-axial
complex…A causal relationship between biomechanical
faults in the upper cervical spine, abnormal central neurophysiologic
processing and subsequent peripheral neuropathophysiology,
is suggested as the possible genesis of these two syndromes.”
The
clinical syndrome of fibrositis. Wolfe F, American Journal
of Medicine 1986 Vol. 81 (suppl 3A) Sept 29, 1986; 7-14
Researchers
found that 45.9% of people who had fibromyalgia and went to
a chiropractor experienced moderate to great improvement. In
the same study, anti-depressant medication benefited only 36.3%
of those studied and exercise was limited to a 31.8% rate of
improvement.
Combined ischemic compression and spinal manipulation
in the treatment of fibromyalgia: a preliminary estimate of
dose efficacy. Hain S and Hain F. Journal of Manipulative
and Physiological Therapeutics Vol 23 No. 4 May 2000 pp.225-230.
In
this study of 15 women with fibromyalgia , 60% (9) responded
very well to Chiropractic Care meaning they had at least
a 50% reduction in pain symptoms.
The patients in the study
had fibromyalgia for more than 3 months and were adult members
of a regional Fibromyalgia Association. Each participant was
adjusted during 30 visits with self-administered assessments
taken at the beginning of the study, after 15 visits, 30 visits
and 30 days after completion of the study. Researchers were
looking for improvement in three areas; pain intensity, fatigue
level and sleep quality. The improvement in all three areas
continued after 1 month without chiropractic care.
Note from
Dr. Koren: The quality of chiropractic care in this study was
poor. Patients were adjusted twice a week whether they needed
it or not. “Adjustments” (really
manipulations) were rotary diversified to the neck and thoracic.
I can only wonder what the results would have been if specific,
scientific spinal adjustments were administered.
The effectiveness
of chiropractic management of fibromyalgia patients: a pilot
study. Blunt KL, Rajwani MH, and Guerriero RC. J Manipulative
Physiological Therapy; 1997: 20(6):389-99.
Twenty-one rheumatology
patients aged 25-70 suffering from fibromyalgia (muscular pain
characterized by muscular tautness/stiffness, well-defined
tender/trigger points, numbness, tingling, and pain) were studied
to demonstrate chiropractic’s effect
on this condition.
Chiropractic care consisted of 4 weeks of
spinal care plus soft tissue and passive stretching at the
chiropractors’ discretion.
Chiropractic management improved patients’ cervical
and lumbar ranges of motion, straight leg raise and reported
pain levels.
Prospective, longitudinal study of service utilization
and costs in fibromyalgia. Wolf F. Anderson J, Harkness,
D et al. Arthritis and Rheumatism, 1997; 40, pp.1560-70.
In
this study of 538 fibromyalgia patients it was revealed that
chiropractors were one of the more common health care professionals
visited by patients, averaging 30.4 visits per 100 patients
(per six-month period).
Copyright 2004 Koren Publications, Inc. & Tedd
Koren, D.C.