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Behavioral and electromyographic characterization of mice lacking EphA4 receptors.

EphA4 receptors play an important role in axon guidance during development. Disrupting the expression of these receptors in mice has been shown to modify neuronal connections in the spinal cord and results in the production of a characteristic hopping gait. The EphA4-null mouse has been used in numerous investigations aimed at establishing mechanisms responsible for patterning motor activity during walking. However, there have been no detailed behavioral or electrophysiological studies on adult EphA4-null mice. We used high-speed video recordings to determine the coordination of leg movements during locomotion in adult EphA4-null mice. Our data show that the hopping movements of the hind legs are not always associated with synchronous movements of forelegs. The coupling between the forelegs is weak, resulting in changes in their phase relationship from step to step. The synchronous coordination of the hind legs can switch to an alternating pattern for a short period of time during recovery from isoflurane anesthesia. Comparison of the kinematics of hind leg movements in EphA4-null mice and wild-type animals shows that besides the synchronous coordination in EphA4-null mice, the swing durations and the swing amplitude are shorter. Electromyographic recordings from a knee extensor muscle show double bursting in the EphA4-null animals but single bursts in wild types. This double burst changes to single-burst activity during swimming and when hind legs are stepping in alternation. These observations suggest an influence of sensory feedback in shaping the pattern of muscle activity during locomotion in the mutant animals. Our data give the first detailed description of the locomotor behavior of an adult mouse with genetically manipulated spinal networks.

Animals↗

Sex differences in predictors of outcome in selected physical therapy interventions for acute low back pain.

STUDY DESIGN: Secondary analysis of pooled data from 3 randomized trials. OBJECTIVE: This study investigated sex differences in response to physical therapy intervention for acute low back pain. BACKGROUND: Sex differences in experimental pain sensitivity have been consistently described in the literature. However, clinical consequences of these sex differences have not been widely reported. METHODS AND MEASURES: Subjects (n=165) were participants in 3 randomized trials of physical therapy interventions from outpatient physical therapy clinics in the general and military communities. Subjects were randomly assigned spinal manipulation with range-of-motion exercise, lumbar stabilization exercise, or directional-preference exercise. Outcomes were measured at 4 weeks through self-report of pain intensity and pain-related disability. Sex differences were investigated with independent t tests (baseline data), 2 x 3 analysis of variance (4-week reductions in pain and pain-related disability), and regression models (predictors of outcome). RESULTS: Men and women had similar reductions of pain intensity (raw mean difference, 0.5; 95% Cl, -1.4 to 0.4) and pain-related disability (raw mean difference, 5.3; 95% CI, -0.1 to 10.7) over 4 weeks. Baseline pain intensity, duration of symptoms, and baseline pain-related disability significantly predicted change in pain intensity for women (r2 = 26%, P < .01). Baseline pain intensity and stabilization exercise predicted change in pain intensity for men (r2 = 33%, P<.01). Baseline pain-related disability, duration of pain, and pain intensity predicted change in disability for women (r2 = 24%, P < .01). Baseline pain-related disability, fear-avoidance beliefs, stabilization exercise, and leg pain predicted change in disability for men (r2 = 32%, P < .01). CONCLUSION: For patients with acute low back pain, men and women had similar physical therapy outcomes for reductions in pain intensity and pain-related disability. However, men and women had different factors that predicted treatment outcome.

Acute Disease↗

Danger and safety in medicines.

Convictions about established medical safety and the danger of alternative remedies and practitioners are discussed in this article. While most alternative medicines continue to be denounced as unscientific and unsafe, government reviews have concluded that chiropractic and osteopathy and (more recently) acupuncture should be registered occupations and that qualifying courses of tertiary education should be instituted in Australia. This paradoxical result follows the widespread adoption of acupuncture and spinal manipulation by established practitioners of medicine and physiotherapy. The practices become intrinsically dangerous as their efficacy is accepted. Consequently, the argument is that only established practitioners are safe enough to use them. But alternative groups can use the established announcement of danger to represent the desirability of official action to protect the public. The article concludes with a review of the idea that therapies become dangerous as they are introduced.

Acupuncture Therapy↗

Evaluating primary practice: proposals for a modified model suited to chiropractic care.

Although chiropractic care is not yet considered to have achieved scientific validity, it enjoys widespread public acceptance. It is hypothesised that one of the barriers to chiropractic establishing scientific validity is the propensity of researchers to frame their randomized controlled clinical trials according to a biomedical rather than a biopsychosocial model. It is proposed that while chiropractic care should be required to establish a cause--effect relationship between spinal manipulation and clinical response, subjective patient--valued outcomes should also be monitored. For chiropractic care to be adequately assessed recognition needs to be given to the usefulness of qualitative measurements in health care. Interventions selected solely upon the basis of statistical significance run the risk of overlooking clinically meaningful outcomes.

Chiropractic↗

Chiropractic and geriatrics: a review of the training, role, and scope of chiropractic in caring for aging patients.

Chiropractors may be well-positioned to play an important role in health promotion, injury and disease prevention, and on geriatric care teams, due to their practice style and holistic philosophy. The bottom line in aging care is that someone in the health-care world must provide health promotion and preventive services to older patients before the wave of aged patients profoundly overwhelms our health-care system. Chiropractic services are safe and relatively low-cost, and patient satisfaction with them is very high. In the managed-care environment, time pressures on allopathic providers may preclude them from spending sufficient time discussing health promotion and illness prevention with their patients. Chiropractic, when paid for out-of-pocket, is not as affected by these extreme pressures. With the hands-on nature of chiropractic care, a strong doctor-patient relationship is forged in which health and lifestyle recommendations may be comfortably and effectively discussed. Relative to musculoskeletal care in elderly patients, chiropractic adjustments (spinal manipulative therapy) are recommended by the Agency for Health Care Policy and Research for the care of acute low back pain, and the American Geriatric Society Panel Guidelines for the Management of Chronic Pain state that non-pharmaceutical interventions such as chiropractic may be appropriate. Most geriatric health-care providers have a limited number of options to offer patients with these complaints. Various lower-force chiropractic techniques are available as safe alternatives to drugs and surgery for musculoskeletal complaints in the older patient. Due to the prevalence of these conditions in older patients, and the success of chiropractic in caring for these patients, interdisciplinary geriatric health care teams should include the doctor of chiropractic. Chiropractors, well trained in health assessment, diagnosis, radiographic studies, health promotion, and illness prevention, are well-positioned to provide many primary health-care services to aging patients. This is particularly important to a nation that is straining to provide adequate geriatric health care in rural areas and areas with a shortage of health-care professionals. Continued improvements in geriatric education, and an increase in research and publication on chiropractic care of the aging patient are essential. As stated by Montes and Johnston in the Journal of Health Education: Training, as well as continual upgrading of the competencies for health educators, must include ways of dealing with the great disparities in health among populations, especially those most vulnerable and underserved. Faculty too must be prepared in ... this ever-changing health care delivery system. In a rapidly aging society, chiropractors, (along with all health professions)must prepare themselves to provide optimal health care to this important segment of our society, through excellence in chiropractic education, training,and practice.

Aged↗

A practice-based study of patients with acute and chronic low back pain attending primary care and chiropractic physicians: two-week to 48-month follow-up.

OBJECTIVE: This study reports pain and disability outcomes up to 4 years for chiropractic and medical patients with low back pain (LBP) and assesses the influence of doctor type and pain duration on clinical outcomes. DESIGN: Prospective, longitudinal, nonrandomized, practice-based, observational study. SETTING: Fifty-one chiropractic and 14 general practice community clinics. SUBJECTS: A total of 2870 acute and chronic ambulatory patients with LBP of mechanical origin. METHODS: Sixty chiropractic (DC) and 111 general practice (MD) physicians participated. Primary outcomes were pain, using a 100-point visual analogue scale (VAS), and functional disability, using the Revised Oswestry Disability Questionnaire. These were measured at baseline and 8 time points. Regression analysis compared acute and chronic DC and MD patients after correcting for baseline differences in the 4 cohorts. RESULTS: Most improvement was seen by 3 months and sustained for 1 year; exacerbation was seen thereafter. Acute patients demonstrated greater relief at all time points. A clinically important advantage for chiropractic patients was seen in chronic patients in the short-term (>10 VAS points), and both acute and chronic chiropractic patients experienced somewhat greater relief up to 1 year (P<.000). The advantage for DC care was prominent for chronic patients with leg pain below the knee (P<.001). More than 50% of chronic patients had over 50 days of pain in the third year. CONCLUSION: Study findings were consistent with systematic reviews of the efficacy of spinal manipulation for pain and disability in acute and chronic LBP. Patient choice and interdisciplinary referral should be prime considerations by physicians, policymakers, and third-party payers in identifying health services for patients with LBP.

Acute Disease↗

Bone metastases from breast cancer: guidelines for diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the case of a 62-year-old woman with prior history of breast cancer who later sought chiropractic care, and to present an overview of appropriate imaging procedures in such cases. CLINICAL FEATURES: The patient had a 6-month history of mild left-sided sacroiliac pain, which radiated into the left lateral thigh and leg. There was additional pain over the left upper ribs and left posterior arm, which had started insidiously. One year prior, she had undergone a lumpectomy. Current radiographs were negative for carcinoma. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: Cautious spinal manipulation and soft tissue procedures were used to treat her sacroiliac joints. The thoracic pain was left untreated. The patient improved over the first 7 visits but had pain return after swimming. After ceasing therapy, she still suffered from similar pain. CONCLUSIONS: It is important to assess patients who present with new bone pain after they already have a history of breast malignancy. Chiropractic physicians should take appropriate diagnostic steps to rule out suspected malignancy when there is no plain film evidence and biopsy is negative.

Bone Neoplasms↗

Osteolysis of the distal clavicle: serial improvement and normalization of acromioclavicular joint space with conservative care.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss a case of osteolysis of the distal clavicle (ODC) in a 29-year-old male chiropractic student who showed interval radiographic and clinical evidence of healing. CLINICAL FEATURES: The patient complained of intermittent left-sided shoulder pain of 8 months' duration that was exacerbated while performing spinal-manipulative procedures. A radiographic examination showed changes consistent with osteolysis involving the distal clavicle. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: A conservative treatment regimen of physiotherapy, nutritional supplementation, and activity modification resulted in an interval reduction in symptomatology and radiographic findings on serial examinations, ultimately resolving both abnormal clinical and radiographic findings after approximately 14 months of treatment. We specifically observed normalization of the acromioclavicular (AC) joint dimension. CONCLUSIONS: In contrast to the posttreatment radiographic outcome seen in our patient, ODC classically does not result in complete resolution of radiographic findings or normalization of AC joint dimension, and such radiographic normalization of joint space is currently not reported in the literature. This case report serves to document and to show this unique occurrence.

Acromioclavicular Joint↗

Dose response for chiropractic care of chronic cervicogenic headache and associated neck pain: a randomized pilot study.

OBJECTIVE: To acquire information for designing a large clinical trial and determining its feasibility and to make preliminary estimates of the relationship between headache outcomes and the number of visits to a chiropractor. DESIGN: Randomized, controlled trial. SETTING: Private practice in a college outpatient clinic and in the community. SUBJECTS: Twenty-four adults with chronic cervicogenic headache. METHODS: Patients were randomly allocated to 1, 3, or 4 visits per week for 3 weeks. All patients received high-velocity low-amplitude spinal manipulation. Doctor of Chiropractics could apply up to 2 physical modalities at each visit from among heat and soft tissue therapy. They could also recommend modification of daily activities and rehabilitative exercises. Outcomes included 100-point Modified Von Korff pain and disability scales, and headaches in last 4 weeks. RESULTS: Only 1 participant was insufficiently compliant with treatment (3 of 12 visits), and 1 patient was lost to follow-up. There was substantial benefit in pain relief for 9 and 12 treatments compared with 3 visits. At 4 weeks, the advantage was 13.8 ( P = .135) for 3 visits per week and 18.7 (P = .041) for 4 visits per week. At the 12-week follow-up, the advantage was 19.4 (P = .035) for 3 visits per week and 18.1 (P = .048) for 4 visits per week. CONCLUSION: A large clinical trial on the relationship between pain relief and the number of chiropractic treatments is feasible. Findings give preliminary support for the benefit of larger doses, 9 to 12 treatments, of chiropractic care for the treatment of cervicogenic headache.

Adult↗

Self-reported nonmusculoskeletal responses to chiropractic intervention: a multination survey.

OBJECTIVE: To replicate a previous study of nonmusculoskeletal responses to chiropractic intervention and to establish whether such responses are influenced by the country of study, chiropractors' attitudes, and information to patients, patients' demographic profiles, and treatment regimens. METHODS: Information obtained through questionnaires by chiropractors and patients on return visit within 2 weeks of previous treatment from chiropractic practices in Canada, United States, Mexico, Hong-Kong, Japan, Australia, and South Africa. In all, 385 chiropractors collected valid data on 5607 patients. Spinal manipulation with or without additional therapy was the intervention provided by chiropractors. Outcome measures included self-reported improved nonmusculoskeletal reactions (allergy, asthma, breathing, circulation, digestion, hearing, heart function, ringing in the ears, sinus problems, urination, and others). RESULTS: The results from the previous study were largely reproduced. Positive reactions were reported by 2% to 10% of all patients and by 3% to 27% of those who reported to have such problems. Most common were improved breathing (27%), digestion (26%), and circulation (21%). Some variables were identified that somewhat influenced the outcome: patients informed that such reactions may occur (odds ratio [OR] 1.5), treatment to the upper cervical spine (OR 1.4), treatment to lower thoracic spine (OR 1.3), and female sex (OR 1.3). However, these had a very small "explanatory" value (pseudo R2 3%). CONCLUSION: A minority of patients with self-reported nonmusculoskeletal symptoms report definite improvement after chiropractic care, and very few report definite worsening. Future studies should use stringent criteria to investigate a possible treatment effect and concentrate on specific diagnostic subgroups such as digestive problems and tinnitus.

Adult↗

Comparison of mechanical force of manually assisted chiropractic adjusting instruments.

OBJECTIVE: To quantify the force-time and force-delivery characteristics of six commonly used handheld chiropractic adjusting devices. METHODS: Four spring-loaded instruments, the Activator Adjusting Instrument; Activator II Adjusting Instrument, Activator III Adjusting Instrument, and Activator IV Adjusting Instrument, and two electromechanical devices, the Harrison Handheld Adjusting Instrument and Neuromechanical Impulse Adjusting Instrument, were applied to a dynamic load cell. A total of 10 force-time histories were obtained at each of three force excursion settings (minimum to maximum) for each of the six adjusting instruments at preload of approximately 20 N. RESULTS: The minimum-to-maximum force excursion settings for the spring-loaded mechanical adjusting instruments produced similar minimum-to-maximum peak forces that were not appreciably different for most excursion settings. The electromechanical adjusting instruments produced short duration ( approximately 2-4 ms), with more linear minimum-to-maximum peak forces. The force-time profile of the electromechanical devices resulted in a more uniform and greater energy dynamic frequency response in comparison to the spring-loaded mechanical adjusting instruments. CONCLUSIONS: The handheld, electromechanical instruments produced substantially larger peak forces and ranges of forces in comparison to the handheld, spring-loaded mechanical devices. The electromechanical instruments produced greater dynamic frequency area ratios than their mechanical counterparts. Knowledge of the force-time history and force-frequency response characteristics of spinal manipulative instruments may provide basic benchmarks and may assist in understanding mechanical responses in the clinical setting.

Benchmarking↗

Myelopathy: a report of two cases.

OBJECTIVE: To present diagnostic imaging findings of two cases of cervical myelopathy, with different etiologies, presenting to a chiropractic office. CLINICAL FEATURES: The patient with acute transverse myelitis had neck and upper back pain and nonspecific headaches for 40 years. The patient with posttraumatic syringomyelia experienced intermittent left arm pain starting in the anterolateral shoulder and radiating down the arm into the third, fourth, and fifth digits. Neither of these patients presented with typical myelopathic symptoms. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: Chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy using high-velocity low-amplitude thrusts and concomitant medical management were used for the patient with posttraumatic syringomyelia. The patient with acute transverse myelitis was not treated. CONCLUSION: Practitioners should be aware of the etiology, pathophysiology, clinical features, laboratory, diagnostic imaging findings, and treatment options pertaining to patients with cervical myelopathy.

Adult↗

Cost-effectiveness of medical and chiropractic care for acute and chronic low back pain.

OBJECTIVES: To identify relative provider costs, clinical outcomes, and patient satisfaction for the treatment of low back pain (LBP). METHODS: This was a practice-based, nonrandomized, comparative study of patients self-referring to 60 doctors of chiropractic and 111 medical doctors in 51 chiropractic and 14 general practice community clinics over a 2-year period. Patients were included if they were at least 18 years old, ambulatory, and had low back pain of mechanical origin (n = 2780). Outcomes were (standardized) office costs, office costs plus referral costs for office-based care and advanced imaging, pain, functional disability, patient satisfaction, physical health, and mental health evaluated at 3 and 12 months after the start of care. Multiple regression analysis was used to correct for baseline differences between provider types. RESULTS: Chiropractic office costs were higher for both acute and chronic patients (P < .01). When referrals were included, there were no significant differences in either group between provider types (P > .20). Acute and chronic chiropractic patients experienced better outcomes in pain, functional disability, and patient satisfaction (P < .01); clinically important differences in pain and disability improvement were found for chronic patients only. CONCLUSIONS: Chiropractic care appeared relatively cost-effective for the treatment of chronic LBP. Chiropractic and medical care performed comparably for acute patients. Practice-based clinical outcomes were consistent with systematic reviews of spinal manipulation efficacy: manipulation-based therapy is at least as good as and, in some cases, better than other therapeusis. This evidence can guide physicians, payers, and policy makers in evaluating chiropractic as a treatment option for low back pain.

Acute Disease↗

Efficacy of treating low back pain and dysfunction secondary to osteoarthritis: chiropractic care compared with moist heat alone.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the efficacy of chiropractic spinal manipulation, manual flexion/distraction, and hot pack application for the treatment of low back pain from osteoarthritis (OA) compared with moist heat alone. METHODS: Two hundred fifty-two patients with low back pain secondary to OA were randomly assigned to either the treatment group (moist hot pack plus chiropractic care) or the moist heat group subjects, which attended 20 treatment sessions over several weeks. At sessions 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20, they rated pain using a visual analog pain scale, activities of daily living using the Oswestry Low Back Pain Questionnaire, and a range of motion (ROM) using the J-Tech Dual Digital Inclinometer (JTECH Medical Model no. AA036). RESULTS: Session I ratings indicated that the two groups were equivalent on all pain and flexion scores. The treatment group reported greater and more rapid pain reduction and greater and more rapid ROM improvement than the moist heat group. The treatment group also had greater improvements than the moist heat group in daily living activities in 4 of the 9 areas measured. CONCLUSION: Chiropractic care combined with heat is more effective than heat alone for treating OA-based lower back pain. Pain reduction occurs more rapidly and to a greater degree, and ROM increases more rapidly and to a greater degree.

Activities of Daily Living↗

Chiropractic and rehabilitative management of a patient with progressive lumbar disk injury, spondylolisthesis, and spondyloptosis.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the chiropractic treatment for a patient with low back pain accompanied by sensory and motor deficits of his left leg and magnetic resonance imaging-documented lumbar spinal cord and nerve root impingement. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 57-year-old man experienced low back pain that radiated into his left leg and subsequently produced both sensory and motor deficits of the left thigh and quadriceps followed by a similar weakness and accompanying paresthesia of the lower left leg. Onsets were sudden and occurred during sleep, after prolonged sitting or during long periods of driving. Diagnostic studies revealed a slight impingement at the L5-S1 level due to anterior displacement of the L5 vertebra and a mild protrusion of the L4 disk. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOMES: Treatment consisted of chiropractic spinal manipulation, physical therapy modalities, and rehabilitative exercises. Outcome measurements in his case indicated that his rehabilitation was appropriate. CONCLUSION: There is an abundance of published reports describing treatment of disk injury, low back pain, and spondylolisthesis with a variety of manipulative methods. However, this appears to be the first case reported in indexed literature of a progressive multilevel lumbar disk injury with concomitant spondylolisthesis and spondyloptosis.

Disease Progression↗

Cauda equina syndrome after epidural steroid injection: a case report.

OBJECTIVE: Conventional treatment methods of lumbusacral radiculopathy are physical therapy, epidural steroid injections, oral medications, and spinal manipulative therapy. Cauda equina syndrome is a rare complication of epidural anesthesia. The following case is a report of cauda equina syndrome possibly caused by epidural injection of triamcinolone and bupivacaine. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 50-year-old woman with low back and right leg pain was scheduled for epidural steroid injection. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: An 18-gauge Touhy needle was inserted until loss of resistance occurred at the L4-5 level. Spread of the contrast medium within the epidural space was determined by radiographic imaging. After verifying the epidural space, bupivacaine and triamcinolone diacetate were injected. After the injection, there was a reduction in radicular symptoms. Three hours later, she complained of perineal numbness and lower extremity weakness. The neurologic evaluation revealed loss of sensation in the saddle area and medial aspect of her right leg. There was a decrease in the perception of pinprick test. Deep-tendon reflexes were decreased especially in the right leg. She was unable to urinate. The patient's symptoms improved slightly over the next few hours. She had a gradual return of motor function and ability of feeling Foley catheter. All of the symptoms were completely resolved over the next 8 hours. CONCLUSION: Complications associated with epidural steroid injections are rare. Clinical examination and continued vigilance for neurologic deterioration after epidural steroid injections is important.

Anesthetics, Local↗

First rib fracture of unknown etiology: a case report.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study is to describe the case of a patient with a first rib fracture discovered with advanced imaging once the patient did not respond to an initial course of care. CLINICAL FEATURES: A 24-year-old otherwise healthy male electrician had medial scapular, upper thoracic, and sternal pain while using a power drill in the overhead position. INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: An initial trial of treatments consisting of spinal manipulation and modalities failed to alleviate the patient's symptoms. Chiropractic treatment was discontinued and further diagnostic testing with advanced imaging was performed. Once the pathology was identified, the patient was placed on light duty at work with restrictions limiting overhead activities. No other treatment was rendered. The patient was symptom-free approximately 10 months after the onset of pain. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with complaints of spine and scapular pain may commonly present to a chiropractor for care. When these types of symptoms do not respond to conservative therapy, other causes should be investigated. In this case, the patient's symptoms resulted from a nontraumatic fracture of the first rib. First rib fractures should be considered in the differential diagnosis of patients with upper quadrant pain that is not responsive to conservative care.

Adult↗