Chiropractic treatment of a pregnant patient with lumbar radiculopathy
Received 1 June 2007; received in revised form 8 August 2007; accepted 16 August 2007.
Abstract
Objective
The purpose of this report is to describe chiropractic treatment of lower back and unilateral leg pain in a pregnant patient.
Clinical Features
A 26-year-old woman in her second trimester of pregnancy had severe pain in her lower back that radiated to her hips bilaterally and to her right leg. She reported tingling down her right lower leg to the dorsum of her foot. Although no diagnostic imaging was performed, her differential diagnoses included lumbalgia with associated radiculopathy.
Intervention and Outcome
Treatment consisted of manual traction in the side-lying position using a specialized chiropractic table and treatment technique (Cox flexion-distraction decompression) modified for pregnancy. Relief was noted after the first treatment, and complete resolution of her subjective and objective findings occurred after 8 visits.
Conclusion
When modified, this chiropractic technique appears to be an effective method for treating lower back pain with radiation to the leg in a pregnant patient who cannot lie prone.
ABSTRACT