Spinal Osteophytosis

This article argues for and illustrates incorporating complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) interventions into pain treatment plans. Two CAM treatments, cranial electrotherapy stimulation (CES) and self-hypnosis training, are offered in a multidisciplinary pain treatment program. Because these interventions focus on pain relief, they may be of particular interest to patients who have chronic pain who begin treatment with a primary interest in pain reduction. Two cases that illustrate the clinical application of CES and self-hypnosis are presented.

A case of cervical spondylotic myelopathy is presented, and the literature reviewing its etiology is discussed. Computed tomography is believed to be the most accurate method to use in order to confirm a diagnosis of cervical spondylotic myelopathy. Manipulation of the cervical spine is contraindicated for this condition.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate plain film radiographic findings of lumbar intervertebral disk degeneration. DESIGN: A cross-sectional observational design was employed. Contingency tables were constructed to evaluate the relationships between radiographic findings of degeneration and the corresponding MRI signal intensities of the inner intervertebral disk. SETTING: Twenty-four consecutive cases were retrospectively selected from an MRI imaging center. PATIENTS: No exclusion was made on the basis of age or sex.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the benefit of cooperation between medical and chiropractic specialists and the usefulness of combining chiropractic and epidural injection in particular cases of back pain. CLINICAL FEATURES: Two cases of low back pain, both with disk protrusions and osteophytic changes, had no response to several weeks of alternate day (or more) chiropractic care. A third case of herniated intervertebral disks and low back pain had no improvement from treatment with epidural steroidal injection.

OBJECTIVE: To describe the clinical presentation of eight patients with cervical spine radiculopathy, the manipulation technique used for each patient and the outcomes of treatment. CLINICAL FEATURES: The cause of radiculopathy in four patients was disc herniation. The other four patients had a combination of spondylosis, disc herniation and sprain injury.

OBJECTIVE: To discuss the chiropractic management of a patient suffering from multiple complaints, including a herniated nucleus pulposus in the cervical spine diagnosed by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). CLINICAL FEATURES: A 34-yr-old man suffered from severe neck, lower back and radicular pain of 1 yr duration. He had previously received care from multiple medical specialists, with little or no results. An MRI of the cervical spine demonstrated a C6-C7 herniated nucleus pulposus.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of sacroiliac (SI) joint abnormalities in a primary low back pain population remains unresolved. The aims of our study were to define the prevalence of SI joint disease in this cohort, and to identify clinical features that might accurately predict radiographic changes in the SI joint and spine. METHODS: Lumbar spine and anteroposterior pelvis radiographs taken over a 3-year period for the evaluation of back pain at a major chiropractic college were scored for the presence of inflammatory or degenerative features.

OBJECTIVE: To study the effects of Yiqi Huayu Recipe on the gene expression pattern in normal and apoptotic chondrocytes in the cervical intervertebral disc of rats. METHODS: The intervertebral disc endplates of rats were digested enzymatically. The apoptosis of the chondrocytes was induced by anti-Fas antibody. BiostarR-40s microarray chips were used to investigate the gene expression pattern in chondrocytes in the normal control, apoptosis and Yiqi Huayu Recipe groups.

OBJECTIVE: To make an animal model of cervical spondylosis (arthralgia syndrome type) with stimulation of wind, cold, and dampness. METHODS: Twenty-four 8 months old male New Zealand white rabbits were randomly allocated into four groups: normal control group, light stimulation group, moderate stimulation group and severe stimulation group. The wind speed was 10.8-13.8 m/s, the temperature was (5+/-0.5)degrees centigrade, and the humidity was 100%.