Does Chiropractic Help Ankylosing Spondylitis?People have tried a number of 'alternative' forms of treatment in an effort to moderate the symptoms of ankylosing sponkylitis, mainly in an effort to avoid the side effects sometimes seen with long term use of prescription medications. Being that chiropractic care is primarily associated with care of the spine, many people will want to know if this modality can be effective in treating AS. Unfortunately, there are no definitive answers here. There seem to be wide ranging experience and opinions regarding the efficacy of chiropractic in moderating ankylosing sponkylitis symptoms. One thing to make sure of if you decide to try chiropractic is to make sure the doctor is aware that you have AS. One sufferer who went to a number of different types of health care providers in an effort to gain relief before before receiving an AS diagnosis feels that the chiropractic treatment made his situation worse. He feels that the manipulation stressed his ribs, and at the time of his report, four years later, stated that he was still feeling pain in that area. On the other hand, research from the Southern California University of Health Sciences indicates that even advanced cases of AS might show a favorable response from chiropractic manipulation. They utilized grade 5 manipulation of a subject's thoracic spine and grade 3 mobilization of his lumbar and cervical spine, along with physical therapy and stretches for a period of 12 weeks. Even though his sacroiliac joints and the facet joints in his lumbar and cervical spine had been fused before the study, he reported improvement in his condition at the conclusion. Dr. Muhammad Asim Khan, rheumatologist and researcher makes the claim that chiropractic treatments given to AS patients have sometimes inadvertently led to spinal fractures and neurological complications, especially in people with fusion. BUT, there are individuals with sponkylitis who swear by regular chiropractic sessions. This appears to be a situation where no clear-cut recommendation can be made. Everyone will have to do as much research as they can, and make their own decision. After all, it's your spine. You know how much pain you are in, and how you feel about the results you've gotten from conventional medicine. This, together with your leanings toward/against 'alternative' treatments in general, will probably be the determining factor. Ankylosing Spondylitis Privacy Policy Contact Us Legal Information |