Case Study

The charts in this study are a patient that first came in on January 10, 2001. She had been experiencing severe shoulder pain and restricted range of motion, and had been in more traditional treatment for over a year. A cortisone shot and physical therapy had provided some relief. Other chiropractors had provided short-term and emergency aid. Massage was too painful to continue. At night she had to prop pillows in specific positions to be able to lay down, she could only sleep on her back, and any movement only caused pain. As time went on, she had concluded that this was a permanent physical disability, exacerbated by working at a computer in her profession.

Ideal Healthy Spine	Jan 10, 2001	Feb 12, 2001
March 22,2001	April 23, 2001	Nov 5, 2001

Her initial questions of me centered around what results she might expect, and I told her I could not promise anything specific. She said she was tired of doing things that did not work and if she did not see any improvement within a month, she would not continue treatment.

As is sometimes the case, her initial scans did not show the level of pain she was expressing. On the positive side, they showed a healthy nervous system capable of healing itself. In the initial month of treatment, many things happened. It did not take her too long before it became easier for her to sleep, and for that she was very grateful. As I have seen in many cases, her second scans showed greater activity, which indicated that her nervous system had been suppressed by the physical condition and the treatments had woken it up. So you will notice how the 1 month chart is more lively than the first.

As she progressed in her treatment she had major wins, like being able to give up all the specialized pillows and returning to a normal bed pillow, and being able to sleep on her side again. But she also had days of severe distress. One day she called and begged to come in. She could barely move her arm and the pain was severe. I treated her right away, and by the next day the pain had passed. She came in 4 days that week to support this healing crisis. By Friday, not only was the pain gone, but her range of motion was increased considerably. She was now even able to hang from a bar.  And her treatment over the year has continued in this way. Long spells of gradual improvement, mixed with an occasional severe crisis followed by significant improvement.

Her charts show the movement toward the norm (the all white chart that indicates a health spine), which most people might expect after a year of care.