Chiropractic care of a geriatric patient with an acute fracture-subluxation of the eighth thoracic vertebra.
OBJECTIVE
To describe the chiropractic care of a geriatric patient with complaints of midthoracic and low back pain.


METHODS
A 74-year-old woman sought chiropractic care with complaints of thoracic spinal pain following a fall. Palpation findings included hypertonicity and tenderness along with painful muscle spasms in the paraspinal musculature of the thoracolumbar spine. Limited range of thoracolumbar motion was found on extension and lateral flexion, most notably on right lateral flexion, with pain. Radiographic examination revealed a compression fracture at T8, in addition to spinographic listings. Signs of sprain injury were also detected at T8.


RESULTS
The patient was cared for with contact-specific, high-velocity, low-amplitude adjustments to sites of vertebral subluxations and at the T8 fracture-subluxation. The patient's response to care was positive.


CONCLUSIONS
This case report describes the clinical features, care, and results of 1 geriatric patient with a thoracic compression fracture-subluxation treated with specific chiropractic procedures. The patient had an apparent decrease in pain as a result of the treatment. Due to the inherent limitations of a case report, it is inappropriate to generalize this outcome.
Alcantara
Joel
J
International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, Media, PA, USA.
Plaugher
Gregory
G
Elbert
Richard A
RA
Cherachanko
Deborah
D
Konlande
James E
JE
Casselman
Aaron M
AM
D000368:Aged; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D017116:Low Back Pain / Q000209:etiology; D026882:Manipulation, Chiropractic / Q000379:methods*; D011859:Radiography; D016103:Spinal Fractures / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000628:therapy*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000293:injuries*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome