In a case study of a 26-year-old man, presenting with symptomatic disc herniation, researchers describe their findings when chiropractic intervention using the Activator Methods technique was employed. The young man had a chronic condition, the result of an athletic injury, which was characterized by low back pain, pain through his left leg and groin, as well as associated issues with left foot drop and muscle weakness.
Lumbar surgery had been recommended for the patient, as magnetic resonance imaging had shown a central disc protrusion with deformation of the thecal sac. However, the young man opted for conservative chiropractic treatment as the means to resolve his pain issues.
The course of chiropractic treatment included mechanical force, manually supported short-lever adjusting procedures with an Activator adjusting instrument. Within 90 days, the patient’s symptoms resolved. A year after the chiropractic treatment, no residual issues or complaints were found.
Outcomes from this study suggest that conservative chiropractic treatment using Activator instrument adjusting techniques may prove helpful in resolving pain issues stemming from lumbar disc herniation.
Researchers further supposed that instrument adjusting may prove more beneficial than side posture
chiropractic manipulation, due to the lack of torsional stress placed on the disc during instrument adjusting procedures. Additional research to further determine the best way to use chiropractic instrument adjustment techniques for disc disorders was recommended.
Source: Polkinghorn BS, Colloca CJ. “Treatment of symptomatic lumbar disc herniation using activator methods chiropractic technique.” J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1998 MarApr;21(3):18796.
