Rheumatoid arthritis is a chronic auto-immune disease where the body’s immune system
attacks different regions of the body. This disease is characterized by chronic inflammation that
destroys joints, tissues and organs over a period of time. A recent study published in the Annals
of Vertebral Subluxation Research describes how specific chiropractic adjustments and rehab
exercises demonstrated outstanding results in a woman with long-term rheumatoid arthritis.
A 54-year-old woman went to see a chiropractor after having been diagnosed seven years prior
with rheumatoid arthritis. Her chief complaint was severe bilateral polyarthralgia, especially in
the hands and fingers. The patient also had marked swelling in her hands, fingers, knees, toes
and feet. The patient exhibited difficulties with weight bearing, ambulation, and had recurrent
stiffness every morning. The patient was taking Methotrexate and Prednisone daily to manage
her symptoms. She described her pain as a constant nine on a 1-10 scale of severity
The patient was evaluated using various assessment tools including posture evaluation, surface
electromyography and x-ray imaging. Subluxation was found throughout the spine, especially in
the upper cervical region.
Subluxation is the term for misalignments of the spine that cause irritation of nerve pathways,
affecting organ systems of the body. Birth trauma, falls, whiplash and poor posture are known to
cause subluxation patterns to develop in the body. This sort of physical nerve stress leads to
altered measures of immune function and increased susceptibility to a number of diseases.
Wellness based chiropractors give a detailed analysis of the spine to locate areas of vertebral
subluxation. Specific corrective adjustments are given to reduce the subluxation and restore
normal function to the nervous system. A group of researchers found that when a thoracic
adjustment was applied to a subluxated area, the white blood cell count collected rose
significantly. Many studies have confirmed that specific adjustments of the upper cervical spine
and improvements in posture have a major effect on normalizing immune function.
This patient was analyzed and given an appropriate full-spine adjustment each visit for a total of
36 visits in four months. The patient also did rehabilitative exercises such as wobble board and
repetitive traction to improve soft tissue function and restore core strength and spinal curvatures
After receiving four months of corrective chiropractic care, the patient’s pain scale went from
9/10 to a 1/10. She no longer was taking the Methotrexate or Prednisone to manage her
symptoms. The patient was now able to walk up and down the stairs, dance and exercise
without pain. Post-treatment testing revealed significant changes in posture and cervical
curvature as noted on x-ray analysis. She also had marked improvements on her surface
electromyography scan.
Hopefully, this study will shine a light on the impact of subluxation correction on healthy
immunological control. More research dollars should be spent on inexpensive, low risk, non-
invasive modalities such as chiropractic care for prevention and treatment of chronic
inflammatory conditions.
Sources for this article include:
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmedhealth/PMH0001467/
http://www.naturalnews.com/031206_chiropractic_immunity.html
http://vertebralsubluxation.sharepoint.com/Pages/2012_1229_ra.aspx
http://www.naturalnews.com/030956_posture_health.html
http://www.naturalnews.com