Chiropractic management of a 5-year-old boy with urinary and bowel incontinence

Chiropractic Management Using Multimodal Therapies on 2 Pediatric Patients With Constipation

Objective

The purpose of this case report is to describe chiropractic management of 7-month-old male twins who had had constipation since birth.

Clinical Features

Identical male twins presented with the chief complaint of constipation and bloating. Both patients were born premature after 29 weeks of gestation and had invasive abdominal surgeries in the right lower quadrant resulting in healed postsurgical scars. Patient A underwent ileostomy for a perforation in his ileum. Patient B underwent surgery to repair an inguinal hernia. Motion palpation restrictions indicated bilateral sacroiliac, cervical, and thoracic joint restrictions.

Intervention and Outcome

The treatment plan included chiropractic manipulation, acupressure stimulation, and dynamic neuromuscular stabilization. Manipulation of the sacroiliac, cervical, and thoracic spine joint restrictions was performed using minimal force. Cross-frictional massage and myofascial manipulation and scar tissue mobilization of the abdominal scar in the right lower quadrant were performed. Acupressure stimulation was performed on both patients' feet. Both patients had improved bowel movements after the first treatment. Patient A had 5 weeks of treatment (2 visits per week). Patient B had 4 weeks of treatment (2 visits per week). The patients' clinical progress improved, and once the goal of regular bowel movements was reached, as confirmed by their mother, follow-up visits were reduced to once a week and gradually to once a month.

Conclusion

Both pediatric patients with constipation responded to chiropractic care using multimodal therapies.

Chiropractic management of pubic symphysis shear dysfunction in a patient with overactive bladder

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this case report is to describe chiropractic management of a patient with overactive bladder (OAB) and to describe an hypothetical anatomical basis for a somato-vesical reflex and possible clinical link between pelvic and symphysis pubis dysfunction to OAB.

CLINICAL FEATURES

A 24-year-old nulliparous female with idiopathic OAB, with a primary complaint of nocturia presented for chiropractic care. Her sleep was limited to 2 consecutive hours due to bladder urgency. Pubic symphysis shear dysfunction was observed on physical examination.

INTERVENTION AND OUTCOMES

The primary treatment modality used was chiropractic side-posture drop-table manipulation designed to reduce pubic shear dysfunction. After 8 treatments in 1 month, the pubic shear gradually reduced while nocturia diminished and consecutive sleep hours increased from 2 to 7. At 1-year follow-up, the nocturia remained resolved.

CONCLUSION

The patient reported in this case responded favorably to chiropractic care, which resulted in reduced nocturia and increased sleep continuity.

Bladder and bowel symptoms among adults presenting with low back pain to an academic chiropractic clinic: results of a preliminary study

OBJECTIVE

The purposes of this study were to estimate the 1-month point prevalence of bowel and bladder symptoms (BBS) among adult chiropractic patients and to evaluate associations between these symptoms and low back pain (LBP).

METHODS

Patients 18 years or older presenting to a chiropractic college academic health clinic between March 25 and April 25, 2013, were asked to complete a symptom screening questionnaire. Descriptive statistics, binary logistic regression, Fisher exact test, and P values were calculated from the sample.

RESULTS

The sample included 140 of 1300 patients who visited the clinic during the survey period (11%). Mean age was 47.5 (range 18-79) years. LBP was the primary chief complaint in 42%. The 1-month point prevalence of any bladder symptoms was 75%, while the rate for bowel symptoms was 62%; 55% reported both BBS. Binary logistic regression analyses showed no statistically significant association between a chief complaint of LBP and combined BBS (OR = 1.67, P = .164).

CONCLUSION

The prevalence of bowel and bladder symptoms in chiropractic patients was high. There was no statistically significant association between these symptoms and LBP in this group of patients seeking care for LBP.

Chiropractic care of interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome associated with pelvic lumbar spine dysfunction: a case series

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this case series is to describe findings for patients with bladder pain syndrome (BPS) or interstitial cystitis (IC) who responded positively under chiropractic care.

CLINICAL FEATURES

Eight cases were selected retrospectively reviewed from 2 independent chiropractic clinics in Scotland. Cases were selected if patients reported bladder dysfunction problems and responded positively to chiropractic care. The cases in this report describe the range of patients affected by this condition. Each patient was treated using chiropractic methods that were specific to the individual case.

INTERVENTION AND OUTCOMES

The patients selected for this case series showed positive response to chiropractic care over various lengths of time and numbers of treatments. Some of the chiropractic patients who had chronic spinal conditions had reoccurrence of bladder symptoms during an exacerbation of mechanical spinal problems.

CONCLUSION

This case series highlights that bladder and urinary problems may be associated with spinal dysfunction for some patients.

Colorectal and uterine movement and tension of the inferior hypogastric plexus in cadavers

BACKGROUND

Hypotheses on somatovisceral dysfunction often assume interference by stretch or compression of the nerve supply to visceral structures. The purpose of this study is to examine the potential of pelvic visceral movement to create tension of the loose connective tissue that contains the fine branches of the inferior hypogastric nerve plexus.

METHODS

Twenty eight embalmed human cadavers were examined. Pelvic visceral structures were displaced by very gentle 5 N unidirectional tension and the associated movement of the endopelvic fascia containing the inferior hypogastric plexus that this caused was measured.

RESULTS

Most movement of the fascia containing the inferior hypogastric plexus was obtained by pulling the rectosigmoid junction or broad ligament of the uterus. The plexus did not cross any vertebral joints and the fascia containing it did not move on pulling the hypogastric nerve.

CONCLUSIONS

Uterine and rectosigmoid displacement produce most movement of the fascia containing the hypogastric nerve plexus, potentially resulting in nerve tension. In the living this might occur as a consequence of menstruation, pregnancy or constipation. This may be relevant to somatovisceral reflex theories of the effects of manual therapy on visceral conditions.