Low-Back Pain, Leg Pain, and Chronic Idiopathic Testicular Pain Treated with Chiropractic Care

Taming of the Testicular Pain Complicating Lumbar Disc Herniation With Spinal Manipulation

Degenerative disease of the lumbar spine is often ignored as a potential cause of testicular pain because the exact link between the two remains uncertain. This article reports the case of a 60-year-old man with a 3-year history of low back pain and unexplained right testicular pain for 2 years. Painful symptoms were negatively affecting his social, physical, and sexual functions. After failure to achieve pain relief through multiple types of therapy, the patient sought chiropractic treatment for his condition. Lumbar spine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed disc protrusion at the L1/L2, L3/L4, and L4/L5 segments causing thecal sac indentations. Due to the absence of direct testicular causes, the medical impression was chronic testicular pain (CTP) complicating lumbar disc disease. The patient experienced regular improvement in his low back and testicular pain with complete resolution of both after 8 weeks of chiropractic treatment. This article describes an overlook of the etiology of this patient's testicular pain and a successful option in treating the patient. CTP has multifactorial etiology. An excellent treatment outcome depends heavily on recognizing the origin of the pain.

Chronic Orchialgia Stemming From Lumbar Disc Herniation: A Case Report and Brief Review

Chronic orchialgia can be the result of pathological processes of the scrotal contents or stem from non-intrascrotal structures. Successful pain management depends on identifying the source of localized or referred pain. This is a case report of a 39-year-old male sports coach who presented with low back pain, right orchialgia, and sciatica refractory to conservative management. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging revealed disc protrusion at L3/L4 and L4/L5 levels. Positive outcomes in relieving back and testicular pain were obtained after a total of 30 chiropractic sessions over a 9-week period. The evidence of the subjective improvement was corroborated by regression of the herniated discs documented on the repeat MR imaging. While chronic orchialgia is not an uncommon problem for men of all ages, it has seldom been described in association with lumbar discogenic disease. The current study provided preliminary support for a link between orchialgia and lumbar disc herniation. Chiropractic manipulation had provided a mechanistic alleviation of noxious lumbar stimuli, leading to symptomatic and functional improvements.

Management of chronic testicular pain due to thoracolumbar junction syndrome: A pilot study

INTRODUCTION

Thoracolumbar dysfunction (TLD) had been evoked as a possible etiology of chronic testicular pain. Our study investigated the efficacy of osteopathic diagnosis and treatment of TLD in men with chronic testicular pain.

METHODS

Patients suffering from testicular pain were examined for thoracolumbar dysfunction and enrolled in a prospective trial if they have both conditions. Following standardized examination, all patients were prescribed 1 to 3 osteopathic treatment sessions, usually at weekly interval. Treatment success was evaluated using the Visual Analog scale and durability was assessed by regular follow-up. Patient satisfaction was also assessed. Comparison of pain improvement was done using Wilcoxon matched-pairs signed-ranks test. Logistic regression was used to assess for risk factors of success. A P<0.001 was used for significance.

RESULT

Out of 62 patients enrolled, 41 patients (median age 32 years, IQR 24-37) were suffering from chronic testicular pain and TLD. 37 of the 41 participants completed the treatment and follow-up according to the plan. Patients underwent a median of 2 osteopathic treatment sessions (range 1-3). Overall, pain disappeared completely in 25 patients (67.5%) and improvement was noted in 7 patients (18.9%). After initial improvement, two patients experienced relapse at their last visit (5.4%). Five patients (13.5%) had no improvement of their symptoms after osteopathic treatment. Statistically, improvement was significant with a P<0.001 and on logistic regression, site of pain and duration of pain were the sole predictors of failure.

CONCLUSION

TLD is a pathology that should be considered in the differential diagnosis in patients with chronic testicular pain and osteopathic manipulation of the spine appears to be an effective treatment option.

Shoe Orthotics for the Treatment of Chronic Low Back Pain: A Randomized Controlled Trial

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the efficacy of shoe orthotics with and without chiropractic treatment for chronic low back pain compared with no treatment.

DESIGN

Randomized controlled trial.

SETTING

Integrative medicine teaching clinic at a university.

PARTICIPANTS

Adult subjects (N=225) with symptomatic low back pain of ≥3 months were recruited from a volunteer sample.

INTERVENTIONS

Subjects were randomized into 1 of 3 treatment groups (shoe orthotic, plus, and waitlist groups). The shoe orthotic group received custom-made shoe orthotics. The plus group received custom-made orthotics plus chiropractic manipulation, hot or cold packs, and manual soft tissue massage. The waitlist group received no care.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

The primary outcome measures were change in perceived back pain (numerical pain rating scale) and functional health status (Oswestry Disability Index) after 6 weeks of study participation. Outcomes were also assessed after 12 weeks and then after an additional 3, 6, and 12 months.

RESULTS

After 6 weeks, all 3 groups demonstrated significant within-group improvement in average back pain, but only the shoe orthotic and plus groups had significant within-group improvement in function. When compared with the waitlist group, the shoe orthotic group demonstrated significantly greater improvements in pain (P<.0001) and function (P=.0068). The addition of chiropractic to orthotics treatment demonstrated significantly greater improvements in function (P=.0278) when compared with orthotics alone, but no significant difference in pain (P=.3431). Group differences at 12 weeks and later were not significant.

CONCLUSIONS

Six weeks of prescription shoe orthotics significantly improved back pain and dysfunction compared with no treatment. The addition of chiropractic care led to higher improvements in function.

Nontraumatic Testicular Pain due to Sacroiliac-Joint Dysfunction: A Case Report

OBJECTIVE

To discuss the case of a 49-year-old man who presented to the sports medicine staff with pelvic pain of 10 years' duration consistent with pudendal neuralgia.

BACKGROUND

Testicular pain in men is often provoked by direct trauma or may indicate an oncologic process.

DIFFERENTIAL DIAGNOSIS

Epididymitis, athletic pubalgia, testicular tumor, sacroiliac joint dysfunction, lumbar radiculopathy.

TREATMENT

The patient responded positively to treatment and rehabilitation to restore normal mechanics to the lumbo-pelvic-hip complex. Several flare-ups since the initial treatment have been of short duration (<2 days) and less intense.

UNIQUENESS

Pudendal neuralgia tends to affect females more than males due to changes in the alignment and stability of the pelvis from a combination of a shorter, wider pelvis and muscle imbalances associated with childbirth. Typically, males with testicular pain suffer from epididymitis or some type of testicular torsion, which was not the situation in this case. Compression is also a common cause of pudendal neuralgia, although it was not responsible for this patient's pain, making diagnosis and treatment complex.

CONCLUSIONS

Many pain syndromes can be treated with removal of the original stimulus. However, recognizing the factors contributing to pelvic pain and dysfunction in males can be a challenge for the sports medicine professional. A vigilant and unassuming approach to male pelvic pain is warranted, particularly by health care providers in diverse practice settings.

Chronic testicular pain in adult men: an integrative literature review

Past investigations of chronic testicular pain provide a sparse representation of the men with this condition and lack key details to aid our understanding of this important men's health condition. As a chronic pain syndrome, more research is necessary to understand the phenomenon of chronic testicular pain and the pain experience of these men. This integrative literature review provides a summary of the current state of the science of chronic testicular pain in men, identifies the gaps in our knowledge, and provides recommendations to address this knowledge gap.