Treating ‘slouchy’ (Hyperkyphosis) posture with chiropractic biophysics®: A case report utilizing a multimodal mirror image® rehabilitation program

Abstract

[Purpose] To present a case of the non-surgical reduction of ‘slouchy’ hyperkyphosis posture utilizing the multimodal Chiropractic BioPhysics® rehabilitation program emphasizing the mirror image® concept. [Subject and Methods] A 27-year-old female presented suffering from neck and back pains, headaches and gait dysfunction. The patient was treated 30 times over a period of 6-months. Treatment consisted of anterior thoracic translation, thoracic extension, and head retraction exercises as well as spinal traction and spinal manipulation. [Results] After 6-months of treatment the patient displayed a total correction of the posterior thoracic translation with a significant reduction in thoracic hyperkyphosis. The dramatic correction of her overall posture and spine alignment corresponded to the significant relief of neck and back pains, headaches and improvement of various other health issues as demonstrated by self-report and SF-36. [Conclusion] Poor postures corresponding to poor health can be changed for the better with multimodal rehabilitation programs that are now showing consistent postural improvements corresponding with improvements in various health conditions. We suggest that the postural correction of those with various pain symptoms be considered as a first line non-pharmalogical, non-surgical rehabilitation approach for those presenting with poor posture.

Full text

1475
Case Study
Treating ‘slouchy’ (hyperkyphosis) posture with
chiropractic biophysics®: a case report utilizing
a multimodal mirror image® rehabilitation
program
  1),  2)*,  3)
1) Private Practice, USA
2) Private Practice: Newmarket, ON, L3Y 8Y8, Canada
3)
Abstract. [Pur pose] To present a case of the non-surgical reduction of ‘slouchy’ hyperkyphosis posture utilizing
the multimodal Chiropractic BioPhysics® rehabilitation program emphasizing the mirror image®

    


            -


for the better with multimodal rehabilitation programs that are now showing consistent postural improvements cor-

       

Key words:

INTRODUCTION
Posture alignment is of great importance for the maintenance of human health, where a healthy individual has maintained
inherent equilibrium of the sagittal spinal curvatures1–3)
compensations that take place4, 5)               
translate backwards such that upright sagittal balance is maintained6)
Thoracic hyperkyphosis is associated with many poor health outcomes such as pain7), altered gait8), compression fractures
in the elderly9, 10), impaired mobility9, 10), as well as reduced quality of life11, 12) and life expectancy13–18)
-
ous hyperkyphosis reduction19, 20)19), reported on the relief of back pains in a 24-year-old female who achieved
20), reported on the dramatic pain
relief and health improvements in a 15-year-old who attained a 17° reduction in thoracic hyperkyphosis after 94 treatments

J. Phys. Ther. Sci. 2 9: 1475–1480, 2017


  -
 
The Journal of Physical Therapy Science The Journal of Physical Therapy Science

J. Phys. Ther. Sci. Vol. 29, No. 8, 2017 1476
Both of these cases featured Chiropractic BioPhysics®®) corrective rehabilitation utilizing mirror image® exercise
and traction procedures21–23)
24) to human posture25)
so, he had discovered that virtually half of all human movement had not yet been studied25); further, in applying the concept
of rotations about, and translations along the coordinate axes for the head, thorax, and pelvis separately, it became evident
  ®’ or opposite of these postures in order to correct them and the
corresponding spinal coupling patterns21–23)

This case presents the successful relief of bodily pains and improvements in overall health in a 27-year-old female after
the dramatic improvement in her ‘slouchy’ posture by the multimodal CBP rehabilitation program featuring the mirror image


SUBJECT AND METHODS




numbness and tingling in the arms bilaterally with the left worse than the right, cold hands, vertigo that made her unable to

The patient’s health history indicated they had experienced a previous whiplash episode, a violent physical assault, as well


    


-


26)
index27)                28)
Table 1
25), the patient had very


    29–31) 
                       -
ture32)6)
33)
Treatment goals were to improve the patient’s posture using the CBP multimodal rehabilitation approach21–23) 
21), ultimately
   


image corrective exercises consisted of posterior head retraction repetitions with simultaneous posterior pelvic translations
having a 50 mm block in the mid back to push against while standing on a PowerPlate®  
The PowerPlate is a three-dimensional vibration platform that adds intensity to any exercise34)   
Table 1.
Health Physcial   Social Mental Bodily 
Perce ption Functioning Physical  Functioning Health Pain Fatig ue
 72 84 81 81 83 75 75 61
 77 40 75 100 75 84 48 70
 92 85 100 100 100 88 78 80
Change 15 45 25 025 430 10

1477


-






 

    
mimic the clinic traction by laying supine on a 10 cm yoga block placed at T9 starting at 3 minutes then working up to 15

under her left ischial tuberosity while she was driving or sitting for long periods of time as this is a permanent structural

Fig. 1. 
       
         
           -
-

Fig. 2. 
    
 -
 


32)
Fig. 3. 
translates the head and pelvis posteriorly while the mid
            
      
translation poster is corrected as they lay supine on the
bench, while the thoracic kyphosis is being forced into a
much more extended position by use of the anterior pull-


J. Phys. Ther. Sci. Vol. 29, No. 8, 2017 1478
RESULTS
       
improvement in middle and lower back pain, a 70% improvement in the right leg disuse, a 60% improvement in right hip
pain, a 50% improvement in headaches, a 40% improvement in the numbness and tingling in the arms, a 20% improvement
 
Table 1





posterior thoracic translation posture was corrected as measured as the horizontal distance from T12 to a vertical line from

33)
DISCUSSION



This case is consistent with two other CBP case reports19, 20) showing that the reduction in posterior thoracic translation


natural, ideal kyphotic alignment33)

Since posterior thoracic translation causes simultaneous thoracic hyperkyphosis6), it becomes evident that the ‘mirror
image’ or opposite movement would reverse, or produce thoracic hypokyphosis, which it has been shown to do6)
35–39), the addition of extension trac-

Thoracic hyperkyphosis is a serious postural deformity as it is associated with serious pathology such as vertebral
compression fractures9, 10) and the ultimate health outcome, mortality13–18)      
deformity40, 41)

-
42–44), lumbar
lordosis45–47) or with scoliosis48, 49)
generalized programs of care42–49)

base, and therefore a need for a case series and then a clinical trial for the CBP mirror image approach for the reduction of

REFERENCES
            -
    [Medline]   
         [Medline]
                   
  [Medline]   
        [Medline]   
             
 [Medline]   
        
 [Medline]  
                       
 [Medline]   
        [Medline]   
            

1479
  [Medline]  
                        
[Medline]   
           -
  [Medline]   
              
    [Medline]   
            
 [Medline]   
                     
[Medline]    
              
 [Medline]   
        [Medline]  
      [Medline]
       
[Medline]  
           ®
   
      ®

                    
[Medline]
             
  [Medline]
            
         [Medline]   
             
   
           [Medline]
        [Medline]
          
[Medline]    
                 
 [Medline]   
        
  [Medline]  
                         
   [Medline]  
         
[Medline]    
       
    [Medline]   
                     
[Medline]    
            -
   [Medline]   
              [Medline]
   
             -
 [Medline]    
                
    [Medline]   
   [Medline] [Cros s-

       [Medline]   
           
[Medline]    
                     
    [Medline]
        
   [Medline]   

J. Phys. Ther. Sci. Vol. 29, No. 8, 2017 1480
           -
 [Medline]   
                               
  [Medline]    
         -
[Medline]   
                         
[Medline]   
              
 [Medline]   
                        
    [Medline]   