Amy was active and retired. She presented to Ward Chiropractic and Rehabilitation with pain in her right low back region. She reported one year after a total hip replacement. She had been seeing a pain management physician and had undergone multiple cortisone injections. The injections were helpful but did not fully resolve her pain. Her pain management physician felt she may have an alignment issue and referred her to Dr. Ward.
Amy was active in her church and liked to do charitable service abroad. She also worked out with a trainer on a regular basis. Her back pain made it difficult to do either of these activities and she felt as though she couldn’t function normally.
Dr. Ward determined that Amy had developed a sacroiliac joint misalignment. The sacroiliac joint is where the tailbone meets the pelvic bone. Pain from this joint causes tenderness on in the low back to either side if the spine. In Amy’s case this problem was likely caused by an asymmetrical gait. Amy’s hip replacement temporarily changed the way she walked which in turn put increased stress on her sacroiliac joint.
The first phase of Amy’s treatment involved restoring the proper alignment of the joint through gentle chiropractic adjustments. Amy was placed on her side and Dr. Ward delivered a quick and gentle force to the affected joint. The alignment was restored after 4 weeks of treatment. The second phase of treatment involved a collaboration between Dr. Ward and Amy’s trainer. Together they worked on Amy’s core stability to maintain the proper alignment of her sacroiliac joint.
Post treatment Amy was able to return to her life without restriction. She works out regularly and travels internationally.
*Name and details changed to maintain confidentiality
