THE EFFICACY OF CERVICAL EXTENSION-COMPRESSION TRACTION COMBINED WITHDIVERSIFIED MANIPULATION AND DROP TABLE ADJUSTMENTS IN THE REHABILITATION OF CERVICAL LORDOSIS - A PILOT-STUDY

Objective: To experimentally investigate the effect of cervical extens ion-compression traction combined with diversified chiropractic manipu lation and drop table adjusting in establishing or increasing cervical lordosis. Design: Blinded, before and after trial with pre- and postl ateral cervical radiographic measurement. Setting: Primary care privat e chiropractic clinic in Saugus, MA. Subjects: A) Control group-conven ience sample who had no health care for 10-14 wk, 30 persons. B) Treat ment group 1, nonrandomized control trial, 35 persons, whose pre- and postlateral cervical radiographs were taken 10-14 wk apart and whose r adiographs clearly depicted C1 through C7. C) Treatment group 2, nonra ndomized control trial, 30 persons, whose pre- and postlateral cervica l radiographs were taken 10-14 wk apart and whose radiographs clearly depicted C1 through C7. Interventions: Treatment group 1: diversified spinal manipulation, drop table adjustments and cervical extension-com pression traction five times per week for 10-14 wk (12 wk +/- 2). Trea tment group 2: diversified spinal manipulation and drop table adjustme nts five times per week for 10-14 wk (12 wk +/- 2). Main Outcome Measu res: Anterior head translation millimeters, C2 to C7 absolute rotation angle, angle of C1 to horizontal (atlas plane angle), five relative r otation angles (C2-3, C3-4, C4-5, C5-6, C6-7) and qualitative classifi cation of lordotic configuration. Results: No statistically significan t changes existed between the pre- and posttests for the control group except in the C6-7 relative rotation angle. In the treatment group 1, statistically significant differences were found in all X-ray marking s. Twenty-nine of 35 members have a lordosis after treatment compared to 11 of 35 before treatment. The C2 to C7 angle changed an average 13 .2-degrees, C1 to horizontal changed an average 9.8-degrees, the anter ior head translation reduced an average of 6.8 mm, the average relativ e rotation angle changed: C2-3: 3.1, C3-4: 5.5, C4-5: 4.80, C5-6: 2.7 and C6-7: 1.1. In the treatment group 2, no statistically significant changes existed between the pre- and posttests except atlas angulation to horizontal which increased an average of 3.0-degrees. Conclusions: A transformation to a lordotic configuration or increase in lordotic configuration occurred and was measured in the majority of treatment g roup 1 subjects, while no change in the control group and essentially no change in treatment group 2 was measured. Extension-compression tra ction combined with diversified chiropractic manipulation and drop tab le adjusting procedures may improve or partially reestablish the cervi cal lordosis in 10-14 wk of daily care.