Standard for X-ray Analysis
Normal Posture and the Normal Global Spine
X-Ray Case Studies
Set 1
"Before" neut lat jc 1627 093002
This 13 year old boy reports difficulty holding head up, difficulty standing upright and pain in neck, mid back and low back. Upper cervical curve has 8 degrees of reversal and lower cervical is only 13 degrees (normal is between 30-40 degrees). The 1-3/4" head forward position is stressing the spine by making the head feel as though it weighs 25.5 lbs. The loss of function is 191%.
"After" neut lat jc 1627 102802
Significant progress is seen. The patient reports 80-100% reduction in pain and 60% improvement in ability to hold head up. The upper reversal is gone and the entire curve is now 3 degrees from optimum. The head forward position is now within 1/8" from neutral, reducing the stress on the spine by 17.5 lbs. With these changes the patient has regained 109% of lost function.
Set 2
"Before" neut lat jf 906 082102
This 24 year old female reports history of low back pain that travels into back of right posterior thigh. She has constant sharp neck pain that increases with head rotation left or right, and bilateral tightness along the spinal musculature. There is a past history of migraines. On film we see a minimal 4 degrees of cervical curve which represents a 92% loss of function. Her head forward posture is measured at 1-5/8", creating spinal stress as if the head weighs 15 lbs more than it does.
"After" neut lat jf 906 010903
The film taken after 4-1/2 months of rehabilitative care shows a 7'8" reduction in head forward posture that is now only ¾". This reduces the additional head weight to 7.5 lbs. The cervical lordotic curve has been restored to optimum with full function restored. The patient reports significant improvement in all areas of complaint: Low back pain reduced 80% with pain into leg 95% improved, neck pain reduced 90%, and no migraines reported since treatment began.
Set #3
"Before" neut lat cs 1723 120303
This 54 year old female has a history of constant throbbing neck pain, trapezius pain, right arm numbness and right shoulder pain that has persisted for 5 years. She also has a history of depression. The initial film shows a significant head forward deviation of 2-1/2", which is causing the head to act and feel as if it weighs 25 lbs more than it actually does. The added weight creates undue stress and strain, and the spinal muscles have become fatigued and sore from having to work constantly just to hold her head up. There is a 15-20 degree loss of cervical curve which is measured at 15 degrees. The loss of cervical lordosis translates to a 65% loss of cervical function that has detrimental effects on range of motion, and impedes proper nervous system function. The x-ray findings correlate with the patients complaints.
"After" neut lat cs 1723 013004
After 14 treatments and consistent rehabilitative home exercise, the patient reports a 50% reduction in the intensity of neck pain and resolution of arm numbness. Patient's energy level appears to be improving. Complaint of shoulder pain unchanged at this point in care. On follow up her film demonstrates measurable improvement with reduction of head forwarding and partial restoration of lost cervical lordotic curve. The head position is now measured at 1" forward. This postural shift has reduced the apparent head weight by 15 lbs, greatly reducing the stress that was previously affecting the spine and spinal musculature. The cervical lordosis is now 20 degrees, with a gain of approximately 30% of the previous loss of cervical function.
"After" 2 nd follow up cs 1723 050504
After approximately 4 months of corrective care that combined office visits and rehabilitative home exercise, this patient has made significant progress in structural improvements that correspond with her resolving symptom base. She has virtually no head forwarding, and her cervical curve measures at 30 degrees of lordosis. She has regained a total of 15 degrees of curve, and 34% of her previous functional losses. Now within the "normal" range, she is less than 15 degrees from optimum curve and spinal function.
Set #4
"Before" neut lat st 1780 082604
This is a 40 yr old male with a history of chronic neck pain. One month prior to his initial visit he suffered an aggravation of neck and shoulder pain after driving a long distance. Initial x-rays revealed head forwarding of 1-1/2" that is causing the head to feel 15 lbs heavier than it is. Films also show that the patient has lost 68% if cervical function with a lordotic curve of only 15 degrees. These structural distortions are creating significant spinal stress, leading to muscle strain and fatigue throughout the spine.
"After" neut lat st 1780 090704
14 treatments later there is remarkable improvement with the elimination of head forwarding and complete restoration of the lost cervical lordotic curve. The head position is now measured at just 3/16" forward of the C4-5 disc. This shift has reduced the "apparent" head weight from 23 lbs to its actual weight of approximately 8 lbs. Stress and strain on the spinal musculature have been reduced and muscles can now rest. Additionally we note that restoration of the cervical lordosis, now measured at 44 degrees removes nerve interference and helps prevent premature degeneration and chronic pain that often result from uncorrected spinal distortions. The x-ray findings support the patients report that he has had 90-100% improvement in neck and shoulder pain.
Set #5
"Before" neut lat dm 1692 080603
This 24 yr old male patient reports to us with neck pain that began as a localized, dull, pulling pain and became increasingly stiff over a larger area of upper back and neck. Although this aggravation is related to recent weight training, his symptom base has occurred before. He also has a history of occasional low back pain. This x-ray documents the structural weakness and functional loss that make him prone to aggravation and chronic pain. This weakness is caused by the 8 degree reversal of the upper cervical that creates an "S" shaped curve in his neck where there should be a "C" curve. Because of the reversal and the reduced "C" curve this patient has to increase spinal muscle contractions by 187% just to keep his head from falling forward. In addition, there is a head forward posture of 1-3/8" that adds the feeling of 12.7 lbs to the actual 8-10 lbs of head weight. The postural distortions evidenced on x-ray correspond with the primary complaints of pulling neck pain because they are the cause of significant muscle strain and fatigue.
"After" neut lat dm 1692 082903
Just 23 days after treatment began the patient reports a 90% improvement in primary complaints. He has had an excellent response to the combination of spinal adjustments and head weighting procedures. The head forward position has reduced to within ¼" from optimum, removing the 12.7 lbs of apparent head weight that previously stressed the spine, thus allowing the neck and spinal muscles to relax. The previous partial reversal of the upper cervical curve has been corrected, and the "C" shaped curve has been restored, with a new measurement of 25 degrees. 142% of functional loss has been restored. Correction of the postural deviations corresponds with the reported 90-100% improvement in initial symptoms.
Set #6
"Before" neut lat jb 1838 030205
This patient is a 67 year old male with complaints of neck pain and tingling of the left arm. The initial x-ray evaluation revealed a dramatic head forward posture measured at 2-1/2", and a cervical curve of only 20 degrees. These structural problems represent a 56% loss of cervical function and 25 lbs of added stress. The patient's complaints are directly related to the x-ray findings.
"After" neut lat jb 1838 040105
After 1 month of treatment and corrective exercise, a follow-up x-ray documents an improvement in both measurements. His head forwarding has reduced to 1-1/8" and his cervical curve has increased to 23 degrees. The patient has regained 6% of lost function, and reduced his spinal stress by almost 14 lbs. As anticipated, symptoms have reduced as the spinal function becomes more efficient. It was reported that his neck pain and arm tingling had improved 60% at the time of x-ray.