Kickas.org Forums Ankylosing Spondylitis General Discussion #1 AS Web Support Group Misalignment related to AS

I find that manipulation treatment helps my pain. I have an outward pelvic rotation on my right side, which can be fixed for short periods of time (about a week) by manipulation treatment. All of my other symptoms are related to AS. I have stiffness in the mornings, achy pain in my joints, and this came on when I was 19. I also had some relief with NSAIDs, but can't take them anymore due to stomach issues.
When I read about AS all of it sounds like me. The rotation is the only thing that I don't see in any descriptions. This rotation is noticeable and causes great pain for me.
I guess I'm asking if anyone else has things like this?

AS - Manipulation...........Nooooooo, well not for me at least, jolly well nearly killed me the few sessions i tried.


Errr pelvic rotation............no i dont think i have that.

I have had problems with keeping my SI in alignment. When it is out of alignment, my SI becomes very sore. When the SI is rotated, it can throw your whole body off and cause a lot of pain.

I've worked with a PT to get the SI in alignment and keep it that way and I believe there are others at this forum with SI rotation issues.

A couple of things you might want to look into: there are techniques you can do yourself to check your SI alignment and adjust on your own if necessary. A good PT or chiro can show you how to do this on your own so that you are not dependent on someone else to do it for you. Whenever I think I'm off, I check myself and adjust if necessary. I also had a PT do a six-week taping technique on me to align my SI and teach my muscles to hold it there on their own. A year later, I am still maintaining alignment as long as I avoid a few activities which tend to put too much stress on the SI and cause me to rotate.

Karen

that's what the chiros told me years ago. They said I didn't have the decreased SI because my pelvis was rotated & it just looked like my SI was getting smaller... well, it was a lie.

I did have great improvement while going 3x a week for 2 years, but things just didn't seem to stay for very long. Now I'm so tight the chiropractor cannot hardly adjust anything.

Just make sure they keep a gentle touch ... That first one I went to faithfully for 2 or more years started becoming insensitive to my problems & would end up hurting me because he'd try to force things. I have a high tolerance of pain and I'd cry nearly every session. So I found a different one that used a different technique.


Looking back, I'm thankful that I stopped that one because he could have really hurt me as the pain started to travel up my thorasic area. I was thinking it was my ribs being subluxed... but now realize it was the AS creeping ever so slowly.

so just be careful & enjoy your season of pain relief!

Manipulation!!!! [**BLEEP**] well nearly crippled me with the pain they caused, and this was hospital physio who knew what he was doing, but prior to my diagnosis for AS. Infact my reaction to the manipulation was one of the indicators of the AS and I never felt so ill in my life.
AS and manipulation, definately a no no. Even my consultant advised me not too. He was right, and that was in 1985.

Whether manipulation is helpful or not depends on the type of manipulation and how far the AS is progressed. I think the term "manipulation" refers to such a broad range of treatments that it is important to specify what exactly we are talking about.

It is certainly an area to be approached with caution by anyone with AS, but shouldn't be ruled out universally. Many people at this forum have reported positive results from gentle chiropractic treatment. The use of an activator is preferable to bone-crunching which can be too harsh for someone with a sensitive spine.


Karen

I do realize how painful manipulation can be. I had a careless chiro not too long ago... he tried manipulating my spine and it ended up being very painful. I think it started my first really bad flare up (I ended up in the ER while on vacation... not fun).
Fortunately I have a great doc who doesn't use a cracking/popping method, but gently relaxes my muscles to allow my joints to fall into place. Plus, she is the one who told me about AS, and is sensitive to how I feel.

The week of relief is nice, I can actually go running and be more active. (This makes my dog happy!) Otherwise the pressure is just too much. The relief period has been shorter recently. I'm afraid that I may be fusing into the rotation... Could this be why I'm not "sticking"?

I will look into the gradual process with taping. I did try a SI belt after one manipulation---ouch!

Thanks for the feedback!
Aly

Hi Alysen,

For me, chiropractic manipulation was torture, further inflamming my already very inflammed SI joints. I went for months (in the early days, pre-dx) being led to believe that he could 'fix' my problem. I finally said enough! When I was diagnosed a few months later, my Rheumy just cringed when he heard and warned me - never again.

If it's clearly helping your pain levels then I can appreciate why you go... relief is such a blessing. I just wish I'd listened to my body sooner, it was screaming for me to stop. This was before the use of 'activators' so involved cracking and ultra sound.

My SI's fused squarely but my brother's hips are noticeably twisted. He has AS also but, oddly, has never had pelvic pain to speak of.

My best to you!
mig

I've been in chiro care on a bi-weekly basis since the summer prior to my diagnosis. Like you, my chiro does a fair bit of soft tissue work and when she adjusts, she uses an integrator to do the adjustment gently. Also like you, it was my chiro who 'found' the AS.

I believe that chiropractic can play a role in AS treatment. However, the chiro must be AS knowledgeable and must never use torque or force to try to do an adjustment on us. Our spines are too fragile. If the chiro tries to adjust you using torque, run as quickly as your hobbled body will allow in the opposite direction.

Hm. SI twist. Could be a new dance?? My SIs don't twist (at least, not on their own), but my SIs have been problem area for about 20 years. My chiro(s) in the past used to have a great deal of difficulty adjusting the SI area and, indeed, I have one leg that gets shorter by a good half inch when I need an adjustment. Well, it used to, before the left one fused. Now, I haven't a clue. The chiros always told me it was because the muscle that wraps around the hip and attaches at the SI area was too short and so caused problems. They used to do special stretches on this muscle for me whenever I went in for an adjustment. Of course, that was back well before my dx. Now, I know it was AS.

Hugs,

Karen, I have these issues my SI rotates out allot, sometimes bad enough it actually makes me crooked off to the right at my waist line. A chiro with an activator has been able to help me some. Can you explain the technique that your using to do it on your own? I've never found a PT that knows what there doing they always make me worse. Thanks

Curt