Presentation
A 16-year-old male was standing with some friends about 5 feet away from a copper mine shaft in England when the earth collapsed around him. As his friends watched in horror, the boy was sucked into the mine. He subsequently fell 300 feet, breaking through two safety platforms on the way. Lying unconscious in the mine shaft, the boy reportedly lost more than 4 pints of blood. He speaks today of having had a “near-death experience” during the 12-hour wait before he was finally rescued from the mine and taken to hospital.

Along with many other injuries, the patient suffered a triple compound fracture of his left femur. The doctors who treated him told his mother that he had only a slim chance of surviving the night and an even smaller chance of ever walking again. After a series of operations, which included having a steel rod placed in his left leg and a long hospitalization, the patient returned to New York to consult with a renowned orthopedic surgeon. By now, the patient had developed a massive osteomyelitis in his left femur and was placed on large doses of antibiotics. Overall, he underwent 18 surgeries and ultimately was left with an 18-mm measured deficiency in his left leg and could only bend the leg 30°.

The patient then undertook a vigorous rehab program with two physical therapists and also did independent work for between 4 and 8 hours every day for almost 10 years. During this time as a student at Stanford University, he found himself in a dorm with a group of athletes from various college sports teams. The patient used this concentration of brawn to his advantage and enlisted the athletes to do more rehab work with him, having them perform hours of assisted stretching. During this time, he was able to increase the angle of knee flexion to 85°. At this point, he began to lead a somewhat normal life, albeit with a shortened leg and considerable pain in his spine, hip, and neck. He ultimately became a world-class Ultimate Frisbee player.

Analysis
He presented in my office with acute neck spasms and torticollis pain syndrome. Although he was functioning well on the surface, he reported bouts of chronic spine, hip, and neck pain. I found subluxations at L5, T1, T6, C1, C6, and the left sacroiliac joint, with the major subluxations being at L5, T1, and the left sacroiliac joint. The examination revealed as much subluxation in his lower spine as there was on his upper spine and neck.

Care
I adjusted the subluxations in his neck and back, and his general level of vitality increased. I worked with him slowly over a 5-year period, making regular adjustments using the protocols of the Gonstead system. I placed him on a regular, rhythmic wellness health schedule designed to promote a balanced lifestyle. A pre- and post-x-ray study revealed significant improvement in the posture of his spine.

His anteroposterior total body lean has been reduced from 33 mm to 1 mm. While the short leg still exhibits a 15-mm deficiency, there is significant improvement in his anteroposterior weight-bearing posture.  His 37-mm anterior head carriage has improved to 9 mm. His sacral base angle has improved from 57° to 48° and his lumbar arch has gone from 54 to 40. His C7 base angle also shows an improvement from 24 to 11°.

The patient essentially willed himself back to health through perseverance and dedication. However, prior to beginning care in my office, he still suffered from significant pain and dysfunction. He reported his use of various chiropractic techniques over the years with only modest symptomatic results. In this case, the Gonstead technique was a perfect match for him, given the nature of his subluxations and his 16-mm short leg syndrome.

He is now significantly better from both a biomechanical and a symptomatic perspective. The Gonstead technique and its attendant lifestyle changes has reduced his subluxations and improved his spinal health and function.

By adopting a lifestyle that includes stress management, nutritional improvements, regular exercise, and participation in a wellness adjusting schedule, the patient’s body has recalibrated itself and he now enjoys much better health.

As is always the case, the presence of vertebral subluxations will prevent the body from fully healing regardless of other efforts by the patient or the practitioner. Only through the location and the correction of vertebral subluxation complex can optimal health ever be realized.

David J. Rowe, DC, graduated magna cum laude from Life Chiropractic College in Georgia in 1982. He is currently president of The Gonstead Clinical Studies Society, a nonprofit research and educational society dedicated to the advancement of chiropractic. He can be reached at drowe@rowechiropractic.com or at www.rowechiropractic.com.