SIB #364 Myasthenia Gravis: Remission Following Cervical Adjustment

The Study: Remission of Myasthenia Gravis Following Cervical Adjustment                   

The Facts:

a. “Myasthenia gravis (MG) is an autoimmune disorder, caused by circulating antibodies against the acetylcholine receptor (AChR) and associated proteins.”

b. “Anticholinesterase medications and immunomodulating therapies are the mainstays of current treatment.”

c. This is a case study on a patient who suffered from myasthenia gravis and received chiropractic care.

d. The patient was a 51 year old Asian woman who was suffering from myasthenia gravis and had been placed on medication but had been forced to stop due to the side effects.

e. Her condition had progressively deteriorated and she had difficulty climbing stairs and going household chores.

f. She had suffered from eye drooping in the left eye for about 6 months.

g. She also suffered with chronic lower back and neck pain and sought chiropractic care from those pains.

h. She received Diversified technique chiropractic adjustments to the cervical and lumbar areas three times a week.

i. The spinal pain improved with a few treatments and completely abated within a month.

j. “It is noteworthy that the patient unexpectedly experienced improvement of double vision and of the other myasthenic symptoms as early as one week after treatment initiation.”

k. “Her myasthenia went into remission within 1 month of treatment initiation.”

l. She was seen on a monthly basis for three more months.

m. The patient was still symptom free eight months later.

Take Home:

This patient’s myasthenia gravis went into remission after undergoing a course of chiropractic care for routine neck and back pain.

Reviewer's Comments:

First, this is a case study (only one patient) and as such we can’t possibly know a great deal from one case but it certainly is intriguing. The author has a lengthy discussion section where they talk about how, although possibly coincidental, chiropractic might still “have played a promising role in ameliorating the symptoms.” If you have an interest in this area I suggest you include this article in your reading.

Reviewer: Roger Coleman DC

 Editor: Mark R. Payne DC

 Reference: Chy ECP, Bellin D. Remission of myasthenia gravis following cervical adjustment. AME Case Rep. 2019 Apr 22;3:9. doi: 10.21037/acr.2019.04.04. eCollection 2019.

 Link to Abstract: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/31119210