Introduction: The purpose of this study is to report the findings resulting from chiropractic care using flexion distraction spinal manipulation for a patient with low back and radicular pain due to spinal stenosis caused by a synovial cyst.
Case report: A 75-year-old man presented with low back pain radiating to the right anterior thigh and down the left posterior leg of 3 years' duration. Physical and imaging examinations showed a synovial cyst-induced spinal stenosis at the right L3-L4 level and bilateral L4-L5 spinal stenosis.
Intervention and outcomes: Flexion distraction spinal manipulation and physiological therapeutics were applied at the levels of stenosis. After 4 visits, the patient noted total absence of the right and left lower extremity pain and no adverse reaction to treatment. After 3 months of treatment and 16 visits, his low back and buttock pain were minimal; and he had no leg pain.
Conclusion: Lumbar synovial cyst and stenosis-generated low back and radicular pain was 80% relieved in a 75-year-old man following Cox flexion distraction spinal manipulation.
Keywords: Chiropractic; Low back pain; Manipulation; Nerve root compression; Sciatica; Spinal stenosis; Synovial cysts.