Cervical Spondylosis as a Hidden Contributing Factor to Fibromyalgia: A Case Report.

This case report describes a 44-year-old woman with fibromyalgia who experienced remarkable improvement after chiropractic treatment. The patient had suffered for two years with chronic headaches, severe neck and shoulder pain, back pain, sleep problems, fatigue, and depression following domestic violence. Despite trying multiple treatments including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, muscle relaxants, antidepressants, anti-epileptics, acupuncture, and aqua-therapy, she found no significant relief.

When she sought chiropractic care, X-rays revealed loss of normal neck curvature and widespread degenerative changes in her spine. Surface electromyography showed muscle spasms in her neck and upper back. The chiropractor provided multimodal treatment twice weekly, including spinal manipulation, massage, and intermittent motorized cervical traction to relieve soft tissues, joints, and stretch core muscles.

After nine months of treatment, the patient's physical and mental symptoms were mostly resolved. Follow-up evaluations at 16 and 26 months showed sustained improvement, with normalized muscle signals and realignment of her cervical spine. The authors suggest that unrecognized cervical spine problems may have triggered her fibromyalgia symptoms, and that addressing the underlying spinal issues through chiropractic care blocked pain signals and normalized her pain processing.

While this case involved chiropractic manipulation rather than acupuncture as the primary intervention, it highlights the importance of identifying underlying structural problems in fibromyalgia patients. The patient had tried acupuncture without success, suggesting that in some cases, addressing spinal alignment issues may be necessary. Patients considering acupuncture or other complementary therapies should seek evaluation from qualified, licensed practitioners who can determine the most appropriate treatment approach.

This case report documents long-term remission of fibromyalgia symptoms in a 44-year-old female following multimodal chiropractic intervention. The patient met American College of Rheumatology diagnostic criteria for FM with comorbid depression, presenting with widespread pain, sleep disorders, and fatigue refractory to pharmacotherapy and conservative treatments including acupuncture. Clinical evaluation revealed loss of cervical lordosis, degenerative spondylosis, and paraspinal muscle spasms on sEMG. Treatment consisted of spinal manipulation, massage, and intermittent motorized cervical traction administered biweekly. Near-complete symptom resolution occurred after nine months, with sustained improvement documented at 16- and 26-month follow-ups, correlated with normalized sEMG findings and cervical realignment. The authors hypothesize that cervical spondylosis generated noxious afferent inputs triggering FM pathophysiology through central sensitization. Clinical takeaway: Cervical spine pathology may represent an underrecognized contributing factor in FM patients, and addressing biomechanical dysfunction may modulate central pain processing. Sample size limitation (n=1) precludes generalizability.