Chiropractic care of a 70-year-old female patient with hip osteoarthritis.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this case report is to describe the response to chiropractic care of a geriatric patient with left hip pain, a history of repetitive falls, poor balance, myofascial dysfunction, and hip osteoarthritis.

CLINICAL FEATURES: A 70-year-old, white, female patient presented for chiropractic care with a chief complaint of left hip pain of 1 year's duration and a history of 2 falls within the past 5 years. The patient's initial Lower Extremity Functional Index score was 42%. Important initial examination findings include a body mass index of 45.0, a One Leg Standing Test of 4 seconds, a Timed Up and Go test of 17 seconds, decreased active range of motion findings, and degenerative radiological findings of the left hip joint.

INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: Chiropractic treatment primarily consisted of hip and spinal manipulation, mobilization, and passive stretching. The patient was seen 16 times over a 12-week period. After 12 weeks of care, the patient had a significant decrease on the Lower Extremity Functional Index and had demonstrated improvements in left hip internal rotation and in Timed Up and Go and One Leg Standing Test times. The Patient Global Impression of Change scale indicated that the patient was "very much better."

CONCLUSION: This case illustrates a patient who had increased range of motion, improved balance and gait speed, and decreased disability after a 12-week course of chiropractic care.