The Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published the results of a case study in the December 10, 2020, issue documenting the improvement in kidney function as well as symptomatic improvement in a patient under chiropractic care who was suffering with neck pain, lower back pain, and hip pain.

The study begins by reporting that, according to the National Kidney Foundation, 1 in 3 adults are at risk for developing kidney disease. The major job of the kidneys is to filter the blood. One of the things that the kidneys filter is creatinine.

According to the Mayo clinic website, “Creatinine is a chemical waste product that’s produced by your muscle metabolism and to a smaller extent by eating meat. Healthy kidneys filter creatinine and other waste products from your blood. The filtered waste products leave your body in your urine.” The Mayo Clinic continues with, “If your kidneys aren’t functioning properly, an increased level of creatinine may accumulate in your blood. A serum creatinine test measures the level of creatinine in your blood and provides an estimate of how well your kidneys filter.”

In this study, a 42-year-old man sought chiropractic care for help with his pain in his low back, the right-side of his neck, as well as pain in his right pelvis. He reported that he had been suffering with the low back and pelvis pain for almost 30 years ever since he suffered injuries playing high school football. His neck pain had been present for decades after another injury suffered while playing a pick-up game of football.

The man rated his pains as 7 out of 10, with 10 being the worst. He stated that his pain was present about 70% of the time. He also reported some numbness in his right-hand fingers as well as some shoulder pain. The man had sought medical care for his problems with no relief. His history also revealed that he was taking medications for high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. Lab tests revealed that the man had an elevated serum creatinine levels with a value of 1.41 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) indicative of kidney problems. The normal range for creatinine in the blood is between 0.84 and 1.21 mg/dL.

A chiropractic examination was performed on the man with the specific intent of locating subluxations. Specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were then given on regular intervals to correct the subluxations.

Following the first adjustment, the man reported that he noticed a 30% reduction in his symptoms. The level of relief increased to 70% within the first month of chiropractic care. After several months of chiropractic care, another serum creatinine analysis was performed. This time his serum creatinine levels had fallen to 1.19 mg/dL, which is well within a normal range for a man at his age. This change documented that there was an increase in kidney function after chiropractic care.

In their conclusion, the authors of the study wrote, “Improvements in the patient’s subjective complaints, as well as objective thermography, and blood analysis were seen while receiving chiropractic care.” They went on to say, “In this case, chiropractic care may have played a role in the physiological changes that resulted in the reduction of serum creatinine levels, by restoring balance to the autonomic nervous system.”