• Sinnott R
• Jenema PJ

• Child
• Gonstead Technique
• Male
• Pediatrics
• Priapism

Objective: This case study describes the chiropractic care of a 3 year old male child with painful priapism who experienced improvement following specific chiropractic adjustment of vertebral subluxation.

Clinical Features:  The patient’s mother brought him in to receive chiropractic care in hopes of improving his physical condition. Treatment through the child’s pediatrician included the use of ice and antihistamine, with the next step being surgical options.  At the time chiropractic treatment began, the patient had been experiencing near constant, painful erections for a three and a half week period.

Interventions and Outcomes: The chiropractic care consisted of Gonstead methodology of analysis and adjustment aimed at reducing vertebral subluxation. Adjustments were made using a high velocity, low amplitude, specific thrust at C1 and S2.   The mother reported a significant decrease in episodes following treatment with frequency of erections decreasing steadily as care progressed.

Conclusions: Priapism is a rare condition in the pediatric population but it can affect a patient both physically and emotionally.  There are no examples of chiropractic helping this type of condition in the literature and more research needs to be performed in order for any evidence of a beneficial relationship to be established.

Author Keywords: Priapism, Chiropractic, Gonstead, Subluxation, Pediatric

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