• Meyer KW
• Wu L

• Adult
• Low Back Pain
• Male
• Neurofibromatosis
• Open Access Document

Objective: Neurofibroma is a benign tumor, which may be solitary or a symptom of a larger syndrome known as neurofibromatosis type 1. These growths derive from Schwann cells and may present with radicular symptoms and/or radiculopathy. Surgical options for large neurofibromas are limited due to the possibility of loss of nerve function.

Clinical Features: Our paper describes the case of a 33 year-old Asian male U.S. Veteran with solitary intraneural neurofibroma of the left lumbosacral plexus with subsequent radicular pain into the left lower extremity. He was deemed by oncology and neurosurgery teams to be not a good candidate for surgery due to the extensive spread of the neurofibroma, which involved most of the lumbosacral plexus. He was instructed to pursue conservative care for symptom management.

Intervention and Outcome: He received chiropractic care using a gradual progression of forces to eventual high-velocity, low-amplitude spinal manipulation of the lumbar spine, combined with a referral for pelvic floor physical therapy. He reported short-term symptom improvements following chiropractic care and did not experience adverse events.

Conclusion: Chiropractic care may be a beneficial adjunct for symptom management in the setting of non-operable peripheral nerve tumors. Individual presentation, provider preferences and patient tolerance should be taken into consideration.

Author keywords: Neurofibroma; Neoplasms; Low Back Pain; Radicular Pain; Chiropractic

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