Newsletter Articles
November 2026

• Chiropractic Care and Improvements in Fibromyalgia and Pelvic Nerve Pain
• Chiropractic Care and Long-Standing Digestive Problems
• Chiropractic Care Helps Endurance Athlete With Chronic Neck and Back Pain
• Chiropractic Care May Help Athletic Horses Rest Better

Chiropractic Care and Improvements in Fibromyalgia and Pelvic Nerve Pain

Fibromyalgia can affect much more than muscles and joints. People with the condition may experience widespread pain, extreme fatigue, poor sleep, difficulty concentrating and changes in mood. A case report published in the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal on November 1, 2026, described a 32-year-old woman with fibromyalgia and pudendal neuralgia who experienced improvements in numerous areas of her health while receiving chiropractic care.

The woman had been diagnosed with fibromyalgia about 15 months earlier and had recently been diagnosed with pudendal neuralgia, a condition involving irritation of a nerve that serves the pelvic and genital region and can cause significant pelvic pain. She was experiencing widespread body pain, severe fatigue, brain fog and depression despite sleeping 10 to 12 hours each night. She also reported abdominal pain, chronic diarrhea, bladder and pelvic pain, ringing in one ear, difficulty breathing comfortably while sitting upright, neck and shoulder stiffness, low back pain and occasional numbness in her toes.

Her chiropractic examination revealed restricted and painful neck movement, postural imbalance, uneven weight distribution, balance problems and other neurological findings. The chiropractic evaluation also identified an upper cervical subluxation. She began a course of chiropractic care directed primarily toward improving upper cervical and nervous system function. The goal was not to treat fibromyalgia or pudendal neuralgia directly, but to reduce subluxation and support better overall nervous system function and quality of life.

Changes were reported within the first several weeks. By her sixth visit, pelvic pain had improved noticeably. At the 12th visit, she reported better energy, strength, mood, breathing, flexibility, exercise tolerance and mental clarity. Her fatigue had improved enough that she was able to go out more, while abdominal pain and diarrhea had disappeared at that point. Neck and shoulder discomfort, low back pain, bladder pain and inner-thigh pain had also decreased. Objective examination findings, including posture, leg balance and neck movement, improved at the same time.

By the 24th visit, her neck movement was full and pain-free, bowel function had normalized, jaw pain had resolved and she reported no longer experiencing depressive episodes. At the 36th visit, fatigue and brain fog were substantially improved, low back and jaw pain had resolved, digestive symptoms had become rare and pelvic and bladder pain were markedly reduced. A questionnaire used to measure her overall symptom and functional burden improved from 46 out of 70 at the beginning of care to 8 out of 70 at the 36th visit. She also reported improved sleep, mobility, mood and social life and had returned to activities such as Pilates and yoga.

This case involved only one person, so it does not prove that chiropractic care will produce the same results in everyone with fibromyalgia or pudendal neuralgia. Still, the widespread improvements in pain, fatigue, digestion, mood, pelvic symptoms and overall quality of life experienced by this woman are noteworthy, particularly because care was directed mainly toward the upper cervical spine rather than toward many of the areas where her symptoms were being experienced. For people living with complex, chronic health problems, this case offers hope that correcting subluxations and improving nervous system function may positively influence the way the body adapts, functions and experiences pain.

Chiropractic Care and Long-Standing Digestive Problems

Digestive problems such as acid reflux, gastritis and bloating can sometimes persist despite medication, dietary changes and other treatments. A case report published in the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal on November 1, 2026, described a 39-year-old man who had experienced gastroesophageal reflux, gastritis, abdominal discomfort and bloating for approximately five years. He had previously undergone medical testing, including an endoscopy, and had tried antacid medication and dietary changes without lasting relief.

His symptoms included abdominal pain and bloating that were often worse at bedtime, when lying on his back, during periods of anxiety and after long hours working at a desk. The discomfort also interfered with his sleep. When he sought chiropractic care, his goals were simple: to sleep better, tolerate food more consistently and improve his overall sense of well-being. At that time, he was no longer taking medication for his digestive problems.

The chiropractic examination found forward head posture, uneven shoulders, restricted neck movement, uneven weight distribution and other findings suggesting dysfunction in the upper cervical spine. X-rays showed straightening and loss of the normal curve in the neck, and the chiropractic evaluation identified an upper cervical subluxation. He then began a course of chiropractic care directed toward improving upper cervical function.

Improvement was reported relatively early in care. At his first reassessment, the patient said his digestion was better and his stomach felt less bloated, with improvement beginning around the time of his second chiropractic adjustment. Several examination findings also improved, including leg balance, muscle strength and neck movement. At a later reassessment, his posture and neck motion had continued to improve, and he described his stomach as doing well and estimated that he was about 80% better overall.

Chiropractic Care Helps Endurance Athlete With Chronic Neck and Back Pain

Being physically fit does not always protect someone from spinal problems. In fact, repetitive training, long hours on a bicycle and prolonged work postures can place considerable stress on the spine. A case report published in Cureus on October 22, 2026, followed a 51-year-old competitive cyclist and half-Ironman athlete who had been experiencing daily neck pain for more than six months along with recurring low back pain and stiffness.

The athlete trained six to seven times per week in cycling, running, swimming and resistance exercise while also working in an information technology position that involved long periods of sitting and standing. Examination found forward head posture, an uneven shoulder position, increased rounding of the upper back, pelvic imbalance and restricted movement in both the neck and lower back. X-rays also showed loss of the normal neck curve, mild spinal degeneration and a mild curvature in the lower thoracic and upper lumbar spine.

The chiropractic evaluation identified areas of spinal dysfunction and subluxation involving the neck, mid-back and lower spine. The patient began chiropractic care twice per week, with the frequency gradually reduced as his condition improved. He completed an initial course of 30 visits and then chose to continue with lower-frequency maintenance care. His progress was followed at several checkpoints by tracking changes in neck pain, low back pain, mobility and other functional measures.

By the 10-visit checkpoint, he reported better neck movement and no neck pain during activity. By 20 visits, he described the difference in his condition as “night and day,” reporting improvements in mobility, pain, cycling performance and recovery from training. His neck and lower-back ranges of motion had returned to normal, and he reported being able to stand for three hours without pain.

The improvements continued as care progressed. At the 30-visit checkpoint, he reported better posture, mood and overall quality of life. By 40 visits, his ratings for neck pain improvement and overall mobility were among the best recorded during the entire course of care. At that point, he reported no ongoing neck or low back pain, only mild stiffness related to training. He also felt that regular chiropractic care helped him recover more quickly from cycling workouts and chose to continue maintenance care.

This report is an interesting example of how even highly conditioned athletes can develop spinal dysfunction from the repeated stresses of training and everyday posture. For active people who want to remain mobile, recover well and continue doing the activities they enjoy, maintaining good spinal function and correcting subluxations may be an important part of keeping the body performing at its best.

Chiropractic Care May Help Athletic Horses Rest Better

Most people think of chiropractic care in connection with humans, but chiropractic is also used with animals, particularly athletic horses. A study made available online in the Journal of Equine Veterinary Science on October 21, 2026, examined whether chiropractic care was associated with changes in the resting behavior of athletic Mangalarga Marchador horses. These horses compete in gaiting events and, like human athletes, depend on adequate rest and recovery to perform at their best.

Horses have unusual sleep habits compared with people. They rest for shorter periods throughout the day and night and can doze while standing. However, deeper stages of sleep, including rapid eye movement or REM sleep, occur primarily when a horse is lying down. This makes the amount of time a horse spends lying down an important indicator of its opportunity for deeper rest. Pain, stress, environmental conditions and musculoskeletal discomfort can all interfere with normal resting behavior.

The study followed nine healthy athletic horses with an average age of just over four years. Researchers continuously recorded each horse by video for 72 hours before chiropractic care and another 72 hours afterward. Thirty-five days later, the process was repeated with a second chiropractic session. Altogether, researchers analyzed 1,296 hours of video, measuring how much time the horses were awake, drowsy while standing, resting upright on their chest and lying fully on their side.

Following chiropractic care, the horses showed measurable changes in their resting behavior. Wakefulness decreased, while the amount of time spent lying down increased. Particularly interesting was the increase in lateral recumbency, which means lying fully on the side. Following the first chiropractic session, average lateral resting time increased from about 129 minutes to 147 minutes. After the second session, it increased from approximately 89 minutes to 143 minutes. The researchers found these changes to be statistically significant.

Why might this matter? Horses need to lie down to enter REM sleep, an important stage associated with neurological recovery, memory and other restorative processes. The researchers suggested that increased time spent lying down following chiropractic care could reflect greater physical comfort and increased opportunities for restorative rest. However, the study measured behavior rather than brain activity, so it cannot prove that the horses actually experienced more REM sleep or better physiological sleep.

This was a small study involving only nine horses and did not include an untreated control group, so the researchers caution that chiropractic care cannot be identified as the sole cause of the changes. Even so, the results showed measurable improvements in resting behavior following chiropractic care, particularly an increase in the amount of time the horses were comfortable lying down. The findings provide an interesting reminder that healthy joint and nervous system function may influence much more than movement alone and suggest that chiropractic care may have a role in supporting comfort, recovery and overall well-being—even in four-legged athletes.