Multimodal Chiropractic Management of a Postsurgical Sternoclavicular Injury Utilizing Gamified Rehabilitation: A Case Report

Objective: The purpose of this study was to describe how gamification was incorporated into postoperative rehabilitation of a patient recovering from a sternoclavicular dislocation.

Clinical features: A 23-year-old man sought chiropractic care from an academic chiropractic clinic for persistent right-sided, sternoclavicular joint, moderate-to-severe pain that was exacerbated with shoulder movements and overhead activities. His shoulder was treated previously with reconstructive surgery and a 6-week trial of physical therapy; however, he reported minimal improvement in his pain, and his functional ability was suboptimal.

Intervention and outcome: Multimodal chiropractic treatment consisted of manual therapy in conjunction with active rehabilitation. The rehabilitation program incorporated gamification principles, such as competition, point scoring, and task focus. After 8 treatments, a clinically significant reduction in his upper extremity functional index score and numerical pain rating was observed.

Conclusion: The patient was managed using a gamified approach to postsurgical sternoclavicular joint rehabilitation and responded positively. Chiropractors may consider including gamified, multimodal care for patients with postoperative musculoskeletal concerns.