Health & Chiro Articles

A case study appeared in the February 14, 2011, issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health. This study documented the case of a 4-year-old boy with a history of enlarged adenoids, nasal congestion, hearing loss, speech difficulties, developmental delay, and behavioral concerns, who was subsequently helped with chiropractic.

The article begins by noting that otitis media is one of the most common causes of hearing loss among young children with possible further implications for speech, language, and learning delay as well as subsequent behavioral concerns. Otitis media accounted for 24.5 million doctor’s visits in 1990 and is the most common reason for emergency visits among children.

In this case, a 4-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor’s office, having been previously diagnosed by the pediatrician and ENT physician with bilateral hearing loss, fluid build-up in the middle ears, swollen adenoids, and swollen nasal tissue. The boy’s parents also mentioned he was diagnosed with expressive speech delay and developmental delay associated with behavioral issues. The boy also seemed more immature than children his age and was behind with his language ability for his age.

A chiropractic examination was performed on the boy and restriction was noted in the upper cervical (neck) spine. It was determined that subluxations were present in the boy’s spine. These subluxations created interference with the boy’s nervous system therefore decreasing his ability to function normally and be healthy.

Care was initiated with a series of specific chiropractic adjustments to correct the subluxations. The study reports that after 11 chiropractic visits the boy had a medical examination to test his hearing. The results of that test revealed that his hearing had improved and he was within normal limits. By the 24th visit another medical examination was performed and the boy’s hearing was completely normal. Additionally it was reported that the boy also showed improvements with speech development and behavior.

This case also documents that the boy showed improvement in his language skill until he was on level with other children his age. It was also reported that his ability to interact with others and in school had also improved to appropriate levels.

In their conclusion the authors noted, “It is hypothesized that chiropractic care may increase overall immune function not limited to those with the conditions presented in this case report but also in the general pediatric population. Not only can this help to reduce sickness, but has great implications for prevention and to dramatically lower health care costs since otitis media is the number one complaint among pediatrics.”

The above is the actual headline from the August 7, 2007 Milford Daily News in Massachusetts. This article addresses the benefits of chiropractic care in pregnancy. The article starts by following the story of one chiropractic patient, Amanda Giampaoli-Martinez, who was receiving chiropractic care throughout her pregnancy. The story notes that when Amanda was ready to give birth she called her chiropractor Dr. Maryam Ahsan, to be present at the birth.

It was not two minutes after the birth of Amanda’s new baby girl, Arianna, that she was checked by Dr. Maryam. New mother Amanda recalled the activity by stating, “Dr. Maryam was driving when I called her and asked if she could come to the hospital. She just turned her car around.” Giampaoli-Martinez continued, “When I was having bad pain, (Dr. Ahsan) put me on my side and adjusted me while I was on the table.” Ms. Giampaoli-Martinez was pleased with her results and noted, “I went three times a week, and after a month my back pain was gone. I was also having shooting leg pain and the hip alignment helped to take that away.”

The article explains that the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association teaches a technique named after the associations late founder Dr. Larry Webster, called the Webster Technique. The article explains that the Webster Technique decreases intrauterine constraint, resulting in a quicker, less difficult delivery. This technique became prominent after it was discovered that certain adjustments had a high success rate in reversing the position of breech babies.

Dr. Jeanne Ohm, executive director of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, explained the procedure, “There is no deep tissue massage with this technique. It’s a really light force,” she said. “Chiropractors will check the woman’s sacrum (pelvis bone) and press on different areas to restore balance. They (patients) turn her on her back and check her belly and a round ligament for tightness.” Dr. Ohm continued, “There are no known contraindications or complications to the adjustments. No one’s ever called back to report a problem, and I would definitely be the first to know. Osteopathic studies have shown the adjustments reduce labor time and fight dystocia (abnormal or overly long childbirth).”

The article also interviewed Dr. David Bilstrom, a board certified physical medicine and rehabilitation specialist, and director of Oasis Center for Health in Hinsdale. He feels that most medical doctors are unfamiliar with chiropractic care. He states, “Chiropractic care tends to be quite safe. In the right hands, I would feel very comfortable seeing the treatment done.”

A case study involving a 7-year-old boy suffering chronic colds, allergies, and asthma since the age of 5 months, who was subsequently helped with chiropractic, was documented in the August 17, 2009 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health.

In this study the young boy’s parents explained that their son had been suffering from his problems since age 5, and was now taking the medications Alavert daily for allergies and Albuterol for asthma as needed. The child also required nebulizer treatments for his asthmatic episodes. Additionally steroid injections were also used “regularly”. Because of his illnesses he missed 1-2 days of school per month. He also had monthly visits to the medical doctor for all his health issues.

Finally his parents brought him to a chiropractor to see if he could be helped. The chiropractic examination revealed multiple postural abnormalities and changes in the boy’s ranges of spinal movement. Additionally areas of the spine felt abnormal to the doctor’s touch. These findings are all indicative of spinal subluxations. Subluxations are when bones of the spine are positioned incorrectly and create pressure or irritation on nerves. This causes changes in the function of the nervous system and can result in a variety of health issues depending on the severity of the nerve system interference and the areas of the nervous system involved.

Specific chiropractic care was initiated on the boy at the initial frequency of 3 visits per week for the first month of care. Within two weeks of the child’s first chiropractic adjustment, the patient’s mother indicated that her son no longer was dependent on his prescription medication for allergies, so they decided to discontinue them on their own. His parents also reported that his frequency and severity of the asthma attacks had greatly improved, and he no longer required his nebulizer treatments since beginning chiropractic care.

According to the study records within 3 months of the initiation of chiropractic care, the boy’s mother reported that all the young boy’s initial complaints were addressed successfully. The child continued chiropractic wellness care, and after a 16 month follow up, it was noted that the boy experienced only 1-2 minor colds or sinus infections and required the use of his nebulizer on only two occasions. Neither the patient nor his mother reported any adverse reactions to the chiropractic care.

A case study appeared on July 22, 2009 in the scientific periodical, The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, documenting the correction of a breech pregnancy and therefore saving a woman from having an unnecessary C-section delivery.

This case involved a 41 year old woman who was 33 weeks pregnant and had confirmation by ultrasound that the baby was in a breech presentation. She came into the chiropractor’s office looking for an alternative to prevent the cesarean procedure which was planned for her 39th week of pregnancy.

The woman did have a history of back pain during her pregnancy. The chiropractic examination showed muscle spasms and tenderness over multiple areas of her spine including her lower back. Her spinal range of motion was also significantly reduced. Numerous other orthopedic tests were positive, and trigger points were detected around her abdomen. It was determined that she had a subluxation of the sacrum and was a good candidate for a technique known as the “Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique”.

According to WikiParenting, “The Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique is a chiropractic procedure used to correct subluxations in the pregnant mothers sacrum and pelvis. The technique was developed the late Dr. Larry Webster, Founder of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA), in 1978. This technique is considered a safe means to restore proper pelvic structure and function for pregnant mothers.” The ICPA defines the procedure by saying, “The Webster Technique is defined as a specific chiropractic analysis and adjustment that reduces interference to the nerve system and facilitates biomechanical balance in pelvic structures, muscles and ligaments. This has been shown to reduce the effects of intrauterine constraint, allowing the baby to get into the best possible position for birth.”

The results of this case study documented that after 5 Webster In-Utero Constraint Technique adjustments were given to the patient over a 1 month period, an ultrasound was performed by the woman’s medical physician. The ultrasound confirmed that the baby had moved into the vertex position resulting in the planned cesarean section being cancelled. The patient had a vaginal delivery of a baby boy weighing 7lbs 8 oz without complications.

Manitoba, Canada has become the focal point of a heated battle by the chiropractic profession to protect the rights of children to receive the benefits of chiropractic care. Over the past year several anti-chiropractic forces have started a false smear campaign to gain publicity by trying to say that chiropractic care may be dangerous. This flies in the face of all evidence showing that chiropractic has always been among the safest health care professions.

In spite of facts to the contrary the Canadian smear campaign has been effective and accomplished their first goal in getting the government of Manitoba to discontinue chiropractic coverage for children up to the age of 19. This move effectively forces many children away from a natural choice of chiropractic and toward drugs or surgery. In a statement dated May, 10, 2002, one of the world’s renowned chiropractic pediatric experts, Dr. Maxine McMullen Vice President of the International Chiropractors Association (ICA) and founder and president of the ICA Council of Chiropractic Pediatrics stated, “This decision is not based on science or good health care practice. Chiropractic care has been proven to be safe and effective for children and people of all ages. This decision is based in fear and not in fact. The world chiropractic community will mobilize to take those steps necessary to see that fairness and open access for all people prevail.”

Other chiropractic organizations have also begun to mobilize. In a release dated May, 8, 2002 Dr. Jeanne Ohm, Secretary of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association asked all their members to, “Please e-mail the Premier of Manitoba, the Honorable Gary Doer with a short, professional e-mail on behalf of chiropractic care for children. Take the moment now to turn this around. His address: Premier@leg.gov.mb.ca .

In the 1970’s the American Medical Association was sued for restraint of trade and antitrust activities. In that famous “Wilk vs. AMA suit”, the AMA lost, and had to publicly admit wrongdoing in their journals as well as cease any illegal and unlawful activity against chiropractic. Since then the AMA has been barred from the types of false smear campaigns in the US that have now taken place in Canada. The chiropractic community and the patients we serve are continuing to mobilize to reverse this situation. It is our belief that everyone should have open access to chiropractic care if that is the form of health care they choose.

According to a Canadian study reported at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Allergy Asthma and Immunology, antibiotics and vaccines are the medicines that most often cause adverse reactions in children. “There is relatively little pediatric data on adverse reactions, which can range from rashes to potentially fatal hypersensitivity”. More than 1,500 Canadian cases were reviewed between 1985 and 1995 by Sandra R. Knowles and her colleagues at the Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center in Toronto. In all, 1,800 drugs were implicated in this study.

The leading problems were caused from: Amoxicillin/Ampicillin with a 24% reaction rate, vaccines in general with a 19% reaction rate, Trimethoprim came in with 8%, Sulfamethoxazole (sulfa drug) at 8%, Erythromycin – was at 3%, and Penicillin also at 3% reaction rate.

A case study appeared on November 6, 2009 in the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, documenting the case of a young boy suffering with torticollis and neck pain, who was helped with chiropractic. This case study also discussed the increased utilization of chiropractic care by children under 17 years of age.

The author of the study noted that in 1997, research showed that there were approximately 30 million visits to chiropractors by patients under the age of 18. According to the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, the author reports that at present, that number is closer to 60 million visits per year. The author also notes that when compared to the adult population of chiropractic patients, a higher percentage of these cases are for non-musculoskeletal conditions.

In the specific case reported in this study, a 10 year old boy was brought to the chiropractor suffering from acute torticollis. Torticollis, sometimes known as wry neck, is a situation where the neck is in spasm and tilted to one side. According to this study, the day before, the young boy awakened with severe neck pain and was unable to move his head and neck. His condition was so severe that he had great difficulty lifting his head off his pillow due to the pain. He was taken to an emergency care facility where according to his mother, was examined and released with prescriptions of Motrin and Valium.

When the boy first came to the chiropractor’s office he was in severe pain and was unable to straighten his head. His history revealed no severe trauma and he also suffered from mild asthma only using medication on an as needed basis. The chiropractic examination showed severe muscle spasm and restricted range of motion in the neck.

A determination was made that vertebral subluxations were present and a course of specific chiropractic adjustments was initiated. On the boy’s second visit he reported that he had felt significant improvement after his first adjustment. His severe spasm and head tilting had improved and he was experiencing only minimal pain. By his 3rd visit, the patient demonstrated a significant reduction in muscle spasm in the neck and mid back with improved range of motion. At this point the boy reported that he was pain free. By the 13th visit when a re-evaluation was performed, the 10 year old was back to normal and performing normal activity.

In the May 4, 2011, issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, appears a case study documenting chiropractic care helping a two-year-old boy who was having trouble walking after having recovered from a broken leg.

In this case, the boy had suffered a broken tibia in his leg by falling down some stairs. The boy received medical care and was placed in a cast. The cast was removed after 8 weeks when the fracture had healed. After removal of the cast, the boy was experiencing trouble walking and was subsequently brought into a chiropractor to see if he could be helped.

The boy’s mother reported that prior to his accident, her son was able to walk normally. She noticed that after the accident, her son had trouble walking on the leg that was not broken and that he now had a toe-in positioning of both feet while standing and walking which were not present prior to the fracture.

A chiropractic examination was performed including asking the boy to walk and run. The doctor noted that when walking the boy had a greatly exaggerated toe-in gate which made it difficult for the boy to keep his balance. When running, the boy did not use his right hip or knee, but instead used his body mass to move that side of his body. He did, however, use the left side normally, even though that was the side of the fracture.

It was determined that vertebral subluxations were present in the boy’s thoracic and pelvic regions, and a course of corrective adjustments was initiated to correct the subluxations. On the first visit, the parents, who were under care and were anxious to get their son adjusted, mentioned that their pediatrician expressed concerns about getting the boy adjusted. After being reassured that the adjustments given to their son were specifically designed for the child’s size, care was initiated.

On the second visit, the parents reported that their son was walking somewhat better and he had slept normally for the first time in a while. By the fifth visit the boy was walking much better and the only noted abnormality in his gait was when he was running. By the 14th visit, the boy had no problems with either walking or running and he had slept normally ever since his first adjustment.

In their study conclusions, the authors explained their results by stating, “This case study described a pediatric patient with a healed tibial fracture. During the time of casting, compensation led to fixations in the spine, pelvis and lower extremity. Chiropractic care helped to restore the childs normal gait, range of motion, and sleeping patterns.”

A research case study published on September 29, 2010 in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health, documented the case of a young boy being helped with dizziness, chronic neck pain and migraines. In this case a twelve year old boy with a long history of routine, recurrent dizziness, chronic neck pain and migraines was brought by his mother to the chiropractor for care.

The history showed that this boy’s dizziness started when he was 3-years old and had been getting progressively worse in intensity and recurrence. The boys dizziness would occur every 3 months and was predictable to within 1-2 days. His neck pain and headaches began when he was 8 years old and would occur 2 to 3 times per week.

His problems were having a profound effect on his life. Since beginning school at age 5 he had consistently missed between half and two-thirds of his scheduled school days. The study noted that when he was not having these attacks he was a happy, positive boy who enjoyed what little school he did get to attend.

The boy had been previously seen by numerous medical professionals including a general practitioner, an otolaryngologist, a neurologist, a pediatric neurologist, and a senior medical lecturer. He had received a variety of diagnoses mainly consisting of various forms of vertigo and headaches. Finally, he was brought to a chiropractor.

After examination, chiropractic care was initiated consisting of specific adjustments to areas of the spine determined to have vertebral subluxations, causing nerve system interference. After just the first week of chiropractic care, the boy stopped getting headaches and neck pain. His regular cluster of dizziness did not develop and this was the first time in 9 years that he did not get this dizziness at the regularly predictable time.

The effects for this child were profound and long lasting. The study reported that two months after starting chiropractic care he did suffer a mild episode of vertigo for 3 days. He also had another 3-day episode eight months later. However, after two years of regular chiropractic care these two brief episodes were the only symptoms the child had experienced. Additionally, during this time he has not reported any further headaches or neck pain.

The above headline comes from a September 8, 2009 research update release from the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health. The author of the release Matthew McCoy D.C., is an Associate Professor of Clinical Sciences at Life University, a public health specialist, health researcher and editor of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health.

The release notes that on September 4, 2009, the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) issued a report on the H1N1 virus known as the swine flu. The CDC report showed that there had been 36 deaths in children under 18 associated with the swine flu. The CDC report noted that a higher than usual amount of these deaths (67%) involved children with serious “high-risk medical conditions”. Normally the average death toll in children from the yearly flu shows that only 35% to 55% had previous serious medical conditions. This suggests that children not suffering from serious medical conditions are less likely to die from H1N1 than from previous years flu outbreaks.

Additionally, the CDC report noted that most of the previously seriously ill children, (92%), who succumb to the flu were suffering from “neurodevelopmental conditions”. Because of the nervous system involvement reported by the CDC, Dr. McCoy noted, “The number of children with neurological, neurodevelopmental and pulmonary disorders who ended up with complications from the H1N1 flu and who ultimately died from these complications point to the need to make sure that children with such disorders, and in fact all children, have as little interference to their nervous systems as possible”. Dr. McCoy added “It (CDC report) also shows that the majority of children who ended up with complications from H1N1 infection were not normal, healthy children. So, if you have normal, healthy children – rather than panic from these media reports its better to consider the things you can do to make sure that your childs immune system remains functioning at its best.”

The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health notes that in addition to a healthy diet, exercise and proper sleep, one crucial way to make sure a childs immune system is functioning at its best is to make sure their nervous system is free from interference. The Journal release also noted that the nervous system has a direct effect on the immune system and the spine houses and protects the spinal cord and nerves, a vital portion of the nerve system. They therefore state that it is important to have childrens spines checked for any interference to the nervous system.

Dr. Christopher Kent, chiropractic researcher and President of the Foundation for Vertebral Subluxation, advised, “Nerve interference can result from spinal misalignments or abnormal motion in the spine called vertebral subluxations and because the nervous system affects immune function it is important to reduce or correct any vertebral subluxations if found.” Dr. Kent added, “The lesson in all of this is to go back to the basics. The best defense against viral and bacterial diseases, in addition to the recommendations for hand washing and covering your mouth, is a highly functioning immune system. Chiropractic should be part of an effective flu prevention strategy.”