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Post-Concussion Seizures Resolved with Chiropractic
A November 3, 2011 case study published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, documents the resolution of seizures in a patient who previously had a concussion.
The authors of the case study start off by reporting that in the United States alone, there are approximately half a million brain injuries per year. Of this number between 5 and 7% develop seizures. Patients who suffer seizures immediately after the accident are more likely to suffer brain damage. The authors also noted that 24% of people with mild traumatic brain injury have reported anxiety and people that sustain mild to moderate injury suffer from major depression in 25-40% of the cases.
In this case a 76-year-old woman was referred to the chiropractor for evaluation by a neurologist. The woman’s problems started 10 years earlier after a slip and fall accident. According to the woman, 10 years prior she had jumped out of the shower and ran to answer the phone when her feet came out from under her causing her to land straight back on her head. Immediately after falling she experienced a seizure and severe migraine which left her unable to talk or walk. She was then rushed to the emergency room and was admitted as a patient. She was then given MRI and CT scans which she was told were unremarkable. She was diagnosed with a concussion and post concussion seizure and remained in the hospital for three months.
During her time in the hospital the woman experienced rapid fluctuations of her blood pressure and continued to suffer from migraines. She also had difficulty talking and experienced a swaying feeling upon standing, and had a wide gait when walking. By the time she had been released three months later her blood pressure had stabilized and her migraines had stopped.
Ten years later her symptoms started to get worse again including suffering from seizures that would leave her unable to walk or talk for several days. She returned for medical care and went through numerous tests, recommendations and medical doctors before being told by a second neurologist to seek chiropractic care.
A chiropractic examination was performed with x-rays. The results of these procedures revealed a neurological problem from subluxation at the first bone in the neck called the “atlas”. A specific adjustment was given to the woman and a reevaluation and x-rays were done to verify positive changes. After the first adjustment the woman immediately noticed an improvement in her walking and she no longer had the feeling that a seizure was coming on.
Two months after the initiation of care the woman had not had any seizures since her first chiropractic adjustment. She had also reported pain free neck rotation, normal walking, increased energy, improved clarity and brightness in her vision and improved hearing. Her blood pressure stopped fluctuating and returned to normal. In follow up visits, it seemed that her ten year ordeal had ended.
In the October 27, 2011 edition of the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, comes a documented case study of a person with Multiple Sclerosis being significantly helped by chiropractic care.
According to the US National Library of Medicine website, “Multiple sclerosis is an autoimmune disease that affects the brain and spinal cord (central nervous system).” The site goes further to explain that, “MS affects women more than men. The disorder is most commonly diagnosed between ages 20 and 40, but can be seen at any age.”
In this case a 28 year old woman went to the chiropractor with a chief complaint of severe neck pain following an accident several years earlier where she slipped on a wet bathroom floor and struck her head on the toilet with her mid-back landing on the bathtub. She also suffered with complaints of headaches, back, shoulder and arm pain, hip and leg pain, and skin problems. Additionally, she had been previously diagnosed with MS.
In a self-help attempt to relieve the pain the woman would try lying down with a rolled-up towel under her neck. This would relieve the pain and lessened the headaches, however, staying in that position for longer than 15 minutes would cause her to lose consciousness for 8-9 hours.
A chiropractic examination and x-rays were performed and a determination was made that subluxations were present in the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar regions. Of the spinal areas involved, it was determined that the upper neck was the primary subluxation in this woman’s spine. Specific chiropractic adjustments were begun to address her subluxations.
At the initiation of care the patient rated her condition as a 2 out of 10, with 10 being the best and 0 being worst. By the fourth visit she rated herself as a 7 out of 10. Her improvement in all her symptoms including those attributed to her MS remained through the course of this case study.
In his conclusion the author noted that in addition to this case, there had been previous studies that also showed improvement with MS patients. He wrote, “Studies involving larger groups with MS have already been conducted showing favorable response to chiropractic care. Other related chiropractic research has shown similar outcomes with patients experiencing musculoskeletal pain along with associated symptoms of MS.”
From the October 31, 2011 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health comes a case study documenting the correction of autistic symptoms of a child receiving chiropractic care.
The authors of the study start off by reporting some sobering statistics by stating, “Autism is a neurobehavioral disorder that has shown an increase in prevalence in the children of this era. It affects more than 400,000 in the United States and ranks as the third most common developmental disorder of the pediatric population.”
In this case a 9-year-old autistic boy was presented to a chiropractic office for care by his mother. She also noted that her son had a history of repeated ear infections and fell frequently due to his hyperactivity. The boy was also suffering from delayed speech at 1-2 years of age and had not spoken by 3-years of age. Finally at the age of 3 and a half, the boy was diagnosed with autism.
A chiropractic examination was performed and it was determined that the boy had subluxations in his pelvis and in the top bone in the neck, the “atlas”. A series of specific chiropractic adjustments was begun for correction of the subluxations found. Dietary changes were also made.
The results of the case were partially determined by the mother filling out an Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist (ATEC), comparing her son’s behavior before care, to his behavior at around the 14th visit. The overall scores of the ATEC showed a 16% improvement by the 14th chiropractic adjustment. This included a 17% improvement in the Health / Physical Behavior score.
In addition the child was able to discontinue one of the medications he was taking and at the time of the study, reduce the remaining one. The mother also reported that her son improved to the point where he had an almost complete absence of stereotypical autistic movements, improvements in his ability in sociable situations and improvements in communication, both verbal and physical.
The above headline comes from the September 17, 2011 edition of the LA Times. The story reports on data recently released from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, showing that as of 2009, deaths due to drugs exceeded the number of deaths due to automobile accidents.
The article noted that the increase was fueled by the jump in prescription drug overdoses. The authors wrote, “Public health experts have used the comparison (accident vs. drug deaths) to draw attention to the nation’s growing prescription drug problem, which they characterize as an epidemic.” The data showed that since the government started tracking drug related deaths in 1979, this was the first time that drug deaths have outpaced deaths due to automobile accidents.
The report showed that the surge in drugs leading to deaths were mostly fueled by prescription pain and anxiety drugs such as OxyContin, Vicodin, Xanax and Soma. Laz Salinas, a sheriff’s commander in Santa Barbara, where they have seen a dramatic rise in prescription drug deaths in recent years, commented, “The problem is right here under our noses in our medicine cabinets.”
The article interviewed Lori Smith, a mother who lost her son to an overdose of prescription drugs just six months shy of his 16th birthday. She speculated on what happened by saying, “They said they will have parties where the kids will throw a bunch of pills in a bowl and the kids take them without knowing what they are,” Lori said. “We called all of his friends, but no one would say they were with him. But he must have been with someone. You just don’t do that by yourself.
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Sgt. Steve Opferman, head of a county task force on prescription drug-related crimes explained why he feels prescription drugs are more dangerous than illicit drugs. He explained, “People feel they are safer with prescription drugs because you get them from a pharmacy and they are prescribed by a doctor,” Opferman said. “Younger people believe they are safer because they see their parents taking them. It doesn’t have the same stigma as using street narcotics.”
The article concluded with a statement from Amy S.B. Bohnert, a researcher at the University of Michigan Medical School who is studying ways to lower the risk of prescription drugs. She stated, “What’s really scary is we don’t know a lot about how to reduce prescription deaths.
From the September 1, 2011 issue of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health comes a case study documenting the improvement of a young boy suffering with Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder.
The authors explain that Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD) are a group of developmental brain disorders characterized by impaired social interaction, lack of communication skills, and limited range of activities and interests. Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD) and Sensory Processing Disorder fall under the category of ASD problems. They further note that “Pervasive Developmental Disorders (PDD) refers to a group or range of disorders characterized by a variety of delays in the development of socialization and communication skills. Symptoms may be seen as early as infancy and will typically show up before 3 years of age.”
In this case a young boy, just 3 months short of his third birthday, was brought to the chiropractor with the medical diagnoses of Pervasive Developmental Disorder and Sensory Processing Disorder. The history noted that the boy was born with a forceps delivery and was kept in the neonatal intensive care unit for 4 days with a fever. At the time the boy was brought to the chiropractor he was already behind in many developmental processes including communication skills, cognitive skills, fine motor skills, as well as social and emotional skills. He preferred to crawl rather than walk and was having difficulty crawling in a coordinated manner.
After an examination, chiropractic care was initiated for correction of vertebral subluxations that were detected. Specific chiropractic adjustments were given at the rate of 2 visits per week. The spine and nervous system were monitored regularly for subluxation.
The study reports that after 2.5 months of chiropractic care the first reevaluation was performed which showed improvements in the boy’s skills. The authors commented that, “The patient’s mother reported that her son’s communication skills had improved dramatically, he was walking and even starting to run.”
Additionally, the occupational and physical therapists that were working with the boy both noticed significant improvement and stated that they had never had a case improve this dramatically in such a short period of time. After ten months of care the boy had improved dramatically in many areas. He improved greatly in the areas of verbal skills, and his sensory processing problems had diminished. Probably one of the most dramatic improvements was reported by the boy’s mother who observed that her son had begun to read at a level above his age.
The authors of the study explained the chiropractic approach by stating in their conclusion, “There is a growing body of evidence in the literature relating chiropractic adjustments to the resolution of a variety of health problems. Chiropractic care when used to correct disturbances in the nervous system (subluxations) is not a treatment for any disease, illness or injury. However by reducing subluxations, a person’s body will be better able to repair, heal, function and develop.
In the September 22, 2011 issue of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health a case study was published that documents chiropractic care helping a baby with severe constipation and excessive crying.
In this case an 11 week old boy was brought to the chiropractor by his mother. The boy’s mother related that her baby was fussy since birth and that several times a day, the baby was uncomfortable and would cry and scream as if he was in a great deal of pain. These episodes would last up to 2 hours at a time.
The mother explained that these fits of crying seemed to be associated with her son trying to have a bowel movement as he would seem to be grunting and pushing without any success. Over the previous 8 weeks, it was reported that the child only had 5 bowel movements. Medical attempts to correct this issue included over the counter remedies and leg exercises. His bowel issues were affecting his eating and sleeping habits.
A chiropractic examination was performed where it was noticed that the baby’s color was grey looking, and his abdomen was distended. Additionally, there were several spinal findings that indicated the presence of nerve system irritation from subluxations at the top and bottom of the child’s spine.
Chiropractic care was initiated with a specific set of pediatric spinal adjustments being administered to the baby. The mother brought the baby back in six days for a follow-up visit. Upon her arrival she informed the doctor that after her son’s first adjustment, her baby had his first bowel movement without assistance. By the third chiropractic visit the boy’s mother reported that her son had an increased number of bowel movements as well as an improvement in his overall demeanor, a reduction in crying, and improvement in his ability to sleep.
The study notes that after about 10 weeks of chiropractic care, the child’s bowel habits had returned to a normal level that would be expected in a child unaffected by constipation.
The above headline comes from an October 7, 2011 story on CNN, based on a draft recommendation by the U.S. Preventive Services Task Force that reads, “The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force (USPSTF) recommends against prostate-specific antigen (PSA)-based screening for prostate cancer.”
According to their website, “The USPSTF is an independent panel of non-Federal experts in prevention and evidence-based medicine and is composed of primary care providers (such as internists, pediatricians, family physicians, gynecologists/obstetricians, nurses, and health behavior specialists).”
The CNN article notes that this is the same group that recently released a recommendation stating that women in their 40′s do not need regular mammograms. One of the problems that the USPSTF identified is that the prostate-specific antigen test, known commonly as “PSA” can show up to 80 percent false positives leading to needless medical procedures and dangers.
The USPSTF explains the how and why they make such recommendations by saying, “For the USPSTF to recommend a service, the benefits of the service must outweigh the harms. The USPSTF focuses on maintenance of health and quality of life as the major benefits of clinical preventive services, and not simply the identification of disease.”
Dr. Kenneth Lin, senior author of the USPSTF research paper on which the draft statement is based, pointed out that only a small percentage of men testing positive from PSA tests have the type of prostate cancer that is fast growing and possibly fatal. His research suggests that the harm of further testing and treatment outweigh the possible benefits to the population at large. Dr. Lin commented, “Maybe you should get tested if you have this horrible family history where everyone gets prostate cancer before the age of 50. But for most men, testing is harmful.”
Dr. Lin and the USPSTF have come under severe criticism for their recommendations by groups that support such testing. He stated his frustration with the politics and interference from outside groups to the USPSTF’s recommendation. He noted that the USPSTF was prepared to make its recommendations on prostate screening over a year ago, but those recommendations were withheld because of the negative feedback they received after their recommendations about mammography. Dr. Lin, left the USPSTF in November and is now an assistant professor of family medicine at Georgetown University Medical Center. He explained his frustration in the closing of the CNN article by saying, “I was so frustrated with the political interference, and this was the final straw.”
A documented case study appeared in the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health on August 11, 2011 showing chiropractic helping an 8-year-old boy suffering from headaches. The study authors begin by noting that about 75% of children report a notable headache by age 15.
The authors report that cervical (neck) subluxations, and the resulting changes in cervical curves have been shown to be a factor in headaches. Past studies show that people with necks that do not have their normal forward curvature and have become straight or reversed are particularly prone to headaches.
In this study, the 8-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor with complaints of headaches, muscle aches, fatigue, allergies, and digestive problems. The boy’s headaches were described as sharp and throbbing, and were made worse with noise, but improved when he was lying down. The boy’s headaches were mainly in the front of his head and would last the entire day, sometimes even waking him at night.
Over the previous year, the boy’s health continued to decline, and he became less able to engage in normal activities that he had previously enjoyed. In response, his parents had taken him to a pediatric neurologist-headache specialist, an allergist, a nutritionist, and a psychologist. Recommendations and medications from the medical health practitioners gave little or no relief to the boy.
A chiropractic examination and x-rays were performed, and revealed subluxations with cervical curve changes in the neck area. Chiropractic care was initiated with the child initially being seen three times per week and gradually reduced in frequency.
As a result of the chiropractic care, the child’s headaches were alleviated and post x-rays showed an improvement of the neck curvature. The boy was involved in an auto accident later in his care. Fortunately, his headaches did not return, and he suffered no ill effects from the incident.
In the discussion area of the study, the authors conclude by stating, “It seems that evidence points to the cervical spine and it’s alignment as a critical factor in the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of cervicogenic headache in the pediatric population.”
A study published in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research on August 29, 2011 documents a case of chiropractic helping a patient suffering with depression, anxiety and pain. The study notes that the patient had multiple health issues, and that correction of vertebral subluxations under chiropractic care allowed the patient to show significant improvements in many areas.
According to the study, mood disorders, such as depression, affect about 16% of the population, and according to the World Health Organization, is the fourth leading contributor to the global burden of disease. Currently, the most common medical treatment is drugs which the study notes are at best only 50% effective in helping treat the symptoms of depression.
In this case, a 58-year-old man went to the chiropractor with primary complaints of long-standing, left shoulder pain that went down his left arm and between his shoulder blades. The man reported that he had never had this type of pain, and that it was getting progressively worse.
The man’s history showed that he had two severe car accidents requiring hospitalization and one required knee replacement and facial surgery. He had been medically diagnosed with high cholesterol, depression, and anxiety and was on pain medication, anxiety medication, and high cholesterol medication for the previous ten years.
A chiropractic examination consisting of palpation, range of motion, postural analysis, ands nerve testing was conducted, and each showed positive findings for vertebral subluxation. The study noted that subluxations “…can lead to a myriad of physiological changes.” The author continued by reporting, “These physiological changes can cause many symptoms over time and influence health negatively.”
Chiropractic care was initiated at a rate of three visits per week with a total of 39 visits over a 3 month period. Specific spinal adjustments were given based upon the findings during care. After the initial three months, a reassessment was performed in which the man self-reported that he was feeling better. He noted that he had only a little shoulder or neck pain remaining at that time.
The man also reported that he felt happy for the first time in about ten years. Specific diagnostic questionnaires were given to measure depression and anxiety at both the initiation of care, and at the time of the follow-up. Each of these specific tests showed a marked improvement in their scores, a fact that was reinforced by the patient’s own perception of his well being. The study reported that the patient stopped taking his pain medication and initiated discussions with his MD to work toward discontinuing all his medications.
Expert horse trainer, competitive rider, and the performance editor for the publication Horse Journal, John Strassburger, wrote an article in the August 23, 2011 issue of Horse Journal explaining why he believes in chiropractic for himself and his horses.
In the article, Strassburger begins by saying, “I’ve been meaning to write about why I’m a big fan of chiropractic treatment for horses and for humans for a while.” He notes that he has been under chiropractic care for some time and goes to see his chiropractor every 4 to 8 weeks. He also has an equine chiropractor come to see his horses every 4 to 6 weeks. He reports, “Our horses have been her (Suzanne, his equine chiropractor) patients for about three years.”
In the article, Strassburger offers his testimony of how chiropractic has helped by stating, “I truly believe, based on my observations of my own body and those of well more than a dozen horses, that using chiropractic treatment is an example of how traditional and non-traditional medicine (including chiropractic) should be complementary. Every horse Suzanne has worked on has felt better and, thus, performed better, and I can think of four horses with whom it’s caused tremendous improvement.”
In the course of writing the article, he also explains his own story with chiropractic by saying, “I’ve fallen off dozens and dozens of times over the last 45 years, and many of those falls have wrenched my neck. The only thing Western medicine has to offer is a wide range of inflammation-reducing and pain-relieving drugs. Again, from experience, I know that those drugs certainly do have their uses, but I don’t really care to live on them. But a visit to my chiropractor never fails to relieve the pain in my neck-and it’s my neck that’s the reason why I’m going again this afternoon.”
John Strassburger completes his article with the story of a horse named Bill, a 2-year-old warmblood gelding. Strassburger was having trouble training Bill as the horse would rear backwards with certain maneuvers suggesting that Bill was experiencing neck pain. Strassburger had the equine chiropractor work on the horse and the results were dramatic. The horse can now perform many of the maneuvers that Strassburger was trying to teach him. Strassburger reports, “Bill’s now had two treatments, and-I swear-he’s almost like a different horse. He’s far more relaxed and confident (he hasn’t reared back on the crossties since his first treatment) and he’s now longeing, in tack, at all three gaits.”
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