Chiropractic Helps Child with Autism, Acid Reflux, Headache, Seizures, and Vomiting
The scientific periodical the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published a study on September 12, 2013, documenting the case of a baby suffering from a long list of health issues who was helped by chiropractic. In this case, a 35-month-old girl was suffering from Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), which included symptoms of headaches, epilepsy, behavioral and developmental delay, acid reflux, sleep disturbances, and vomiting, before being brought to the chiropractor.
The
study authors define ASD by stating, "Autism is a condition
often characterized by a failure to bond, lack of social
interaction, avoidance of eye-to-eye contact, difficulties
in language development, and repetitive behaviors known as
'stimming' (self-stimulation)."
The study reports that the young girl was very anxious when entering the office but became more calm after a few minutes. The girl's history revealed that she was born prematurely at 28 weeks, weighing 2 pounds, 5 ounces. Also, she was in the NICU for six weeks and came home on oxygen with apnea sleep monitors. Her primary symptom was headaches which, according to the girl's father, caused her to rub her head often as if in pain. Seven months prior to the chiropractic visit, the girl had been diagnosed with autism with the associated problems of this condition. Two months before the chiropractic care, the girl had also suffered a seizure.
A chiropractic examination was performed that revealed severe tenderness over the spine in the girl's upper back and entire neck region. Reflexes were normal, but thermal studies confirmed autonomic nerve system disturbances in her upper mid-back and neck. As a result, a diagnosis of subluxations in the neck and upper back was made. Correction of the subluxations was subsequently initiated using specific adjusting procedures.
The authors report that ten days after the young girl's first adjustment, there was a notable decrease in head pain. It was noted that her posture had also improved. Her mother reported that her bowel movements had become much more regular, her daughter's behavior was much more "mellow," and that she had even been eating slightly better.
Twenty-four days after the onset of chiropractic care the girl's parents reported that her results were "incredible," noting that she made eye contact much more frequently and for prolonged periods of time. They also stated that instead of vomiting several times a day due to her acid reflux, she had only vomited a couple times throughout the week.
In a long term follow up at two hundred forty days after her first adjustment, the authors reported that most of her original symptoms were abated, and she had significantly more verbal communication ability.
In their discussion of the case, the authors quoted the girl's mother who stated that her daughter was, "...off all of her medications, she’s making improvements with her occupational therapists, speech therapists, even her pre-school teachers are noticing a big difference. I'm getting my little girl back – look, she’s making eye contact with me, and even starting to say a few words! She'll use her hands to do the motions to the Itsy Bitsy Spider song!"
as
well as the combination of drugs and alcohol. They found
that drug use is associated with a significant increase
in the risk of fatal crash, particularly when combined with
alcohol.
The
CDC states, "Each year in the United
States, at least 2 million people become infected with
bacteria that are resistant to antibiotics and at least
23,000 people die each year as a direct result of these
infections." The report also estimates that, "...in
the United States, antibiotic resistance adds $20 billion in
excess direct health care costs, with additional costs to
society for lost productivity as high as $35 billion a
year."
This
review noted that sixty percent of strokes occur due to an
abnormal amount of lipids (cholesterol and/or fat) in the
blood. Smoking, hypertension, obesity, cardiovascular
disease, types 1 & 2 diabetes, atrial fibrillation,
migraines, heavy drinking, infections, contraceptives, sleep
apnea, illicit drug use, and other factors also put a person
at higher risk for stroke. 
In this case, a 24-year-old woman went to the
chiropractor in her 37th week of her pregnancy. She
was seeking a natural childbirth but was suffering from
lower back pain, and leg pain. The woman's
obstetrician/gynecologist had diagnosed her as having a
breech pregnancy and had scheduled a Caesarean procedure for
the birth.
The
authors of the study report that compression of a nerve root
from disc herniations in the neck severe enough to cause
pain occurs in approximately 83.2 of every 100,000 persons.
Patients with herniated discs in the neck can have severe
neck and arm pain along with muscle weakness in the arms and
shoulders. The authors also emphasize that disc herniations
seen on MRI are common, and many people do not have pain or
symptoms of any kind. They report that, "One study
found that 63% of asymptomatic athletic males older than 40
years had protruding disks in the cervical spine." Most of
these have no pain.