July 2019

• Resolution of Premature Ventricular Contractions after Undergoing Chiropractic Care
• Breastfeeding Difficulties Resolved with Chiropractic Care
• Resolution of Brachial Plexus Palsy from Birth Trauma Following Chiropractic
• Low Back Pain and Placenta Previa Resolved Under Chiropractic
• Resolution of Chronic Headaches, Improved Sociability, Health & Physical Behavior in a Child with Autism, ADHD and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Following Chiropractic
• Improvement in Behavior and Attention in a Young Girl with ADHD Receiving Chiropractic

A case series was published on June 24, 2019, in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research which documented the resolution of two cases of premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) in patients who underwent chiropractic care. This study involved two cases of women who had PVCs and were helped by chiropractic care solely, and did not include any other therapies or treatments.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, "Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) are extra heartbeats that begin in one of your heart's two lower pumping chambers (ventricles). These extra beats disrupt your regular heart rhythm, sometimes causing you to feel a fluttering or a skipped beat in your chest."  

This study describes the symptoms of PVCs by stating, "Some common symptoms include: chest fluttering, feeling of "skipped" or "extra" heartbeat, dizziness, pulsing sensation in the neck, and an overall awareness of the heartbeat."  They go on to note that PVCs are usually diagnosed during an electrocardiography, or ECG.

The first of the two cases involved a 26-year-old woman who presented herself for chiropractic care with complaints of daily headaches, TMJ, neck pain, midback pain, bilateral wrist pain, shortness of breath with rib pain, irregular heartbeats, lower back pain, hip and knee pain. The woman had been suffering with these issues for the past two years.

In addition to a normal chiropractic examination, the woman's exam included infrared thermography, as well as both static and motion spinal x-rays (videofluoroscopy). The results of the examination revealed the presence of multiple areas of vertebral subluxations. Based upon this finding, specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were started. The study records that, "There were no nutritional, exercise, physiotherapy, or lifestyle modifications incorporated; she only received chiropractic care."

The results in the first case documented that after her first adjustment, the woman felt quite a bit better and noticed an improvement in the irregular heartbeats as well as her other complaints. Five days after her first adjustment, the woman stated that she no longer was dealing with the irregular heart beats that she had been experiencing daily for the prior two years. The study recorded that after the woman's ninth visit, "Her headaches were 90% better; TMJ had improved to 80% and no longer requiring the use of a splint; neck pain 95%, mid back pain 70%, bilateral wrist pain 99%, shortness of breath with rib component 75%, lower back pain 100%, hip pain 95%, and knee pain 90% better."

In the second case, a 72-year-old woman, after having suffered a stroke, was experiencing PVCs for 15 months. The woman also was suffering with headaches, neck pain, and lower back pain. In this case, similar examination and x-rays procedures were used resulting in the determination that subluxations were present in her spine. As a result, specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were performed to address the subluxations.

In this woman's case, the study noted that after her first visit, she was no longer experiencing any PVCs. Additionally, after the woman's ninth visit, she reported a complete resolution of her headaches, neck pain, and lower back pain, and went on to state, "I am feeling much better and can enjoy life to the fullest again."

In their conclusion, the authors of this study stated, "This case series demonstrated improvement in the autonomic nervous system of two female patients while undergoing chiropractic care, therefore resulting in improvement and/or resolution of the PVC’s and other symptomatology."

Top

On June 17, 2019, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a case study documenting the resolutions with chiropractic of a number of issues that resulted in an infant's inability to breastfeed. The advantages of breastfeeding to both the baby and the mother have been well documented and are generally accepted as the best course of feeding for infants in the first months of life.

The study begins by noting the importance of breastfeeding by stating, "The World Health Organization recommends that mothers exclusively breastfeed infants for the first six months of the child’s life to help them achieve optimal growth, health, and development." 

In this case, a 4-day-old infant boy was brought to the chiropractor by his grandmother and mother. It was reported that the baby's mother was concerned that her son was unable to latch onto her breast to feed, even with the assistance of a nipple shield. The history revealed that the boy was born vaginally at 38 weeks and 5 days gestation after a 24-hour labor. The birth was induced at the hospital 9 days early due to an amniotic fluid leak and the presence of a Strep B positive test.

Immediately after the birth, a lactation consultant was brought in to attempt to get the infant latch on to mother’s breast within the first hour of birth. These attempts were unsuccessful. Over the next several days, the mother and the lactation consultant were unable to get the infant boy to latch onto his mother's breast to properly feed.

When the infant was brought to the chiropractor four days after his birth, a chiropractic evaluation was performed to determine if subluxations were present. With the consent of the mother, age appropriate specific adjustments were started to address the subluxations that were determined to be present. 

The study records that immediately after the first adjustment, the infant appeared relaxed and asleep. Two days after the first adjustment, the mother returned with her infant son and reported that since the first adjustment, her son had exclusively nursed on the mother’s breast using a nipple shield for the first time. She also noted that her baby had a better range of neck motion and was able to turn his head better than before in both directions.

Upon returning to the chiropractor seven days later, the mother reported that her son was exclusively feeding from her breast  with the aid of a nipple shield. Upon returning 14 days after starting chiropractic, the mother stated that there was complete resolution of all presenting complaints, and her son was able to latch onto either breast with no discomfort for the mother or baby.

Top

The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a case study on May 30, 2019, documenting the resolution of Brachial Plexus Palsy in an infant who had the condition from birth. The authors of the study report that neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP) affects between 0.4 and 2.6 percent of infants born in the United States.

Medline of the U.S. National Library of Medicine describes this situation, "The brachial plexus is a group of nerves around shoulder. A loss of movement or weakness of the arm may occur if these nerves are damaged. This injury is called neonatal brachial plexus palsy (NBPP)." They further note, "The nerves of the brachial plexus can be affected by compression inside the mother's womb and during a difficult delivery."

In this case, a 14-day-old male infant was brought to the chiropractor by his parents. The infant’s right arm was limp and practically non-functional. It was reported that the infant was born via a difficult cesarean section in which the parents describe that "a lot of tugging" was involved. The hospital staff informed the parents that their baby’s left arm was pulled during the delivery, not his right arm. Due to the awareness of trauma during the birth, x-rays were taken to look for fractures or dislocations. The results of all images were determined to be normal.

Upon examination, it was noted that the infant’s right arm was weaker with less muscle tone as compared to his left. When sitting in a car seat, the baby’s right arm would just hang by his side. When his right arm was moved, it appeared to be much weaker than the left, cause the baby pain and he would cry. Palpation of the infant’s spine led to the determination that a subluxation of the top bone in the neck, the atlas vertebrae, was present.

A specific and age appropriate adjustment was applied to the infant’s neck at the atlas. Immediately, and to the astonishment of the parents, muscle tone began to return to their baby’s right arm. The baby was brought back to the chiropractor two days later at which time 90% of his muscle tone had returned. A second chiropractic adjustment was applied at that time. Four days later, the child was again brought back to the chiropractor and it was reported that the infant had regained 100% function in his right arm.

In the conclusion to this study, the authors wrote, "This case report provides supporting evidence that infants presenting with brachial plexus injury due to birth trauma may benefit from chiropractic care."

Top

On May 27, 2019, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a documented case study of a pregnant woman who was suffering with lower back pain and Placenta Previa being helped by chiropractic.

The placenta is the structure that grows inside an expecting mother’s womb that provides oxygen and nutrition and removes wastes from the developing fetus. According to the Mayo clinic website, "Placenta previa occurs when a baby's placenta partially or totally covers the mother's cervix — the outlet for the uterus. Placenta previa can cause severe bleeding during pregnancy and delivery." Placenta previa occurs in about 1 in 200 pregnancies.

In this case, a 24-year-old woman in her 12th week of pregnancy went to the chiropractor because of lower back pain. She had also been medically diagnosed the week before with placenta previa. The woman reported that her back pain had gradually gotten worse over the past four weeks with no way to relieve the pain. The pain was affecting her daily activity and was aggravated when she would try to pick up her 2-year-old son. The pain had gotten to the point where it was impacting her daily activity and chores.

The woman was able to specifically identify the point of pain as being directly over the right sacroiliac (SI) joint. She rated the pain as a 6 out of 10, (10 is the worst), and noted that the pain got worse as the day went on until it was causing problems with her sleep. She did not receive any medical care for this issue, but she did use some essential oils to no avail. This was her first experience with chiropractic care.

An examination was performed which included a postural analysis, several orthopedic tests, palpation of the spine and surrounding musculature, testing of the spinal ranges of motion and a surface electromyographic (sEMG) examination. From the examination, it was determined that multiple areas of subluxation were present in the woman’s neck and pelvis.

The woman began receiving chiropractic adjustments at the rate of 3 visits per week. After the first week of chiropractic care, the woman reported that almost all of her lower back pain had gone. After 4 weeks of care, she reported that she no longer had any lower back pain. In addition, the woman’s OB/Gyn, using ultrasound imaging, had determined that her placenta previa had resolved. Based upon the good results, the woman elected to continue chiropractic care on a weekly basis for the remainder of her pregnancy.

The authors of this study note that there are some medical opinions that suggest that chiropractic care is contraindicated in women with placenta previa. The authors challenge this assertion citing various other medical opinions and the results of this study. "This case report provides supporting evidence to challenge the notion that placenta previa is an absolute contraindication to chiropractic care." They go on to state, "Chiropractic care may be effective and beneficial for pregnant women with low back pain and placenta previa."

Top

The title above is from a study published in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health on June 13, 2019, that documented the improvement under chiropractic care of a child who was suffering with migraine headaches in addition to also having been diagnosed with autism and ADHD.

According to the National Institutes of Mental Health, "Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disorder that affects communication and behavior. Although autism can be diagnosed at any age, it is said to be a “developmental disorder” because symptoms generally appear in the first two years of life." 

The American Psychiatric Association's diagnostic guide, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5), states that people with ADS generally have three components. Those are: 1. Difficulty with communication and interaction with other people, 2. Restricted interests and repetitive behaviors, 3. Symptoms that hurt the person’s ability to function properly in school, work, and other areas of life. In the U.S., it is estimated that 1 in 68 children are identified as autistic. Internationally, the number is lower with 1 in 132 having autism worldwide.

In this case, an 11-year-old by was brought to the chiropractor by his parents. The boy's chief health complaint was sharp, burning and fast headache attacks would only last for a second.  These headaches would occur about 30 times per day and would appear through different parts of the boy's head. His headaches began between 8 and 10 months prior and were now affecting his daily activity and quality of life.

The boy had been taken to a number of medical specialists who had run a variety of medical and imaging tests. All the tests came back normal. The boy had also medically diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD), Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), and Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD).

A chiropractic examination was performed which consisted of physical inspection, palpation, orthopedic testing, thermographic heat studies and spinal x-rays. Based on the findings of the examinations, it was determined that the boy had multiple areas of subluxations. With the consent of the parents, specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were started on the boy at the initial rate of 2 times per week.

The study reports that the boy's headaches improved as chiropractic care continued. Additionally, specific autism tests know as the Autism Treatment Evaluation Checklist or ATEC were done to monitor any change in his autism issues. The results of the various parts of the ATEC showed that there was improvements in the subscales of sociability, and health/physical behavior, as well as an overall improvement in the total ATEC score.

The researchers also used a specific questionnaire that scores the parent's quality of life. Many studies have shown that a caregiver to an autistic person suffers greatly and has a significant decrease in their quality of life. This study showed that in this case, the actual quality of life of the parent improved significantly as their child underwent chiropractic care.

In their conclusion the authors highlighted the results by saying, "This case report provides supporting evidence on the positive outcomes of chiropractic care for children with autism. We also brought to the forefront parental satisfaction with a child’s chiropractic care and the compromised QoL of a parent caring for a child with autism.

Top

Published in the June 2019 issue of the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics is a case study documenting the improvement under chiropractic care of behavior and attention in a child diagnosed with ADHD. The study defines ADHD with "Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) is a complex pattern of persistent inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsiveness that can interfere normal functioning or development."

According to the Institute for Health Metrics and Evaluation's  Global Burden of Disease Study (GBD), 26 million children and adolescents have ADHD. The study authors point out that the stimulants Ritalin and Dexamphetamine have been common medical treatment for ADHD for years. The study notes that while these drugs may yield short-term success in managing the symptoms of ADHD, they do not address the cause of the problems.

The study also addresses the usage of non-medical approaches to ADHD by stating, "Current non-pharmaceutical treatments for ADHD, including behavioral therapies, educational therapies, family counseling, and dietary or nutritional intervention, have exhibited varying degrees of success, though none stand out as significantly more effective than others."

In this case, a 7-year old girl with anxiety, sleep disturbances, learning difficulties and behavioral issues was brought to a chiropractor for evaluation. Her history revealed a difficult birth requiring forceps to be used, and a fall at 22 month of age that require medical attention. Her sleep disturbance was that she was unable to fall asleep. Her anxiety was explained to be that she believed she was being bullied at school. Due to her shortened attention span, the girl had difficulties learning in school .She was medically diagnosed at age seven with ADHD by a general practitioner and pediatrician, who prescribed Ritalin.

A chiropractic examination was performed which resulted in the diagnosis of subluxations being present in the girl's spine. With the consent of a parent, chiropractic care was started on the girl at the initial rate of one visit per week.

The study reports the outcome of the chiropractic care by stating, "Over the course of chiropractic care the child demonstrated reduction in symptoms associated with ADHD, was less anxious and had improved sleep patterns."  The changes to the girl's sleep pattern and behavior was noticed after just the second chiropractic adjustment.  The parents also reported that by the third visit, their daughter was able to better concentrate, and by the fourth visit, the girl was able to have a successful sleepover for the first time in her life.

The study authors explain the chiropractic approach for children in general by saying, "Chiropractic care for the pediatric population has grown in acceptance. Parents regularly choose chiropractic care to help manage common childhood conditions. Chiropractic care aims to optimize health and wellbeing through the enhancement of the nervous system function by removing nerve interference caused by vertebral subluxation."

In their conclusion they note, "Chiropractic care focused on the correction of vertebral subluxation, was associated with improvements in the child’s presenting symptoms associated with ADHD."

Top