June 2021

• Resolution of Vertigo and Restored Hearing with Chiropractic in Patient with Meniere’s Disease
• Chiropractic Adjustments Improve Motor Function in People with Stroke According to Study
• Resolution of Breastfeeding Difficulties and Weight Gain for Infant Following Chiropractic
• Chronic Otitis Media and Hearing Loss Improved Under Chiropractic Care

The Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published the results of a case study on May 10, 2021, documenting the case of a patient suffering from Meniere's disease who regained hearing and had a resolution of dizziness with chiropractic care.

According to the U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders, "Ménière’s disease is a disorder of the inner ear that causes severe dizziness (vertigo), ringing in the ears (tinnitus), hearing loss, and a feeling of fullness or congestion in the ear. Ménière’s disease usually affects only one ear."

NIH continued, "Ménière’s disease can develop at any age, but it is more likely to happen to adults between 40 and 60 years of age. The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD) estimates that approximately 615,000 individuals in the United States are currently diagnosed with Ménière’s disease and that 45,500 cases are newly diagnosed each year."

In this case, a 51-year-old woman sought chiropractic care for help with her Ménière’s disease with severe vertigo. Her history involved multiple instances of trauma and injury. At age 7, she had a bicycle injury where she flipped over the handlebars and landed on her face. She was involved in several car accidents and fell off a treadmill hitting her head on a concrete wall. She later developed ringing in her ears followed by intermittent hearing loss in both ears, sometimes going completely deaf.

In addition to her hearing issues, the woman also suffered from occasional migraines, allergy related sinus headaches, neck pain and stiffness, mid and lower back pain, anxiety, insomnia, chronic fatigue, digestive problems, and restless leg syndrome. She had been an active mother of three grown children, but her conditions had worsened to the point where she was currently on disability.

The woman underwent surgery in her upper spine as it was medically thought that a deformation of her upper spine was the cause of her issues. Although she did receive some relief, the surgical solution only gave her about six months of help before most of her issues returned. After this, she decided to try chiropractic.

A chiropractic examination was performed along with specific spinal x-rays, spinal thermography and relative leg length analysis. Specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were given to address the subluxations that were determined to be present.

This study reports that after the first adjustment, the patient no longer suffered with vertigo and was improved on every level. Her hearing was restored and the ringing in her ears had resolved to where she only had an occasional humming sound.

The author of this study concluded by summing up this case. "51-year-old woman suffering from Meniere’s Disease and post failed craniectomy experienced positive health outcomes following chiropractic care."

A study published on May 21, 2021, in the journal Brain Science showed that people who had suffered stroke had improved motor function after 4 weeks when chiropractic was added to their regime of physical therapy. The journal Brain Science is one of the scientific journals published by the Multidisciplinary Digital Publishing Institute (MDPI) based in Basel, Switzerland.

The multiple authors of this study begin by noting the impact that stroke can have on an individual’s quality of life. "Stroke can result in persistent impairments of structure and function, which can lead to limitations of activity and a negative impact on quality of life. Due to long term disability, many stroke survivors are dependent on their caregivers for assistance with activities of daily life, such as dressing, bathing, and toileting, which imposes an additional burden on society. Regaining lost motor function is critical to post-stroke recovery."

In explaining the reason for studying chiropractic care for stroke victims, the authors explain, "Chiropractic care has the potential to facilitate motor recovery in stroke survivors due to its influence on the central nervous system. Chiropractic care constitutes a holistic approach to health, with a focus on the identification and correction of central segmental motor control (CSMC) problems that chiropractors often call vertebral subluxations."

This study was a randomized controlled trial conducted at the Rehabilitation Center of Railway General Hospital, Rawalpindi, Pakistan. The patients in this study were from the Railway General Hospital database who had experienced a stroke at least 12 weeks prior to participation in this study. All participants had completed a rehabilitative program at the hospital.

Participants were all measured for motor function prior to the study so that subsequent tests could determine if there was a change. The participants were divided into two groups. One group received physical therapy plus chiropractic adjustments, while the other group received physical therapy and sham chiropractic. Sham chiropractic is when a procedure is done that seems like a chiropractic adjustment, but no actual adjustment is given.

These two groups were then compared for motor function after four weeks of the care. The motor function analysis was measured using the Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale, which is a highly reliable and valid performance-based impairment scale that is used to measure recovery after a stroke.

Fifty-five participants completed the 4-week assessment. There were no adverse events or reports of harm to any of the participants during the study.

The results showed that there was a "statistically significant" improvement in motor function as measured by the Fugl-Meyer Assessment scale, in the group that received chiropractic care with physical therapy, compared to the group that got physical therapy and the sham or fake chiropractic adjustments.

The authors of the study wrote in their conclusion, "Improvements in motor function were observed when chiropractic care was added to 4 weeks of physical therapy care in people with subacute or chronic stroke. These improvements were statistically significant and a post-hoc responder analysis suggested they were also likely to be clinically significant. Chiropractic spinal adjustments may therefore be beneficial for people with motor impairments associated with subacute or chronic stroke."

The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published the results of a case study on June 1, 2021, documenting the improvement under chiropractic care of an infant who was having breastfeeding difficulties and was not gaining weight.

The benefits of breastfeeding have been well documented. The study begins by pointing out the importance of breastfeeding, "Significant health benefits are not only afforded to the infant but also to their mothers in a dose-response manner." When there is a breastfeeding problem, the authors point out, "Breastfeeding difficulties includes a wide range of different biological, psychological, and social factors. For the infant, breastfeeding difficulties is associated with failure to thrive."

In this case, the parents of a nine-day-old infant girl brought their daughter in to the chiropractor to see if they could get help with their baby’s breastfeeding problems. The infant was born via cesarean delivery after a failed and traumatic attempt at natural childbirth. The mother and infant had to remain in the hospital for several days because the infant’s suffered a weight loss of 11% from her initial baseline weight. A lactation specialist was consulted and described the infant’s latch pattern as disorganized.

A chiropractic examination appropriate for the infant’s age and size was performed. With the consent of the girl’s mother, specific chiropractic adjustments were then initiated. Immediately following the infant’s first chiropractic adjustments, the mother was asked to attempt to breastfeed her daughter. The breastfeeding was successful as the infant was able to latch on properly and the mother did not experience any pain that she was having on prior attempts to breastfeed.

Over the next few weeks, the infant was given chiropractic adjustments. Each time, it was noted that breastfeeding became more comfortable. Subsequently, the girl began to latch more efficiently, and she gained weight according to her parents.

The study also recorded the benefits the girl’s mother received by her baby getting chiropractic. "Both parents expressed emotional relief with the reduction of pain for the mother while breastfeeding. The mother was especially relieved that she could heal from the Caesarean surgery without needing to focus on more pain while breastfeeding."

In their conclusion the authors wrote, "The chiropractic care of an infant with breastfeeding difficulties was described with successful outcomes. We support documentation of the benefits of chiropractic care in similar patients to inform clinical care and research."

On April 19, 2021, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health Chiropractic published the results of a case study documenting the improvement of hearing in a child who had been suffering from chronic otitis media with effusion.

The study begins by explaining that there are two types of otitis media. Acute otitis media (AOM) is a infection usually caused by bacteria and involves a rapid onset, ear pain, and red bulging tympanic membrane. Otitis media with effusion (OME), also called serous otitis media, is characterized by fluid in the middle ear without signs or symptoms of ear infection.

This study reports that OME is quite common affecting 90% of children some time before school age. They estimate that there are about 2.2. million diagnoses of OME every year in the United States, which costs the economy $4.0 billion. The study notes that many cases of OME are missed because there is usually no ear pain. Instead, these children may only have hearing loss, ear fullness, or difficulty performing in school. Typical medical treatment for OME is surgery with insertion of ear tubes.

In this case, a 10-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor by her parents. The girl had been suffering with complaints of hearing difficulty and feelings of ear pressure that had been occurring for over a year. Additionally, the infant girl had repeated ear infections that were treated with antibiotics.

At age 5, the girl failed a hearing test at school and was taken to an otolaryngologist, who diagnosed her with diagnosed with conductive hearing loss due to eustachian tube dysfunction and serous otitis media. She received ear surgery with insertion of ear tubes. At that time, her hearing was restored. However, five years later the girl again had hearing difficulties and was failing hearing tests. It was at this point that the girl’s parent brought her to a chiropractor.

A thorough chiropractic examination was performed including postural observation, spinal palpation, thermography, and spinal range of motion. It was determined that subluxations were present and specific forms of age-appropriate spinal adjustments were given. Initially, the girl was initially seen once per week for 18 weeks, after which her frequency was reduced to one visit every two weeks the next 6 weeks.

Initially, after the first visit, the girl complained that her adjustments were painful. However, on the second visit, she did not have the same response and no longer complained about getting adjusted. By the girl’s sixth visit, her mother reported she thought her daughter’s hearing was improving. The girl was then brought to an otolaryngologist who performed a hearing test and confirmed that the girl’s hearing had returned to normal.

In the conclusion of this study, the authors wrote, "The successful chiropractic care of a child with hearing loss associated with otitis media is described. Research has shown a relationship between otitis media, eustachian tube dysfunction, and vertebral subluxation. This study provides supporting evidence that children with similar complaints may benefit from chiropractic care."