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Newsletter Articles
July 2024

• Nagging Sacroiliac Pain and Abnormal Posture Helped with Chiropractic
• Chiropractic Care Helps Toddler with Numerous Neurological Dysfunctions
• Improvements in Anxiety and Suicidal Inclinations in a Young Girl Undergoing Chiropractic
• Chiropractic Helps Baby Boy with Digestive, Sleep, and Mood Issues

Nagging Sacroiliac Pain and Abnormal Posture Helped with Chiropractic

The Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published the results of a case study on June 17, 2024, documenting the improvement is postural irregularities and nagging sacroiliac pain with chiropractic care. The sacroiliac joints, often called the "SI" joints, are the joints where the two hip bones (ilium) come together with the base bone of the spine (sacrum).

This study begins by noting that, "Low back pain problems are one of the most prevalent health care challenges in the United States. For working adults, low back pain is the most common ailment causing disability for men and women less than 45 years old."

In this case, a 54-year-old man went to the chiropractor to see if he could get help for his chronic low back pain. The man reported that he was having long-standing nagging pain in his right sacroiliac joint that did not run down his leg. The man was a TSA officer and his job required that he stand on his feet all day, which made the problem worse.

The first part of the man's chiropractic examination involved a postural analysis. This showed that the man's head was in a more forward position than is normal. It was also noticed that his spine showed a deviation curvature in the middle back area when viewed from behind. Leg length analysis showed that the legs were not even in length, even though they were both the same anatomical length. Spinal x-rays documented the lower back curvature issues and postural abnormalities.

Based on the information from the examination, specific forms of chiropractic care were started and continued over a 16-week period. The care was focused on correcting subluxations and making changes to the postural irregularities found during the examination and confirmed on x-rays. The man was seen twice a week for the first four weeks followed by weekly visits for the next eleven weeks.

The study recorded that after the man's fifth chiropractic visit, he was no longer having any pain, even when standing for more than four hours. Follow-up x-rays were taken after his 20th visit. These x-rays confirmed that his postural and spinal anomalies had measurably improved.

In their conclusion, the authors pointed out the effect that posture and subluxation can have on the central nervous system (CNS) and the peripheral nervous system (PNS). "Abnormal postures and subluxations of the spine can potentially lead to impairment of blood flow and delivery of nutrients through the spinal cord consequently causing neural dysfunction in the CNS and PNS."

Chiropractic Care Helps Toddler with Numerous Neurological Dysfunctions

On July 1, 2024, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health Chiropractic published the results of a case that documented a toddler's improvement, with chiropractic, of a variety of neurological issues and developmental delays.

The study begins by explaining, "Developmental delay occurs when a child does not achieve developmental milestones in comparison to children of the same age." Another measure of delayed development is the retention of "primitive reflexes." These are reflexes that are present before birth and start to disappear in the weeks and months after birth. If these reflexes remain present, it is considered a form of developmental delay.

In this case, a 3-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor for help with a variety of developmental issues. Those issues included delayed speech, sleep disturbances with frequent nighttime awakenings, lack of eye contact, vomiting and reflux, and picky eating habits where she would only eat certain foods.

The history revealed that the child was born to a mother that suffered from gestational diabetes during pregnancy. This led to complications which necessitated a C-section delivery at just over 39 weeks of pregnancy. The baby had difficulties in breastfeeding and later had delays in sitting, crawling and walking.

The examination showed a decrease in facial tone on the left side along with a noticeable left head tilt. Overall, the girl had low muscle tone and was observed to be walking on her toes. It was also noted that her eye movements were abnormal. The examination also showed that a number of the primitive reflexes were still present well beyond the time when they should have disappeared.

Specific age-appropriate forms of chiropractic adjustments were started to address the subluxations that were found to be present in the girl's spine. Additionally, several forms of sensory integration therapies, speech therapy, and auditory stimulation were also a part of the multidisciplinary approach in this case.

Over time, the girl showed multiple area of improvement due to her care. This included significant speech improvements. Initially, the girl was only able to speak 15-20 words and was not able to create a single sentence. After care, she could maintain and initiate conversations.

The girl's emotional regulation and sleep routines improved to where she could sleep for 8-9 hours in a single night. Additionally, her motor coordination improved as did her ability to maintain eye contact. Also, her digestive issues and picky food preferences both improved.

Improvements in Anxiety and Suicidal Inclinations in a Young Girl Undergoing Chiropractic

The Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal published the results of a case study on June 27, 2024, that documented the dramatic improvement with chiropractic of a young girl who was suffering with severe anxiety, and who had suicidal inclinations.

The authors of this study begin by noting how common mental health issues are in the adolescent population, and why chiropractic can play an important role. "Current statistics indicate that one in seven adolescents aged between 10 and 17 suffer from a mental health condition, and suicide is the fourth leading cause of death in 15-29-year-olds. This statistic alone provides a solid impetus to understand how Chiropractic care may support adolescents undergoing mental health challenges or distress."

In this case, a 14-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor for the first time to see if she could be helped with her severe anxiety disorder with suicidal ideation. The girl was initially diagnosed with anxiety at the age of five. When she reached puberty, she began having suicidal thoughts. The girl also suffered with developmental apraxia, a condition which makes it difficult and frustrating to speak. The girl was also having trouble in school and had been mandated to enroll in counselling since the fifth grade.

A chiropractic examination was performed which determined the presence of vertebral subluxations and ligament instability in her neck. Due to the girl's severe anxiety and fear of being touched, an intensive course of light-force chiropractic care was chosen where the girl would receive a high number of gentle chiropractic adjustments concentrated into a five-day period. The care was focused toward correcting the underlying subluxations that were determined to be present.

The results of the chiropractic care were profoundly positive. Approximately four weeks following her week-long chiropractic program, the girl had the opportunity to address her parents and church congregation. From the stage, the young girl told the congregation that she no longer had any urges or inclinations to end her life.

The girl's mother also reported significant decreases in her daughter's anxiety. The mother noted that her daughter could now participate in normal activities, such as talking and socializing with adults as well as assisting in her church's daycare program. Her mother reported significantly fewer mood swings and that her daughter was sleeping much better. The girl had also lost her fear of having any physical contact with another person.

In the discussion of the results of this case the authors added perspective by stating, "This case adds to the growing body of case report evidence supporting Chiropractic care's positive mental health impact. The patient received 104 specific and gentle Chiropractic adjustments focused on correcting subluxation in the spine to enhance the overall function of the central nervous system."

Chiropractic Helps Baby Boy with Digestive, Sleep, and Mood Issues

On June 27, 2024, the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal published the results of a case study documenting a baby boy's improvement with issues of sleep, muscle strength, mood, and digestion. Chiropractic care for infants and babies has become more widespread over the past several years.

The authors of this study begin by explaining the need for chiropractic care for infants by saying, "While the uninformed may assume there is no need for Chiropractic care in an infant, the plethora of data available in case reports shows there is cause for further investigation as supporting infant neurodevelopment and nervous system optimization [sp] is important during this time of neuronal proliferation and growth."

In this case, an 8-month-old baby boy was brought to the chiropractor by his mother. She reported that her son suffered from severe gagging and vomiting with soft foods that she had introduced just six weeks earlier. The boy could tolerate firmer foods, but he would gag on soft foods and rejected spoon feeding. The baby was having trouble sleeping and was hypersensitive to being touched.

A chiropractic examination was performed, and a chiropractic care plan was created. Initially, the baby boy was to be adjusted for subluxations twice weekly for four weeks, and then once per week for two weeks.

After the initial eight visits, the parents reported that their son seemed much happier. His gag reflex seemed to be closer to normal and the baby was no longer spitting up or vomiting since the first week of his care. Overall, the parents reported that their baby boy improved with sleeping patterns, his crawling and walking ability, his coordination and balance, and he looked more relaxed and was moving better.

In the discussion portion of this study, the authors summed up the results of this case by commenting, "This case details the care plan and outcomes of an infant receiving Chiropractic care for sleep issues, digestion and feeding, muscle strength, and general discontentedness. Notable improvements were reported by the mother of the infant, with his ability to eat safely, sleep quantity, mood, and overall quality of life for both the mother and child."

In the study's conclusion, the authors added, "This case highlights the broad benefits Chiropractic care can have beyond 'pain and movement' especially in the very young. As we work with optimizing nervous system function across the lifespan through Chiropractic care a person's resilience and adaptability can and does improve. This case is evidence of the profound impact Chiropractic care can have on well-being concerns in infants."