Category: Bed Wetting

On November 4, 2024, the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published the results of a case study documenting the resolution of a case of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) after chiropractic care. The Merck Manual describes this condition by saying, “Benign paroxysmal positional vertigo (BPPV) is a common disorder causing short episodes of vertigo (a false sensation of moving or spinning) in response to changes in head position that stimulate the posterior semicircular canal of the inner ear.”

The author of this study begins by noting that while there is no difference in the incidence between male or female, vertigo is linked to increased age. He states, “Research has indicated that vertigo does not discriminate in gender but does have a higher prevalence with increased age. In several studies it has been noted the correlation between vertigo and age. As there was an increase in age there was an increased incidence of vertigo.”

In this case, a 75-year-old woman sought out chiropractic care for help with a variety of complaints. At that time, she was suffering with vertigo, aching and stiff neck muscles and throbbing pain in her lower back. On a scale of 0 to 10 with 10 being the worst, the woman rated her vertigo at 10 and her neck pain as a 7.

The woman reported that she started experiencing her problems after falling out of bed onto a concrete floor and landed on the left side of her head and jaw. She had seen an E.E.N.T. (ears, eyes, nose, throat) specialist where she was diagnosed with Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo and given medication.

Upon arrival at the chiropractic office, it was noted that she was walking slowly. She reported that normal house chores, or moving her head, or even sitting made her problems worse. Her vertigo episodes would last between 10 and 60 seconds. Resting was difficult as certain positions would make her feel like she was falling out of bed.

After a chiropractic examination, it was determined that multiple vertebral subluxations were present. With this finding, specific chiropractic adjustments were started to address the subluxations.

The study reports that after the woman’s sixth adjustment, she was no longer experiencing any symptoms of vertigo. Additionally, the study notes that her other symptoms had also resolved.

In this study’s conclusion, the author notes, “With a greater understanding of the mechanism of benign paroxysmal positional vertigo, chiropractors can better manage these patients who may be suffering from this disorder.” He continued, “Chiropractic care was shown to be beneficial to a patient with benign paroxysmal positional vertigo and cervical pain.”

On December 19, 2022, the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published the results of a case study documenting the successful resolution of Meniere’s disease and the restoration of hearing as well as improvement of a number of additional symptoms in a patient under chiropractic care.

The National Institute on Deafness and Other Communication Disorders (NIDCD), which is part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) of the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, defines Meniere’s Disease by saying, “Meniere’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. Meniere’s disease usually affects only one ear.”

The NIDCD notes that this condition currently affects approximately 615,000 individuals in the United States and that 45,500 new cases are diagnosed each year. The condition can occur at any age but is most common between 40 and 60 years of age.

In this case, a 59-year-old woman went to the chiropractor in hopes of getting help with a number of serious health issues. At that time, the woman was suffering with extreme vertigo, ringing in the ears (tinnitus), left ear hearing loss with a feeling of fullness in her left ear, as well as pressure in her head just behind her forehead that she described as a “fogginess in her brain.”

Her history revealed that three months prior she was at work when suddenly she had an extreme attack of vertigo that sent her to her knees. For the next three months the woman was unable to get out of bed or stand without assistance. Because of the severity of her condition, the woman was unable to work and lost her job. She also could not drive or exercise and all areas of her daily life were affected.

She went to an ENT medical specialist where she was diagnosed with Meniere’s Disease and was treated with oral steroids and a series of three steroid injections in her left ear. None of the medical care gave the woman any relief. As a last resort, the woman and her husband decided to see if chiropractic could help.

When the woman arrived at the chiropractic office, she was hunched over and needed her husband’s assistance to get around. A chiropractic examination and x-rays were performed. Based on the examination and x-rays, the chiropractor determined that a subluxation was present in the woman’s upper neck, specifically the first neck vertebrae known as the atlas. With this information, a specific form of a chiropractic adjustment was rendered in the woman’s neck to address the atlas subluxation.

The results of the chiropractic adjustment were instantaneous. After her first adjustment, the woman was able to get off the table all on her own and walk around the room without help. She was also now able to stand on one leg at a time with her eyes closed by herself without swaying.

Over the next ten weeks, the woman reported that her vertigo was gone, her hearing loss improved drastically, and she didn’t have the same fullness in her left ear. Her tinnitus reduced by 80%, and the brain fogginess went from continuous to only occasionally.

The study notes that the woman’s life was drastically changed as she was once again able to go swimming, go for long walks on the beach, perform daily household chores, resulting in a better mood and an overall significantly improved quality of life.

The results of a case study were published on February 6, 2020, in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research showing that chiropractic can even help a dog with disc herniation. Since dogs have a spine, they are susceptible to disc herniations like humans. Dachshunds are especially susceptible to this issue because of their long body shape suspended by a short set of legs at each end.

In humans, disc protrusion and herniations can lead to pain, numbness, tingling, and/or weakness in the extremities, pain in the buttocks, thigh or calf and can travel as far down the leg as the foot. Although the anatomy is somewhat different, dogs can suffer from disc herniations as well.

In this case a 7-year-old male Dachshund who was normally very active was slowing down and exhibiting signs of being in pain. The owner noticed that the dog’s gait had changed and that he began to yelp when jumping from a bed or other surface. His appetite also decreased, and he started to show less interest in treats that he was previously very excited to get.

His owner took him to a veterinarian who noted that his reflexes had diminished in his rear legs. The dog was prescribed anti-inflammatories, a steroid, and painkillers. A canine neurologist recommended an MRI which confirmed a herniated disc. The dog continued to get worse and cried throughout the night. He also started refusing all food. At this point, the canine neurologist agreed to refer the dog to an animal chiropractor.

After a chiropractic examination, it was determined that subluxations were present. The study defines subluxations as, “A subluxation is defined as a misalignment of a vertebra, in relation to the one above and below it. This causes a biomechanical change that in turn causes interference in the nervous system causing it to be unable to properly communicate with the different parts of the body”.

Chiropractic adjustments were started on the dog’s affected areas. It was observed that following the first adjustment, the dog walked better and gave a full body shake, which was something that he had previously been unable to do.

At the second visit to the chiropractor, the owner said that the dog seemed to be “totally back to normal.” The dog was taken back to the canine neurologist who stated that there was vast improvement, his hind leg reflexes were present, and he was eating normally. He had normal bladder and bowel movements.

It should be noted that the laws governing animals receiving chiropractic vary from state to state and jurisdiction. Some laws allow open access to chiropractors for animals while others require special certifications and a referral or partnership in care with a veterinarian.

In their conclusion the authors wrote, “This case report provides supporting evidence that the use of conservative chiropractic care to find and adjust subluxations can be beneficial to canines suffering from symptomatic lumbar disc herniation.”

On April 2, 2018, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a case study documenting the resolution of ear infections and nocturnal enuresis in a young girl who received chiropractic care. Nocturnal enuresis, more commonly known as bedwetting or nighttime incontinence, is when a child urinates in bed while sleeping, after the age when they should have been able to control their bladder.

The technical name for ear infections is otitis media. The study authors explain this condition by saying, “Otitis media is very common in children. Generally, it is referred to as acute otitis media (AOM) or otitis media with effusion. Otitis media is the most common reason that children, visit the doctor, take antibiotics, and have surgical procedures.”

Common medical treatment of bedwetting involves some form of behavioral modifications or rarely medications. However, otitis media is commonly treated with medications and surgery by the insertion of tympanostomy tubes into the ears.

In this case, a 12-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor by her mother. The girl’s primary health issues were recurring ear infections and bedwetting. A health history showed that the girl, who had been adopted at an early age, had been suffering with repeated ear infections almost since birth. She was born with low birth weight and was drug addicted at birth.

The girl underwent her first surgery to insert tympanostomy tubes at the age of two. Over the next ten years, the girl had five additional surgeries for insertion of the tympanostomy tubes as each previous attempt had only lasted for a short time. The most recent tubes only lasted two weeks before falling out. Her medical physicians wanted to schedule the girl for a seventh surgery when her mother decided to try chiropractic care. During this entire time, the girl was also suffering from nightly bedwetting which was starting to cause sleep difficulties.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included observation, a postural evaluation, spinal range of motions tests, spinal palpation, and functional leg length checks. A determination of the presence of spinal subluxations was made. Chiropractic care was recommended at the rate of three visits per week for the first three weeks with gradual reduction in frequency as care continued.

On each visit, the girl was monitored for changes in her ear infections or her bedwetting problem. After 11 visits, the girl reported that she had no symptoms of ear infections. The study also reports that the girl had a progressive decline in frequency of bedwetting as a result of her chiropractic care.

The authors of the study noted that the patient and her mother stated the effectiveness of chiropractic. The study notes, “The patient’s mother stated that prior to seeing a chiropractor the patient was having episodes of bed wetting every night and was constantly having ear infections. Since being under chiropractic care these conditions have stopped completely or have occurred noticeably less often.”

In their conclusion, the authors summed up the results of this case by saying, “This case demonstrates the health outcomes following chiropractic adjustment to resolve neurological interference and decrease symptoms of enuresis and otitis media.”

On June 19, 2017, a case study was published in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research documenting the correction of foot drop in a patient receiving chiropractic care. According to the Mayo clinic website, “Foot drop, sometimes called drop foot, is a general term for difficulty lifting the front part of the foot. If you have foot drop, you may drag the front of your foot on the ground when you walk. Foot drop isn’t a disease. Rather, foot drop is a sign of an underlying neurological, muscular or anatomical problem.”

The most common mechanism for foot drop is damage or entrapment of the peroneal nerve. This nerve is a branch that comes off the larger sciatic nerve and innervates the muscles in the front of the lower leg and foot. Damage to this nerve anywhere along the path from the origin at the lumbar spine down to the foot can result in symptoms of foot drop or a loss of sensation in the webbing of the toes.

Medical treatment for foot drop includes lightweight braces to support the foot, shoe inserts (orthotics), physical therapy, or even surgery. Braces or shoe inserts are designed to support the problem but can not help correct the cause. Physical therapy may help strengthen the muscles involved on a temporary basis. If a specific entrapment to the peroneal nerve is identified, surgery may be helpful.

In this case, a 24-year-old male weight lifter went to a college chiropractic clinic after he developed foot drop of unknown origin. He stated that he went to get out of the bed in the morning and had no strength in his lower right leg. He also described a mild tingling feeling on the front portion of his leg below his knee. When he lifted his right leg off the ground, his foot would point as he had no ability to raise the foot up to a normal position.

Upon testing the muscles of the leg, it was observed that the man had no strength in the muscles of the front of his lower leg. This would cause his foot to just fall. The muscles of the front of the leg are controlled by the peroneal nerve.

The patient received chiropractic adjustments to address subluxations of the spine and a misalignment observed in the right knee. The patient reported that after each chiropractic visit there was some improvement in this condition. Initially, the man noticed an increase in sensation to the areas that had a loss of sensation. By the fifth visit, he was able to start to bring his foot up again toward a more normal position. By the twelfth visit, there was complete resolution of his foot drop.

In their conclusion, the study authors summed up the results by saying, “In this particular case of insidious onset of foot drop, chiropractic care was shown to help in the complete resolution of signs and symptoms.”