Category: Breathing Difficulties

As people live longer than ever before, many assume that aging naturally brings decline — slower movement, loss of balance, and less energy. But research and real-life examples are showing a different story. This case report published on October 1, 2025, in the Asian Pacific Chiropractic Journal shares the inspiring experience of a 79-year-old woman who sought care to improve her sleep, energy, and overall vitality while discovering that age doesn’t have to mean losing her spark for life.

When she first began chiropractic care, the woman described poor sleep, low energy, brain fog, and problems with balance that had caused several falls. Though she had once been active, she had stopped exercising and was beginning to feel physically frail. Over time, her care focused on restoring proper movement and function throughout her body, helping her regain balance, confidence, and strength.

After just a few months, she noticed significant changes. Her sleep improved, her thinking became clearer, and she felt more energetic and positive. Her posture, coordination, and balance all showed measurable progress. Over the years that followed, she continued to report new gains — from better digestion and reduced anxiety to easier breathing and improved moods. By her early eighties, she was cycling 10 kilometers to and from her appointments each week, rain or shine.

Her experience highlights a powerful truth: our bodies are designed to adapt and heal, even later in life. Regular care aimed at correcting subluxations and improving nervous system and spinal function may help older adults maintain mobility, independence, and quality of life. Just as important, this patient’s growing confidence in her body encouraged her to stay active and engaged — creating a positive cycle of health and vitality.

This single case offers hope for many who want to age with strength and purpose. With the right kind of attention to body balance, movement, and overall well-being, older adults may find that their later years can be among the most active and fulfilling of their lives. Further research into this approach may help more people experience the same kind of healthy, confident aging that this patient achieved.

A study published in the 2023 third quarter issue of the Asian-Pacific Chiropractic Journal documented the successful results of a case study where chiropractic care helped an elderly woman with symptoms of long COVID-19. It should be noted that chiropractic is not a treatment for COVID. This study speaks to chiropractic as a means of addressing the symptoms associated with Long COVID.

On their website, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, (CDC) describes Long COVID by explaining, “Some people who have been infected with the virus that causes COVID-19 can experience long-term effects from their infection, known as Long COVID or Post-COVID Conditions (PCC). Long COVID is broadly defined as signs, symptoms, and conditions that continue or develop after acute COVID-19 infection.”

Although there is little literature about chiropractic and COVID, the U.S. Department of Veteran’s Affairs does list “Chiropractic Care” as a “Consults to Consider” in their August 1, 2022, booklet “Whole Health System Approach to Long – Patient-Aligned Care Team (PACT) Guide”.

In this case, a 79-year-old woman sought chiropractic care for her ongoing symptoms related to Long COVID. The woman had a long medical history of health issues and was therefore in a weakened state when afflicted with COVID-19 in December of 2022. Shortly after contracting COVID, the woman was hospitalized with pneumonia. She remained in the hospital for a month before she was finally released. Many of her COVID symptoms remained before going for chiropractic care three months later.

Her Long COVID symptoms included feeling shaky, dry mouth, labored breathing, itching, and fatigue. The woman also noted that since COVID she was experiencing severe memory impairment to the point where she no longer remembered how to write and had to learn this skill all over again. She reported that her worst problem was a sharp “razor blade” like feeling in the back of her throat.

After a chiropractic examination was performed, specific forms of chiropractic care were started. The woman reported some changes in how her throat felt after the first adjustment. By her fourth chiropractic visit, the woman reported that many of her symptoms had decreased. She noted that the sensation of razor blades in her throat were gone. As her care continued, most of her symptoms improved or stabilized. The study records that, as a result of chiropractic care, the woman could take a deep breath and her memory was starting to return.

The report does note that the woman did not see any improvement with her fatigue. The authors noted that one of her medications that she had been taking may be a factor with her fatigue, as fatigue is a direct side-effect of that particular medication.

At the writing of this case report, the woman had elected to continue chiropractic and was continuing to show improvement in all her non-fatigue related symptoms.

On June 22, 2023, the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine published the results of a case study showing that chiropractic care, in conjunction with dietary changes, significantly helped a patient who was suffering with severe sleep apnea.

The National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, a branch of the National Institute of Health, describes sleep apnea as “Sleep apnea is a common condition in which your breathing stops and restarts many times while you sleep. This can prevent your body from getting enough oxygen.”

There are two types of sleep apnea. The less common type, known as “central sleep apnea,” is when the brain fails to send signals needed to breathe properly during sleep. The much more common form of sleep apnea is known as “obstructive sleep apnea (OSA)”.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, “Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is characterized by episodes of complete collapse of the airway or partial collapse with an associated decrease in oxygen saturation or arousal from sleep. This disturbance results in fragmented, nonrestorative sleep. OSA has significant implications for cardiovascular health, mental illness, quality of life, and driving safety.” It is estimated that 18 million Americans have sleep apnea.

In this case study, a 42-year-old man presented himself for chiropractic care. At that time, he was suffering with obstructive sleep apnea with snoring. The man was diagnosed over five years earlier with OSA and had been using a CPAP machine, which he disliked using, for the past five years. A CPAP machine is designed to take in room air, filter and pressurize the air, then delivers it through a tube into a mask. The continuous flow of air is supposed to prevent the patient’s tongue, uvula and soft palate from shifting therefore stabilizing breathing and improving overall sleep quality.

Prior to chiropractic care, the man was averaging 55.4 breathing events per hour during his sleep. An examination was performed, and the man was started on chiropractic care in addition to specific mouth exercises and dietary changes designed to help him lose weight. The man was on a regular routine of his care for 90 days, after which a re-evaluation was performed to check his progress.

At the conclusion of the 90 days, the study reports that his OSA events had decreased during his sleep to only 3.4 events per hour. Additionally, the study also reports that the man’s posture had improved and he had lost 40 pounds.

Above is the title of an article which appeared in the January 30, 2019, issue of Specialty Medical Dialogs. The report was based upon a study published in the Journal of the Pediatric Infectious Diseases Society on January 17, 2019.

The Mayo Clinic website describes bronchiolitis by saying, “Bronchiolitis is a common lung infection in young children and infants. It causes inflammation and congestion in the small airways (bronchioles) of the lung. Bronchiolitis is almost always caused by a virus.” Recommended medical treatment does not involve antibiotics unless there is a secondary bacterial infection. Medical care is focused primarily to help if breathing is significantly hampered by the condition.

Antibiotics are used to treat bacterial infections and have no effect on viruses. In fact, they may be harmful to the child. An article in Medical News Today from 2011 stated the threat by saying, “Did you know that taking antibiotics when you or your child has a virus may do more harm than good? According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, where children are concerned, antibiotics are the most common cause of emergency department visits for adverse drug events.”

The inappropriate use of antibiotics has been well documented over the years. However, this most recent study suggests that the warnings have still gone unheeded. An article in Healio Pediatrics on this new study gave an overview of the findings by saying, “A quarter of children aged younger than 2 years with bronchiolitis who visited U.S. EDs between 2007 and 2015 received antibiotics, even though 70% of those patients had no bacterial coinfection.”

In the Healio article, Brett Burstein, MD, PhD, MPH, FRCPC, FAAP, and one of the study coauthors, commented on the study in Infectious Diseases in Children: “Bronchiolitis is a viral infection that does not respond to or require antibiotic treatment, and guidelines of the AAP (American Academy of Pediatrics), first published in 2006 and reiterated in 2014, recommend against the use of antibiotics for this illness. He continued, “Also, since 2013, reducing antibiotic prescribing for viral respiratory illness, including bronchiolitis, has become the top priority of the AAP’s Choosing Wisely national campaign. Despite these recommendations, we found that rates of antibiotic use did not decrease significantly in the decade following the guidelines.”

The Healio article concluded with, “So, in addition to overprescribing, inappropriate antibiotic selection must be addressed,” Burstein said. “Targeted interventions are necessary to translate these guidelines into practice, particularly among nonacademic hospitals, where most infants with bronchiolitis are evaluated and where the use of antibiotics was found to be higher.”