Category: Flu Colds

A patient with Rheumatoid Arthritis was helped by chiropractic care according to a case study published on October 4, 2023, in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), “Rheumatoid arthritis, or RA, is an autoimmune and inflammatory disease, which means that your immune system attacks healthy cells in your body by mistake, causing inflammation (painful swelling) in the affected parts of the body. RA mainly attacks the joints, usually many joints at once.”

The authors of the study begin by noting that RA affects between 0.4-1.3% of the population of the industrialized world and is 2 to 3 times more common in women. They report that the hands and feet are most commonly affected with pain and swelling. The neck is also commonly involved in RA cases. The study points out that the typical medical care for RA is medications. However, they report that the effects of the medications are not only limited, but they come with a wide variety of serious side effects.

In this case, a 28-year-old woman went to see a chiropractor for joint pain and swelling. The woman reported that she was suffering with the joint pain and swelling for the past three years. She recalled that her problems seemed to start three days after falling off a fence. The pain was frequent and was worse in the mornings. Oddly, her pain only affected one joint at a time, but the pain would migrate between her shoulders, knees, feet, and hands. When her problems flared up, her joints appeared red and swollen, and would be hot to the touch. Not long after her problems began, the woman was diagnosed as having RA and placed on medications.

In addition to her primary problems of joint pains from her RA, the woman also reported to the chiropractor that she was suffering from a variety of other issues including frequent colds, irritability, trouble sleeping, headaches, dizziness, ear infections, fainting, blurred/double vision, chest pain, digestive problems, heartburn, lower back pain/stiffness, and menstrual problems. It is unclear if these problems were a result of the medications she was taking for the RA.

A chiropractic examination with x-rays was taken to specifically see if the woman’s spine had subluxations. In addition, her ranges of motions were measured to chart any progress from her chiropractic care. Because it was determined that subluxations were present, specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were regularly administered to address the subluxations.

After 12 weeks of care, the woman reported that she was no longer taking medications for the migrating joint pains she was experiencing. Additionally, she reported that the symptoms of fatigue, swollen and painful joints, sleep problems, headaches, dizziness, blurred/double vision, chest pain, frequent colds/flu, and digestive problems had all dramatically decreased. Upon re-examination, the woman’s ranges of motions had also improved.

In the discussion section of the study, the authors explained how chiropractic care could have a positive effect on an autoimmune condition such as Rheumatoid Arthritis. They stated, “The role of the nervous system is to control and coordinate all the functions of the body. Thus it would only make sense to begin the search for the etiology or expression of dis-ease in the body within the nervous system. The autonomic nervous system, with subcategories of parasympathetic and sympathetic immune systems, exhibits an extraordinary amount of regulation over the immune system.”

The Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics released a case study on March 11, 2022, documenting the improvement in developmental delay of a baby girl who underwent chiropractic care. The study reports that this is a common issue and between 1-3% of children under five are affected by developmental delay.

The study begins by noting that “Child development can be subdivided into four domains, including: motor, speech and language, social/emotional and cognitive.” In each of these domains, there are milestones that a child should achieve to be within a normal range. When the child fails to reach a milestone when compared to other children at the same age, that child is consider developmentally delayed in that specific domain area. When a child under five years of age is delayed in two or more domains, the child can be determined to have global developmental delay.

In this case, a 3-year 4-month old toddler girl was brought to the chiropractic clinic by her mother. Her mother was concerned that her daughter had a “communication delay and walking delay.” The girl’s mother also reported that her daughter had learning difficulties, difficulties achieving milestones, digestion and feeding problems, general co-ordination and balance issues, crawling and walking delays, hip and leg co-ordination problems, as well as flexibility, and low muscle tone problems.

A chiropractic examination was performed where it was determined that vertebral subluxations were present. With the mother’s consent, age-appropriate specific chiropractic adjustments were begun.

On the second visit, the mother reported that her daughter had slept better after her first adjustment, and she felt that her daughter was walking better as well. By the third visit, the mother reported that her little girl was calmer and was visibly walking better. As care continued, the girl continued to show improvement in her speech, her movement, her walking, and her sleep.

The study authors listed all the various improvements achieved by this girl. The list included, “sleep quality improved, waking brighter, general mood improvements, general behavior improvements, number of meltdowns decreased, posture improved, improved walking and general movement, pain or discomfort has decreased, strength/stamina has increased, fruit and vegetable intake increased, cold or flu frequency/duration decreased, mental energy levels increased, vitality improved, fewer run down days, physical energy improved, bounced back better from fatigue/stress.”

In commenting on her daughter’s improvement, the mother stated, “I feel my child is healthier and has stronger resilience. I feel my child has a higher level of health overall.”

In describing the link between child development and chiropractic, the authors explain, “Chiropractors and chiropractic students recognize that the central focus of chiropractic care is to assess for and reduce nerve interference, caused by vertebral subluxation, to enhance nervous system function and support the optimization of health and well-being.” They further define subluxation by saying, “A vertebral subluxation has been recognized as a complex of functional and/or structural changes in articulations of the spine and pelvis that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and general health.”

On September 27, 2018, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a case study featuring the care of a child suffering with sensory processing disorder, sleep challenges, and speech delay, who was helped by chiropractic.

According to the STAR Institute for Sensory Processing Disorder, “Sensory processing (originally called “sensory integration dysfunction” or SID) refers to the way the nervous system receives messages from the senses and turns them into appropriate motor and behavioral responses.” They explain that any action that a person performs depends on the sensory input they receive in order to properly perform any function. “Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD), exists when sensory signals are either not detected or don’t get organized into appropriate responses.”

Although there is no clear study showing the number of children that suffer with SPD, surveys of parents put estimates of children entering kindergarten with SPD to be as high as 13.7%. Some studies and authorities estimate that just over 5% of children have some form of SPD.

This study reports that “The prevalence of speech and language delays is reported to range from 1.35% to 8% for children from 2-12 years old.” Also known as specific language impairment, this problem is defined as “…a form of developmental language impairment in which children demonstrate unexpected difficulties with the acquisition of spoken language.”

In this case, a 3 ½-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor for evaluation. The boy had been previously diagnosed with SPD and was also suffering from difficulty sleeping and speech delay. His history revealed that he was suffering from repeated respiratory tract infections, as well as 5 to 6 prior ear infections, frequent colds, colic, and night terrors. The boy also had a sensitivity to certain clothing and was insistent on utilizing a pacifier.

The boy’s mother noted that her son had been suffering with his problems since birth and had been under the care of multiple professionals including a physical therapist, an occupational therapist, and a speech therapist. The various therapies had been partially effective, but the mother reported that her son was still struggling.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included palpation, an sEMG study, a thermal exam, postural analysis and spinal range of motion. From the findings of the examination, it was determined that multiple subluxations were present. To address the subluxations, age appropriate forms of chiropractic adjustments were started at the rate of three per week.

The study records that, after three months of chiropractic care, the boy’s mother reported a dramatic improvement in her son’s sensory processing, sleep, and speech. It was observed that the boy was less emotional, and he voluntarily stopped using his pacifier. His mother also reported that her son had three consecutive weeks of 11-12 hours of sleep per night without waking up. She commented about her son saying, “Suddenly everything in his body has ‘clicked’ and each system is communicating effectively throughout.”

In their conclusion the study authors wrote, “SPD, sleep challenges, and speech delay are common problems seen in pediatric patients. The case of a 3-year-old male presenting at a chiropractic office with these health challenges is described, with resolution or improvement seen after reduction of vertebral subluxation.”