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Exercise Can Help Children with Symptoms of Depression

The headline above comes from the January 4, 2023, issue of the Wall Street Journal. This article, and several others in the press on this subject, report on a study that was published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics on January 3, 2023. The JAMA Pediatrics study titled, “Physical Activity Interventions to Alleviate Depressive Symptoms in Children and Adolescents” began by asking the question, “Can physical activity interventions alleviate depressive symptoms in children and adolescents?”

The study stated the importance of the findings of this study by noting, “Depression is the second most prevalent mental disorder among children and adolescents, yet only a small proportion seek or receive disorder-specific treatment. Physical activity interventions hold promise as an alternative or adjunctive approach to clinical treatment for depression.”

This study conducted a “meta-analysis” (a review of other previous studies) of 21 prior studies involving 2441 children and adolescents. Of this total, 47% were boys and 53% were girls. Study co-author, Walter Thompson, a retired professor of exercise physiology with Georgia State University in Atlanta, commented that “This is the first time that we’ve been able to put enough studies together so that we can make a pretty good conclusion to answer the question, ‘Is physical activity and exercise good for children with depressive symptoms?” He then answered his own question with “The answer is overwhelmingly yes.”

Lead author Francesco Recchia, MSc, of the School of Public Health at the University of Hong Kong commented, “The available evidence supports physical activity interventions as an alternative or adjunctive approach to alleviate depressive symptoms in children and adolescents, substantiating the beneficial influence of physical activity on the mental health of pediatric populations.”

The study also discovered some additional helpful information noting that children who were 13 years-of-age and older received more benefits from regular exercise than those under 13. Additionally, they found that those teens who were already suffering with a pre-existing mental illness or depression got greater benefits than those teens who were considered healthy.

The study reported that an hour of physical activity three days a week provided the best relief for symptoms of depression. Co-author Thompson pointed out that this amount of exercise is fairly close to what is currently recommended for kids. “And you know, that’s pretty close to what the federal government has recommended as regular exercise for both children and adults, somewhere between 75 and 150 minutes a week.”

“This study adds to the body of knowledge that good health is obtainable without the overdependence on medications,” commented Dr. Selina Sigafoose-Jackson, president of the International Chiropractors Association. “The chiropractic profession has always valued a drugless approach to health and continues to hold that many of society’s growing health issues can be improved by searching for non-pharmacological solutions.”

January 12, 2023
Chiropractic Adjustments Do Not Have to Make a Popping Sound to be Effective

A study published by the journal Chiropractic & Manual Therapies on October 4, 2022, may have laid to rest the argument by both patients and some chiropractors as to the need for a popping sound when an adjustment is given.

The study begins by giving an overview of the issue of the popping sound with adjustments, which in this study is referred to as SMT or spinal manipulative therapy. “Many chiropractic patients are familiar with hearing a popping or cracking sound when receiving SMT and this is often seen as a factor that differentiates mobilization and manipulation. To the clinician delivering SMT, this sound is frequently associated with the perception of a successful intervention and when it does not occur, some clinicians may apply another treatment thrust.

One of the additional issues is that there are some people who are fearful of the popping sound and avoid chiropractic adjustments saying that they do not want to have their “back cracked.” Although the popping sound is absolutely not the cracking or breaking of bones, the harmless sound that sometimes occurs has been the subject of a lot of confusion. This study helps lay some of the misconceptions to rest.

Researchers at the AECC University College, in Bournemouth, United Kingdom, performed a meta-analyses of previous studies to see if there was a link between the popping sound heard during some types of chiropractic adjustments and the results those patients got as it related to their perceived pain.

The researchers looked at 69 studies to see if the information in them could add to this study. Of all of those, five were selected as meeting the criteria for inclusion into this study. The data from the five original studies was then reviewed by the researchers.

The study researchers reported their results by stating, “All studies reported similar results: regardless of the area of the spine manipulated or follow-up time, there was no evidence of improved pain outcomes associated with an audible pop.” They followed up in the study conclusion by noting, “Whilst there is still no consensus among chiropractors on the association of an audible pop and pain outcomes in spinal manipulative therapy, knowledge about the audible pop has advanced. This review suggests that the presence or absence of an audible pop may not be important regarding pain outcomes with spinal manipulation.”

Dr. Robert Braile, a chiropractor in Georgia and past president of the International Chiropractors Association commented, “There are many forms of chiropractic adjustments that do not make any sound at all. The presence or absence of a popping sound has never been the determining factor as to the effectiveness of a chiropractic procedure. I’m glad to see scientific analysis, such as in this study, confirming what we have clinically known for years. Popping sounds are not necessary, and are not needed for chiropractic adjustments.”

January 12, 2023
Allergic Asthma Helped by Chiropractic

The Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published a study on January 3, 2023, documenting the improvement through chiropractic of a patient who was suffering with allergic asthma.

The Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America describes this condition by saying, “Many people with asthma also have allergies. In fact, allergens are the most common asthma trigger. This is called allergic asthma. Allergic asthma is most common in early childhood and steadily decreases through adulthood.”

This study describes how common asthma is by reporting, “Asthma is a common respiratory condition affecting 25.7 million people with increasing prevalence. Asthma is more frequently seen in children and is the leading cause of pediatric admissions to hospitals, as well as absences from school.” Although the condition is more common in children, and in many cases disappears in adults, some cases do continue into adulthood.

In this case, a 38-year-old woman who was suffering with allergic asthma went to the chiropractor. She had been suffering with this condition since she was a teenager. On a scale of 1 to 10, with 10 being the worst, the woman rated her allergies as an 8 out of 10. She also reported that she was suffering with chronic sinus issues, headaches, and leg numbness.

A chiropractic examination revealed the presence of subluxations. Specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were started to address the subluxations at the initial rate of three visits per week.

After about one month of chiropractic care, a first assessment was done to evaluate the amount of improvement. At that time, the woman reported that she had experienced considerable improvement with her asthma. She related that she had improved about 40% overall. The woman also reported that she saw moderate improvements in her headaches and leg numbness, and mild improvement with her sinus problems.

On the woman’s second assessment, she reported that she no longer had symptoms of asthma and had experienced complete improvement with her allergies. In addition to this, she also reported that she had seen significant improvement with her headaches and leg numbness with complete improvement with her sinus problems.

In their conclusion, the study authors summed up this case by saying, “The results of this case suggest that specific chiropractic adjustments delivered to primary subluxations can be beneficial to people with allergic asthma. This case supports chiropractic care in the management of people with non-musculoskeletal conditions, namely asthma.”

January 12, 2023
Behavior, Sleep Quality, and Energy Improved in Children Under Chiropractic Care

The Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal published a paper in their 2022 fourth quarter issue documenting five cases of pediatric chiropractic care helping children with a variety of issues. The study, titled “Improvement in adaptability concomitant with paediatric (sic) chiropractic care”, looks at how reductions in subluxations will affect nerve system function resulting in health improvements in children in a variety of ways.

The first case involved an eight year old boy who was brought to the chiropractor by his parents because they noticed his shoulders were uneven and one of his feet was turned outward when he was standing. The chiropractic examination revealed multiple levels of subluxation. care was started for the correction of the subluxations.

Shortly after the care began, the study reports that the boy’s postural issues had been corrected. However, in addition to this, the parents and the boy’s teacher noticed a significant improvement in the boy’s behavior. He was now less grumpy, more attentive and overall calmer, as he could now sit still during floor time.

In the second case, a four-and-a-half month old baby boy was brought to the chiropractor because he was having difficulty sleeping with excessive movement in addition to waking every hour.

The results of this case after chiropractic care showed that he started sleeping much better for about 3-4 hours without waking and he was much more settled. The improvement was so drastic that the mother stated she had shed “tears of happiness” for her son’s improvement.

The third case involved a 16-year-old girl who was suffering with neck soreness and excessive tiredness. Her MD had recently diagnosed her with hypothyroidism. After chiropractic care was started for the correction of subluxations, the girl reported that her soreness was gone, and her energy had greatly improved. Additionally, a follow-up visit to the MD showed a change in her thyroid function to where she was no longer meeting the criteria for the hypothyroidism diagnosis.

The fourth case involved a four-and-half-year old boy who had both behavioral and sleep issues. As with the other cases, subluxations were found and specific chiropractic adjustments were started. As with the other cases, the boy showed significant improvement with his behavior and sleep after the start of chiropractic care as reported by the parents.

The fifth case involved a 10-month-old boy who prior to chiropractic care was having problems with sleeping and was reported to be a very light sleeper by his parents. Once again, after the finding of subluxations specific and age appropriate forms of chiropractic were utilized. As with all the previously mentioned cases, the parents noted significant improvements shortly after the start of chiropractic care.

In the discussion and conclusion of this multiple case study the authors noted, “While it might not be top of mind for a parent to present their child for care at a chiropractic clinic with primary concerns of poor sleep, fatigue or with behavioural (sic) concerns, these case reports do raise the possibility that the restoration of ease to the nervous system may be associated with restoration of the child to a state in which they can better adapt to their environment.” They concluded, “Chiropractic care for the reduction of subluxations may contribute to enhanced nervous system coherence, thus allowing the child to better adapt to their environment, resulting in better sleep and behaviour (sic).

December 13, 2022
Autistic Behavior, Language Development, Sleeping, Constipation, and Ear Infections Improved Under Chiropractic

The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health Chiropractic published the results of a case study on December 1, 2022, documenting the improvement under chiropractic care of a patient who was suffering with multiple health issues including autism, altered behavioral patterns, language deficits, sleeping problems, constipation, and earaches.

This study begins by describing autism issues, “Autism can be defined as a disorder beginning in childhood marked by the presence of abnormal or impaired development in social interaction and communication with a markedly restricted repertoire of activity and interest.”

The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, Centers of Disease Control and Prevention reports on their website that in the year 2000 the rate of children identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) was 1 in 150. By the year 2010, that number had grown to 1 in 68 children diagnosed with ASD. As of the latest CDC survey study in 2018, the number of children with ASD was up to 1 in 44.

Standard medical care for ASD has traditionally involved sensory integration, visual and auditory training, behavioral modifications, and medications designed to control mood. With no effective drug treatment for autism, the study reports that more people are seeking other forms of care such as chiropractic.

In this case, a 17-year-old male was brought to the chiropractor by his parents. His parents reported that their son had been diagnosed with autism at the age of two. Additionally, the study noted that the boy was only able to get between two and four hours of sleep each night. Due to their son’s sleep issues, his parents were forced to alternate nights of staying up to keep him from leaving the house. The boy also was having between five and seven temper tantrums per week and was suffering with constipation and ear infections. The boy’s vocabulary was limited to about 30 to 50 words.

A chiropractic examination was performed with the specific goal of locating vertebral subluxations. Based upon the examination and the positive findings that subluxations were present, specific forms of chiropractic were started.

Improvement was reported after the first adjustment as the boy’s parents reported that their son fell asleep in the car on the drive home from the chiropractor. Prior to that, the boy had not taken a nap in 14 years. After arriving home, it was reported that the boy laid down on the couch and slept from 10:00am to 7:30pm. After the boy woke up, he ate dinner, and then laid down in his father’s lap for the first time in 10 years. The boy then fell asleep from 9:00pm that night to 9:00am the following day.

As care continued, periodic examinations were performed documenting his continued improvements. After three months of care, his parents reported that the boy’s vocabulary had expanded to 100 words. His sleep had greatly improved as he was not sleeping between 6 to 8 hours each night. His parents also reported a decrease in temper tantrums and improvements in his other symptoms.

After six months of chiropractic care, the boy’s vocabulary had increased to about 300 words. His sleeping was also so regular that his parents no longer had to take turns sleeping on the couch to make sure he would not leave the house during the night.

Chiropractic care continued, as did the boy’s progress. By the two year point in care, the boy’s quality of life had drastically improved in all aspects with a 500 word vocabulary and only a mild temper tantrum maybe once per month. All sleeping issues were gone as were most of his other symptoms that he had at the start of chiropractic care.

The study authors summed up this case by saying, “The purpose of this study was to document the relationship between chiropractic care and the patient’s progress as it relates to autism, altered behavioral patterns, language deficits, sleeping problems, constipation, and earaches. The case study showed large improvements for these conditions through consistent chiropractic care.”

December 13, 2022
Pregnancy Following Chiropractic Care

Pregnancy following chiropractic care is the title of a case study article published in the 2022 fourth-quarter issue of the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal. The study documents the case of a woman who was able to become pregnant as a result of chiropractic care.

In this case, a 26-year-old woman had been unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant for the prior two years. She did have two children with a previous partner when she was 20 and 22. She sought chiropractic care for this issue and for back and neck pain.

The woman had been suffering with back and neck pain for six years since she was involved in a high-speed car accident. She was also suffering with daily headaches mainly at the base of her skull. Additionally, the woman was suffering with recurrent ear infections. Two years after the start of these issues, she had her first child.

At the time of her presentation to the chiropractor she was having issues with an unresolved ear infection. She also reported that she was under a lot of stress and her menstrual cycle was irregular and that her periods were sometimes painful.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included spinal x-rays. The x-rays showed some spinal osteoarthritis, a slight reversal of the neck curvature and various subluxations throughout her spine. Based upon these findings, specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were started.

The results of this study reported that three months into the woman’s chiropractic care, she was able to become pregnant. She also reported that her headaches were “consistently relieved with chiropractic adjustments.” Her lower back pain was no longer an issue and her neck pain and earaches had greatly improved. The study reported that, “With the aid of three months of regular Chiropractic care she unexpectedly became pregnant and subsequently gave birth to a healthy baby.”

The author of this case also reported on several other published case studies of women who initially had trouble getting pregnant and were successful following chiropractic care. In many of these cases, the women were also suffering with lower back pain at the time they started chiropractic care. However, there are a number of studies where infertility was the primary reason that a woman would seek chiropractic which would lead to a successful pregnancy.

December 13, 2022
Resolution of Sleep and Anxiety Disorder Following Reduction of Vertebral Subluxations

The title above comes from a study published in the November 15, 2022, issue of the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. The study documents the resolution of sleep and anxiety issues in a patient who is under chiropractic care for the correction of vertebral subluxations.

The study begins by noting the seriousness of sleep issues by saying, “Chronic sleep insufficiency affects a third of Americans and is a recognized detractor to optimal human health and performance.” The author continues, “It is associated with multiple serious adverse health and social outcomes, negative impacts on mental health and functioning, and decreased health-related quality of life (HR-QOL). Chronic sleep disorders have been linked to seven of the fifteen leading causes of death…”

In this case, a 28-year-old woman went to the chiropractor seeking help for headaches and lower back pain. In addition, she was also suffering from sleep disorders and anxiety. The examination she received included chiropractic subluxation-specific procedures as well as a HAM-A survey and a PSQI questionnaire. The HAM-A (Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale) is a psychological questionnaire used by clinicians to rate the severity of a patient’s anxiety. The PSQI (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index) is a self-rated questionnaire which assesses sleep quality and disturbances over a 1-month time interval.

The focus of chiropractic care was to determine the presence of subluxations. Once it was established that subluxations were present, specific forms of chiropractic care were utilized to make corrections to the subluxations. Follow-up testing for subluxations was performed along with second HAM-A and PSQI evaluations were done to objectively measure any changes the woman had as a result of the chiropractic care.

The results, as reported in this study, showed that the subluxations were being corrected. Additionally, the woman reported improvements in the symptoms that brought her to the chiropractor. There was also documented improvement in both the woman’s sleep issues and her anxiety. The study states, “The patient also demonstrated marked reduction of sleep disorder as measured by Global PSQI score (from an initial score of 16 to an improved score of 3) and marked reduction of anxiety disorder (from an initial score of 28 to an improved score of 10) after three months of consistent chiropractic care.”

In the conclusion of this study, the author summed up the results and noted the important role chiropractic can play for issues involving sleep and anxiety. “The data presented herein describe concurrent correction or reduction of vertebral subluxation with resolution of sleeping disorder as well as anxiety disorder. These findings suggest the utility of chiropractic care, delivered to correct or reduce vertebral subluxation, for restoration of normal sleep function and resolution or improvement of associated mental health symptoms.”

December 13, 2022
Resolution of Infertility with Successful Conception & Birth Following Chiropractic Care

The above is the title of a case study documenting the successful results of chiropractic care in a case of infertility. The study was published on November 1, 2022, in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health Chiropractic.

The study authors noted that 20% of couples in the United States have had an issue with infertility. Of those, they estimate that 60% of those cases are related to female factors as the primary causation leading to infertility. They define infertility by saying, “Infertility is described as the inability to achieve pregnancy while having unprotected intercourse for a period of 12 months.”

Common medical care for infertility can involve in vitro fertilization (IVF), surgery, drugs, and other assisted reproductive therapies (ART). One of the big hurdles of these medical procedures is that they are expensive, making them cost prohibitive to many couples.

In this case, a 31-year-old woman originally sought chiropractic care for help with migraine headaches and neck pain. She had been receiving chiropractic for help with these issues intermittently for the previous seven years. Two years later, the woman returned to her chiropractor seeking help for her wrist pain and infertility.

Her history revealed that she had been trying to get pregnant for over a year with no success. She also reported that prior to trying to conceive she had been taking oral birth control pills for 10 years.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included a postural analysis, both motion and static palpation, surface electromyography (sEMG), thermal imaging, and spinal x-rays. From this examination, it was concluded that the woman had multiple areas of vertebral subluxation. Specific chiropractic adjustments were then started to address the subluxations found during the examination.

After the woman had received six chiropractic adjustments, she reported that she had become pregnant. Chiropractic care was continued on a regular basis though her pregnancy. The woman gave birth to healthy baby girl weighing 7lbs, 9oz, and both the mother and the new infant remained under chiropractic care.

In their conclusion, the study authors summed up their results and recommendations by saying, “The current medical model for infertility of drugs and surgery has helped many couples conceive but is quite invasive and expensive. As demonstrated by this case, after experiencing infertility, this woman was able to conceive and successfully carry a full-term pregnancy without any other medical interventions. Subluxation based chiropractic care should be considered as potential management of patients experiencing infertility prior to more costly and invasive procedures.”

November 11, 2022
Chiropractic Delivered to Pregnant Mothers is Safe for Their Fetuses

The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health Chiropractic published the results of a study on October 18, 2022, documenting that chiropractic care did not have any adverse effect on the fetal heart rate when chiropractic care was administered to their pregnant mothers. The title of the study is “Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring of 33 Pregnant Women Undergoing Chiropractic & Midwifery Care.”

John Hopkins Medicine describes Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring by stating “Fetal heart rate monitoring measures the heart rate and rhythm of your baby (fetus). This lets your healthcare provider see how your baby is doing. Your healthcare provider may do fetal heart monitoring during late pregnancy and labor. The average fetal heart rate is between 110 and 160 beats per minute. It can vary by 5 to 25 beats per minute. The fetal heart rate may change as your baby responds to conditions in your uterus. An abnormal fetal heart rate may mean that your baby is not getting enough oxygen or that there are other problems.”

The purpose of this study was to see if chiropractic care had a negative impact on the fetus by measuring the fetal heart rate. If chiropractic were having a negative effect, the results should be picked up in an abnormal fetal heart rate.

In this study, 33 women met the criteria for inclusion in this study. The criteria for inclusion was, (1) the woman underwent a complete history and physical examination with their respective provider, (2) the patient attended consistent and continuous care with both a midwife and chiropractor, (3) the patient provided consent for the review of both the chiropractic and midwifery patient records, and (4) fetal heart rate monitoring was performed and recorded. The records from these women were reviewed and correlated to give a full picture of their chiropractic care and any effect on the women’s fetuses.

The results showed the average age of the women in this study was just over 30 years. These women averaged almost 20 chiropractic visits during their pregnancy in addition to over 11 prenatal visits. In all, there were a total of 216 fetal heart rate monitoring recordings performed with about 99% of them occurring after the woman’s chiropractic visit.

The results showed no adverse effects to the fetal heart rate of any of the fetuses. This showed that chiropractic care did not have a negative impact on this major fetal health measure. In addition, all pregnant women delivered healthy babies without any complications.

In their discussion, the study authors commented, “The safety of the chiropractic care of pregnant women and the unborn fetus is a concern not only among chiropractors19 but also by other healthcare providers involved in prenatal care.” They concluded, “The use of spinal/pelvic chiropractic adjustments during pregnancy did not result in adverse events for the fetus as measured by FHR, a major indicator of fetal health in obstetric care.”

November 11, 2022
Chiropractic with Exercise Yield Best Results for Scoliosis

The British Journal of Healthcare and Medical Research published the results of a narrative review on October 25, 2022, describing the findings from multiple scientific studies documenting that chiropractic combined with spinal exercises showed the best results for Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS).

The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases describes this condition on their website by saying, “Scoliosis is a sideways curve of the spine. Everyone has normal curves in the spine, and when looked at from behind, the spine appears straight. However, children and teens with scoliosis have an abnormal S-shaped or C-shaped curve of the spine.”

Typical medical care for scoliosis begins with watching and waiting. If the curvature continues to worsen, then a brace is, many times, the common recommendation. For the more severe cases, surgery may be recommended. Both bracing and surgery are difficult steps for an adolescent. It has long been felt that more conservative means of care for scoliosis should be considered before bracing or surgery.

The authors of this study stated their purpose for doing this investigation. “This narrative review aimed to investigate the efficacy of chiropractic treatments and scoliosis-specific exercise (SSE) for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) as an alternative treatment for bracing.”

The researchers conducted an exhaustive search for scientific articles on chiropractic care for scoliosis. The search included the sources PubMed, Index to Chiropractic Literature, Spine Journal, BioMed Central, Google Scholar, and Research Gate databases. In total, they found 156 articles on the subject. From this total, they selected six papers that represented the highest scientific standard and credibility. One additional paper was included because of the value of the information.

As part of the researchers review, the authors of this study noted that, “All the reviewed papers reported the benefits of exercise and chiropractic as part of AIS management. Only one study showed that SSE alone slows curve progression, whereas the other six papers (four papers investigating chiropractic intervention alone and two investigating SSE alone) showed significant curve reduction after analyzing the X-ray findings.”

From this data, the researchers concluded, “The results obtained from these six papers showed that only two were able to demonstrate help with scoliosis through exercise only. The other four papers showed that chiropractic, either alone or in combination with exercise were able to help those with AIS.”

November 11, 2022

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