Newsletter Articles
May 2023

• Autistic Spectrum Disorder Improved with Chiropractic Care
• Patient Suffering from Asthma, Headaches, Insomnia, and Low Back Pain Improved with Chiropractic
• Improved Mental Health and Quality of Life in a 51-Year-Old Male under Chiropractic Care
• Improvement in Mental Processing and Quality of Life in a 74-year-old under Chiropractic

Autistic Spectrum Disorder Improved with Chiropractic Care

On April 10, 2023, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health Chiropractic published the results of a case study documenting the improvement of a young chiropractic patient with Autistic Spectrum Disorder.

According to the CDC website, "Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a developmental disability caused by differences in the brain. People with ASD often have problems with social communication and interaction, and restricted or repetitive behaviors or interests. People with ASD may also have different ways of learning, moving, or paying attention."

The CDC also notes that "About 1 in 36 children has been identified with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) according to estimates from CDC’s Autism and Developmental Disabilities Monitoring (ADDM) Network." Additionally, "ASD is nearly 4 times more common among boys than among girls."

In this case, a 7-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor by his parents. The boy had been diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) at the age of three. At the age of two, his parents noticed unusual behaviors including that their son preferred to be alone and would not walk up to them. Instead of playing with toys, he would line them up in a row, and the boy would not let his parents know when he was hungry.

Chiropractic care was started for the correction of subluxations at the rate of two visits per week for the first four months. A variety of specific chiropractic adjustments were used starting with the gentlest ones, as sometimes autistic children do not tolerate receiving adjustments well.

After three months of chiropractic care, the study reports that there were multiple areas of improvement in the boy. It was recorded that his eye tracking had improved, and he was able to make eye contact. The boy’s mother reported that her son showed multiple areas of improvement with his autistic behaviors. It was noted that on one visit to the chiropractor the boy, "…was very talkative and explained all the Star Wars characters in an animated way."

In their conclusion, the authors wrote, "This case study demonstrates the relationship between chiropractic care and decrease in autistic symptoms." They also concluded, "This report supports the possible link between reduction of vertebral subluxation and improvement in the behavioral patterns of ASD."

Patient Suffering from Asthma, Headaches, Insomnia, and Low Back Pain Improved with Chiropractic

The Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published the results of a case study on May 5, 2023, documenting the improvement, under chiropractic, of a patient suffering with multiple health issues including asthma, headaches, low back pain, and insomnia.

The focus of the chiropractic care, in this case, was the correction of subluxations. Subluxations are physical misalignments or deviations in the spine’s structure that result in changes to the function of the nervous system. Since it is the job of the nervous system to control and coordinate all the functions in the human body, any alteration in the nerve system can result in a profound, and wide-ranging effect on health.

The authors reviewed and reported on numerous other studies that demonstrated chiropractic’s effectiveness for patients with asthma. However, as they noted, most of these cases were children. "There are many studies which look into the use of chiropractic for the asthmatic pediatric patient; however, there have not been as many studies performed concerning adult asthma. This is an area of research which would be highly beneficial given the large amount of the population who are asthma sufferers."

In this case, a 45-year-old woman went to the chiropractor seeking help for her asthma, headaches, lower back pain, insomnia, and sinus problems. The dominant health issue that the woman was concerned about was her asthma. She had been treated medically for the previous two years but had had no real results for her complaints.

An examination of the woman revealed multiple areas of subluxation. A chiropractic care plan of regular chiropractic adjustments was started to address the subluxations. Periodically during the care, a reassessment was performed to objectively measure any improvement as well as record any changes noted by the woman.

During the first reassessment, the woman reported that her headaches and low back pain had improved by 75%. She also reported "moderate improvement" with her asthma symptoms. She had not noticed at that time any change in her insomnia.

At the time of her second assessment, the woman reported that she had noticed a "mild improvement" in her insomnia, while also reporting "much improvement" in all her other symptoms.

The purpose of chiropractic care is not the treatment of individual symptoms or diseases such as asthma or headaches. The purpose of chiropractic is to locate and remove interference to the nervous system and allow the body’s own innate healing abilities to function properly. The authors of the study reinforced this idea when they commented in their conclusion, "Through the use of chiropractic care, it is evident that the proper alignment of the spine results in optimal functioning in the body."

Improved Mental Health and Quality of Life in a 51-Year-Old Male under Chiropractic Care

The title above comes from a case report published in the April 2023 issue of the Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal. This report documents the case of improvement in mental health in a patient while under chiropractic care. The study also highlights the need for more research into mental health outcomes improvement with Chiropractic care.

The month of May has been designated in the U.S. as Mental Health Awareness Month and has been recognized since 1949. The US Department of Health and Human Services issued a release on May 3, 2023, that began with, "Our country is facing an unprecedented mental health crisis. The crisis isn’t just affecting adults, its devastating young people, and people from every background are impacted."

Mental health issues have been prominent in the news lately and have a profound effect on society. The National Council for Mental Wellbeing, who also observes Mental Health Awareness Month, noted that "One in five adults (57.8 million adults) in the U.S. experienced mental illness in 2021." The issue of mental health highlights the need to investigate all areas that could help with this crisis. One such avenue is chiropractic care.

The study authors begin by noting, "It is well established in literature that chronic pain including low back pain often appears comorbidly with poor mental health outcomes and that this may have far reaching implications for Quality of Life. Research indicates that Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is the most common mental illness co-occurring with chronic pain, and the prevalence of MDD is thought to be as high as 40% in patients with chronic pain requiring treatment."

In this case, a 51-year-old man sought out chiropractic care to help with his back pain. The man’s health history showed that he had been diagnosed with terminal prostate cancer which had metastasized to the lymph nodes. He was also beginning extensive chemotherapy in an effort to reduce the cancer and possibly lengthen the man’s life. As a result, the man was also struggling with severe depression. The man’s goal for chiropractic was simply to reduce the pain, improve his mental health, and increase the quality of his life for the time he had remaining.

After an examination, chiropractic care was started with specific forms of chiropractic care appropriate for his health situation and condition. Care was focused on correction of subluxations that had been determined were present.

After an early round of chemotherapy, the man commented that the chemo had hit him hard. He received an adjustment shortly thereafter and commented how much the adjustment had helped him bounce back from the chemo. From that point forward, the man continued to receive adjustments as soon as possible after his chemo sessions.

Overall, the man’s symptoms of pain and depression significantly improved. Due to the nature of his terminal cancer diagnosis, he was grateful that his quality of life was improved under chiropractic care for the time he had remaining.

The authors commented on this case by noting, "While the stated goals of care were focused on health-related outcomes, the true benefit of this course of care for a terminal patient was the maintenance of meaningful Quality of Life and the ability to be a better father to his young children as his disease progressed. His goal is to form as many great memories for his family for as long as possible. At the time of writing, this goal was being achieved."

Improvement in Mental Processing and Quality of Life in a 74-year-old under Chiropractic

The Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal published a case study in April 2023 documenting the self-reported improvement by a 74-year-old patient in a mental processing and a variety of symptoms due to chiropractic.

The authors of this study begin by noting the importance of investigating chiropractic as a possible area of help with the issue of mental health. "Among the many advancements in Chiropractic research in recent years has been the discovery of the link between Chiropractic care and brain function. Not only has this line of research opened up new areas of understanding in terms of the potential applications for Chiropractic care, but it has given more gravitas to the argument that Chiropractic care may be useful far beyond the domain of musculoskeletal complaints, such as back and neck pain."

In this case, a 74-year-old man sought out chiropractic care because he was suffering with low back pain, headaches, and reflux issues. The man was active and served as a board member of a community organization, as well as engaging in volunteer work that involved a high level of physical activity. He was previously under sporadic chiropractic care as symptoms surfaced.

A detailed examination and spinal x-rays showed a number of spinal subluxations that would require more chiropractic than the man had been receiving in the past. Based on the examination and x-ray findings, specific chiropractic care was started on a regular schedule.

As chiropractic care proceeded, the man reported an improvement in his low back pain, and a decrease in the frequency and severity of both headaches and reflux. In addition to the man seeing improvement in his physical conditions, he also noted that he could see significant cognitive improvements.

The study reported, "…the patient noticed and voluntarily self-reported that the speed at which he was able to mentally process information in high demand meetings also improved significantly. He remarked that his ability to think quickly and strategically increased to a level comparable with those around him who had more education and youth on their side. He remarked that he felt like ‘it was him in his younger days’." His improvements were also noted by others as the 74-year-old man reported he was being asked to contribute to more meetings with government officials and government departments.

The authors of this study also reviewed a number of other scientific reports documenting that chiropractic care had a positive effect on brain function. Based upon the other studies and their findings, the authors commented, "This case report therefore offers rationale for further research into Chiropractic care and productivity, ageing, and prevention of neurodegeneration, and may offer an insight into how Chiropractic can support individuals as they continue to contribute meaningfully to their communities in their later years."