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The Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published a case study on Jan. 6, 2014, documenting the case of Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia, a rare and extremely painful condition, being totally resolved under chiropractic.
According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, "Glossopharyngeal neuralgia (GN) is a rare pain syndrome that affects the glossopharyngeal nerve (the ninth cranial nerve that lies deep within the neck) and causes sharp, stabbing pulses of pain in the back of the throat and tongue, the tonsils, and the middle ear. The excruciating pain of GN can last for a few seconds to a few minutes, and may return multiple times in a day or once every few weeks."
In this case an 83-year-old woman went to the chiropractor with a diagnosis of right-sided Glossopharyngeal Neuralgia which she had been suffering with for ten years. The woman noted that her pain was helped by medication, but made worse by talking, swallowing, coughing, quick head movements, and air conditioning.
The woman’s daughter explained that her mother had given up speaking two years prior, because even whispering two or three words would send electrical shock pains through her right throat, tongue, cheek, and temple. Her condition was causing her to sleep most of the day. When she was awake, she would spend most of her time trying to swallow one cup of water.
Her pain rating on examination was 10 out of 10 on the pain scale. The examination also showed postural abnormalities, as well as positive thermography readings along her cervical spine. X-rays were taken, and with the examination results, confirmed the presence of subluxation in the upper neck. Specific chiropractic analysis and adjusting were initiated to correct her subluxation.
Immediately after the woman's first adjustment, the study notes, "The patient got up and started talking normally with a pain level of one, and went home with her daughter." This miraculous change continued, as it was reported that just two days later, the pain was completely gone. Because of her complete recovery, and under the supervision of her neurologist, she started reducing, and eventually eliminated, Neurontin, the drug she was taking for the condition. Seeing her results, the woman's neurologist even encouraged her to continue with chiropractic care.
(Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently on its own. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for any condition, disease or symptom.)
(I apologize, this was posted a few months back on this blog, but please enjoy it again. It is a very relevant topic for a great many people. Please share it with others.)
Resolution of Hypertension Following Chiropractic Care: A Case Study
On Jan. 2, 2014, the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published a case study documenting the improvement of hypertension with chiropractic care. This study adds to the body of literature showing chiropractic as a possible alternative to medications for people with hypertension.
The study authors begin by noting that 37 billion dollars are spent each year on the treatment of hypertension. They also report that, "According to the World Health Organization (WHO), hypertension is the most common cause of preventable death in developed countries. It is a major risk factor for cardiovascular conditions such as heart attacks and strokes which are the first and third leading causes of death in the US."
In this case, a 57-year-old man went to the chiropractor with a primary complaint of sciatic pain for a year and a half. He was also suffering from pain in both wrists for two years, and high blood pressure for the previous five years. The sciatic pain was sharp, and the wrist pain was affecting the man's daily activity. The case history revealed that his hypertension was being treated with Lisinopril and Simvastatin.
A chiropractic examination revealed postural abnormalities including a short left leg, right head tilt, left lower shoulder, and a weight distribution problem that showed his right side to measure 20 pounds more than the left. Palpation of the spine revealed problems and sensitivity in the upper neck area. X-rays of the neck were also taken and confirmed malposition of the upper neck vertebrae, confirming the finding of subluxation in the upper neck.
Specific chiropractic adjustments were initiated to correct the subluxations. After 8 weeks of chiropractic care, a re-examination was performed. This examination revealed that the man's sciatic pain had reduced by 90 percent, his wrist pain reduced by 70 percent, and his blood pressure had improved by 70 percent from his initial visit to the office.
After a few additional months, the study reports that the man's blood pressure had improved 100 percent, and was to the point that the patient decided to take himself off all his blood pressure medications. His blood pressure continues to remain between normal and pre-hypertensive levels without the use of medications.
The study authors wrote in their conclusion, "Since hypertension is a growing health concern for the public and billions are spent annually, the findings presented in this paper help support the role of chiropractic management beyond pain syndromes."
(Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently on its own. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for any condition, disease or symptom.)
In the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, a case study was published on November 18, 2013, documenting the case of a child who was medically diagnosed with a "tic" disorder being helped by chiropractic care.
The study authors begin by explaining that, "Tics are described as rapid involuntary contraction of skeletal muscle in functionally related groups. They are nonrhythmic stereotyped movements or sounds. These tics occur primarily between the ages of 3-10. Tics lasting over the span of 1 year are considered to be chronic."
In this case, an 8-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor after his pediatrician diagnosed him with a tic disorder. The study reports that, according to the boy's mother, her son began having symptoms at the age of 6. Symptoms started with head nodding and twisting multiple times a day. The boy's mother was concerned that this problem could affect her son's self-esteem and might keep her son from experiencing a normal childhood.
A chiropractic examination was performed which included a postural analysis, palpation, thermography, range of motion, and specific postural spinal x-rays. The conclusion of these tests was that there was a subluxation in the upper cervical spine. A subluxation is when a vertebrae of the spine is misaligned and creates some form of interference to the function of the nervous system. Many in chiropractic feel that the upper neck is the most critical area as it is so close to the brain stem.
Specific chiropractic care was begun for the correction of subluxation. After the first visit, it was reported that the boy had a decrease in the frequency of the tics he was experiencing. Prior to the second visit, the frequency returned, but the tics were lower in intensity. Following the second adjustment, the tics subsided.
A reevaluation was performed 17 days after the onset of care. At that point, the boy had not experienced any tics since before his second adjustment visit. At a one year follow up, the mother stated her son had not experienced a single tic episode.
In their conclusions the authors wrote, "This case report demonstrates the improvement of one male child with a tic disorder that underwent chiropractic treatment. The results in this case lend support to the subluxation based care of children with motor tic disorders."
(Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently on its own. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for any condition, disease or symptom.)
A case study published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research on June 20, 2013, reports on the results of a case series showing chiropractic helping patients with depression and anxiety. This case series was looking for follow up on previous surveys showing that chiropractic patients felt chiropractic care helped with their mental and emotional states.
The authors begin by reporting that a previous study showed that in a survey of 2818 patients who completed chiropractic care, 76% of those patients reported a mental/emotional improvement, as well as positive changes in stress and life enjoyment over a period of several months following the chiropractic care. Additional prior studies also showed chiropractic care assisting patients with these types of mental health disorders.
This case series study involved six patients who responded to an Internet posting looking for people suffering from mild to moderate depression or anxiety who wished to be a part of a study involving chiropractic. The patients were not under any psychotherapy at the time and were given tests using standard scales of psychological testing to determine and measure their mental state prior to and after the chiropractic care.
All six of the participants also suffered from a variety of problems including musculoskeletal pains, asthma, hypertension, gastrointestinal issues, and sleep disorders. Those who were taking medications made no changes to their medications during the study to rule out any improvement due to medication.
For the purposes of this study, care was limited to only 12 chiropractic visits over a six week period. A specific analysis and form of chiropractic adjusting was used to correct nerve system interference from subluxations. To measure patient progress, a number of protocols were used both to monitor the chiropractic correction of subluxations as well as to see any improvement in depression or anxiety.
The results of the study were recorded for five of the six participants as one participant left the program due to a family emergency. The remaining five participants all showed positive results in most of the areas that the researchers measured. All five also showed positive test results for a decrease in nerve interference from subluxation. All five participants showed a "...significant decrease in depressive symptom ratings." All five measured a "...significant decrease in anxiety."
Additionally, four of the five participants who completed the study also reported a self feeling of improvement with their depression, enough to state that they would recommend this type of care to others with depression. Four of the five participants also reported significant improvements in the other health issues and problems they were suffering from at the beginning of the study.
In their conclusion the authors wrote, "The results provide tentative support for the effectiveness of upper cervical (neck) chiropractic care for anxiety and depression symptoms." They also stated, "The present study found reduction in anxiety and depression symptoms and reduction in overall psychological distress among individuals with mild to severe depression, anxiety or both."
(Editor's note: Remember the objective of upper cervical care is to correct head neck misalignment that is interfering with proper brain to body communication. When this is corrected the body functions at a higher level and can often correct other problems more efficiently on its own. Please do not confuse upper cervical care as a treatment for any condition, disease or symptom.)
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