The
authors begin by noting, "Since the first century A.D.,
trigeminal neuralgia (TN) has been regarded as one of the most
painful and enigmatic diseases known to man. It has been generally
accepted that patients will never be completely free from the
condition regardless of the therapy." The authors set out to
show that based upon case study and literature review, chiropractic
offers a more permanent solution. Other names for this disorder have
included "tic douloureux" and the "suicide disease",
due to the severe nature of the pain it causes.
In
this case, a 40-year-old woman came to the chiropractor with a
diagnosis of TN that she had been suffering from for six months. The
history notes that by the time the patient had gone to the
chiropractor, she had already been to the emergency room twice, had
seen five different specialists (EENT, neurologist, and
neurosurgeons), as well as three dental specialists. When describing
her pain on a scale of one to ten, with ten being the worst, the pain
was described as a ten double plus.
In a
failed attempt to help this problem, the woman had one tooth
extracted, and she was prescribed a total of 15 different medications
including morphine, oxycontin, and percocet. The case history also
noted that due to the severity of the pain every aspect of this
woman's life was affected; including work, sleep, recreation, and
daily routines. Because of this condition and the mounting
financial burden from doctor and prescription costs, the woman was
also severely depressed.
A
chiropractic examination and x-rays revealed the presence of
subluxations at the first and second cervical vertebrae located inthe upper neck. Specific adjustments were given to address the
subluxations. Adjustment frequency was initially three visits per
week for the first month, and then slowly the frequency of visits was
reduced.
The
study notes that immediately after starting chiropractic care, the
woman had complete resolution of all symptoms including spasm, pain,
and swelling. Her range of motion had returned to normal and all
spinal tenderness was gone. She was able to return to her
normal activities and remains free of her problems. The authors wrote
in their conclusion, "It has been over 8 years since the patient
in this case study first received chiropractic treatment. In addition
to her receiving 100% resolution after one adjustment, it has been
remarkable to observe that no attacks have occurred since then."
(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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