73% Of Depression Cases Improve After Upper Cervical Care

During times like these especially, depression can run pretty rampant. (Upper Cervical) Chiropractic can help with those feelings of depression and disparity. A study in the November 7, 2005 issue of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research finds that patients diagnosed with clinical depression experienced a "highly significant" level of improvement in their depression symptoms after a short round of (upper cervical) chiropractic care to correct small misalignments of the spinal bones know as vertebral subluxation. In the study, 15 patients from around the country who were diagnosed as clinically depressed were put under chiropractic care. The study subjects were given the Beck Depression Inventory II (BDI-II) survey to determine the extent of their depression before and after the (upper cervical) chiropractic care.

The BDI-II is a questionnaire designed to measure the presence and severity of depression in people 13 or older and is one of the most widely used standards of psychological measures.

In the study, specific attention was paid to the first vertebra in the spine, know as the upper cervical (neck) region. The researchers limited their communication with their patient during the procedures to decrease the possibility of placebo effect. No other relaxation or therapeutic methods such as heat or massage were used in order to decrease the number of variables that might affect the outcomes.

Before the patients had (upper cervical) chiropractic care, the mean BDI-II score was 17. After the chiropractic care, the mean score had decreased to 8 (lower is better). 11 of the 15 patients showed marked improvement after care.

The authors of this study report that historically, the interest in the effect chiropractic care has on mental health started in the 1920’s. Indeed, two chiropractic psychiatric hospitals ran successfully for almost thirty years in Davenport, Iowa. Unfortunately when those hospitals closed in the 1950’s most of the patient records were destroyed. Clinical observations during that time suggested that (upper cervical) chiropractic was at least as successful as state psychiatric facilities.
 
(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.)

Upper Cervical Care Isn't For Back Pain?

Chiropractic isn’t for back pain?

by Dr. Deborah Sesker

What is the biggest chiropractic myth? That chiropractic is for back pain.

Wait–isn’t chiropractic care for back pain? And aren’t chiropractors quite effective at helping people with back problems.

Well, no. And yes. Let’s see why by taking a trip back into history.

Every year right around the middle of September, many chiropractors and chiropractic colleges celebrate the birthday of chiropractic. September 18^th is the date that D.D. Palmer gave the first chiropractic adjustment in Davenport, Iowa in 1895.

D.D. Palmer, was a self-taught anatomist, grocer, hobby-farmer, and magnetic healer. He claimed to be the first person (at least in the modern era) to use a short, gentle thrust to adjust a mispositioned vertebra back into position.

(Physicians and healers of all kinds have used the spine to create healing, from the time of the ancient Greeks.)

At this time, D.D. had a large magnetic healing practice in one of the tallest buildings in Davenport, Iowa. Before the era of modern antibiotics and safe and effective surgery, many people turned to magnetic healers for chronic health problems.

D.D. Palmer had many patients as a magnetic healer, but Harvey Lillard was his first patient using what would be become chiropractic care.

And Mr. Lillard, as the first chiropractic patient, wasn’t healed of back pain. Here is a testimonial from Harvey Lillard printed not long after his first chiropractic adjustments.

I was deaf 17 years, and expected always to remain so, for I had doctored a great deal without any benefit. I had long ago made up my mind not to take any more ear treatments, for it did me no good.

…Dr. Palmer told me that my deafness came from an injury to my spine. This was news to me: but it is a fact that my back was injured at the time I went deaf. Dr. Palmer treated me on the spine. In two treatments I could hear quite well. That was eight months ago. My hearing remains good.

–Harvey Lillard

Based on Mr. Lillard’s healing, Dr. Palmer thought he had found the cure for deafness. He didn’t. But after experimenting with other patients, D.D. learned that he had found something better.

D.D. Palmer had discovered a way to remove nervous system stress and irritation coming from the spine. In Harvey Lillard that stress had caused deafness. In others it causes vertigo, migraine, or seizures. Still in others, it affects their mood, their sleep, and their hormones.

And yes. For many, it creates spine tension and back pain.

So chiropractors, especially with their long education on the anatomy, physiology, and mechanism of injury in the spine, are quite good at helping people with back pain. But chiropractic care isn’t only about back pain. It’s ultimately about having a healthy spine, and therefore a healthy nervous system. And all the good things that happen when the nervous system is communicating as it should be.

Upper Cervical Care and High Blood Pressure: The Palmer Study

Below is part of an article about the research that Palmer College will be doing regarding Upper Cervical Care and Hypertension/High Blood Pressure.

Click here for the full article

Researchers at the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research (PCCR) clinic facility, 741 Brady St., Davenport, on the campus of Palmer College of Chiropractic, are looking for 165 people in the Quad Cities with hypertension, or high blood pressure, to participate in a clinical research study with the potential for significant impact on the treatment of hypertension. Patient recruitment began in late November. Participants must have high blood pressure and be between 21 and 75 years of age.

“More than 50 million Americans suffer from high blood pressure, making it the most commonly diagnosed disease in the United States,” said Dr. Goertz. “Although many medical treatments for diagnosed hypertension are available, only about 30% of patients achieve blood pressure goals. Many patients report that they are unable to tolerate medication side effects and find it difficult to sustain significant lifestyle changes. Thus, a non-pharmacological therapy that lowers blood pressure could become an attractive option to many patients and their physicians.”

“The concept that manipulation of the upper cervical spine could reduce blood pressure is both novel and appealing at the same time” said Dr. Lamas. “It is novel because of its originality of thought, and because it is backed up by preliminary data. It is appealing because any treatment for high blood pressure that does not expose patients to drugs and their side effects should be investigated. I really look forward to assisting with the study and seeing the results.”

“This should be an interesting trial,” added Dr. Giudici. “Work to date has shown that blood pressure responds to other non-pharmacologic interventions such as diet, weight loss, exercise, stress reduction and yoga. There is also some interesting early data on blood pressure response to slowing respiratory rate. Palmer has put together an impressive team of researchers and the infrastructure needed to perform this and other studies.”

Potential participants in the study will be examined at the PCCR clinic and Trinity Terrace Park Family Practice Clinic to determine whether they qualify for the study. If so, they will be randomly assigned to one of three different upper cervical treatment groups, all of which will receive chiropractic care at the Palmer Research Clinic for eight weeks. Patients will have their blood pressure monitored on a regular basis while participating in the study. All examinations and treatment are provided at no charge to the patient.