Dr Merri's Blog

On April 2, 2018, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a case study documenting the resolution of ear infections and nocturnal enuresis in a young girl who received chiropractic care. Nocturnal enuresis, more commonly known as bedwetting or nighttime incontinence, is when a child urinates in bed while sleeping, after the age when they should have been able to control their bladder.

The technical name for ear infections is otitis media. The study authors explain this condition by saying, "Otitis media is very common in children. Generally, it is referred to as acute otitis media (AOM) or otitis media with effusion. Otitis media is the most common reason that children, visit the doctor, take antibiotics, and have surgical procedures."

Common medical treatment of bedwetting involves some form of behavioral modifications or rarely medications. However, otitis media is commonly treated with medications and surgery by the insertion of tympanostomy tubes into the ears.

In this case, a 12-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor by her mother. The girl's primary health issues were recurring ear infections and bedwetting. A health history showed that the girl, who had been adopted at an early age, had been suffering with repeated ear infections almost since birth. She was born with low birth weight and was drug addicted at birth.

The girl underwent her first surgery to insert tympanostomy tubes at the age of two. Over the next ten years, the girl had five additional surgeries for insertion of the tympanostomy tubes as each previous attempt had only lasted for a short time. The most recent tubes only lasted two weeks before falling out. Her medical physicians wanted to schedule the girl for a seventh surgery when her mother decided to try chiropractic care. During this entire time, the girl was also suffering from nightly bedwetting which was starting to cause sleep difficulties.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included observation, a postural evaluation, spinal range of motions tests, spinal palpation, and functional leg length checks. A determination of the presence of spinal subluxations was made. Chiropractic care was recommended at the rate of three visits per week for the first three weeks with gradual reduction in frequency as care continued.

On each visit, the girl was monitored for changes in her ear infections or her bedwetting problem. After 11 visits, the girl reported that she had no symptoms of ear infections. The study also reports that the girl had a progressive decline in frequency of bedwetting as a result of her chiropractic care.

The authors of the study noted that the patient and her mother stated the effectiveness of chiropractic. The study notes, "The patient's mother stated that prior to seeing a chiropractor the patient was having episodes of bed wetting every night and was constantly having ear infections. Since being under chiropractic care these conditions have stopped completely or have occurred noticeably less often."

In their conclusion, the authors summed up the results of this case by saying, "This case demonstrates the health outcomes following chiropractic adjustment to resolve neurological interference and decrease symptoms of enuresis and otitis media."

The Journal of Chiropractic Education published the results of a study on August 1, 2018, that looked at the reasons that people over the age of 65 most sought out chiropractic care. The study was conducted at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic (NZCC) intern training center. The authors of this study begin by defining the aging process. "Aging is a non reversible fact of life that results in an eventual decline in the total capacity of various organs and systems, decreasing the body’s ability to adapt to the stresses of the environment." They note that the world's population is getting older with 8.5% of the population being older than age 65, which translated out to 617 million senior citizens world-wide. It is expected that by the year 2050, there will be 1.6 billion people over 65 years of age representing 17% of the total world population. An increase in the likelihood of injury as well as additional health challenges for an aging population means a large increase strain on the world-wide healthcare systems. Less expensive alternatives such as chiropractic could represent an area that could help with the issues of an aging population. In this study, files were reviewed for patients at the NZCC intern training center who were over the age of 65 when they first started chiropractic care at that facility. Information from the file must have included the patient's chief complaint for which they started chiropractic care. From a total of 3513 active patients at the clinic at the time of the study, 100 patients (2.8%) met the criteria and were eligible for inclusion into this study. The youngest patient in the study was 65-years-old and the oldest was 88-years-old when they started chiropractic. The average age of patients in the study as 69.5 years. There were slightly more women than men in this study. According to the study, there were eight categories of chief complaints for which these patients sought chiropractic care. The most common reason that seniors looked to chiropractic in this study was lower back pain, with 45% listing this as their chief complaint. Of these patients, 28% sought chiropractic on their own and 17% sought chiropractic based upon a referral. Neck pain was the second most common reason for seniors to seek chiropractic with 21% listing this as their chief complaint. Of these, only 4% did so because of a referral while the rest sought chiropractic on their own. The third most common reason that seniors sought chiropractic care, representing 14% of the study participants, was for wellness care. These patients had no specific chief complaint or symptom that drew them to seek out chiropractic. It can be assumed that these patients were looking for preventative care and the benefits inherent in the drugless approach of chiropractic. Other chief problems that brought seniors to chiropractic in this study included lower extremity pain (5%), upper extremity pain (3%), balance (4%), hip pain (3%), and a variety of other issues such as headaches, groin pain, and visceral conditions each representing 1% of those seeking chiropractic. Portions of the finding in this study were similar to other studies performed in both New Zealand and in the United States and Mexico. The one main differences between the studies conducted in New Zealand, and the ones in the U.S. and Mexico was that the percentage of seniors seeking chiropractic for wellness purposes in New Zealand was much higher than studies conducted in the U.S. or Mexico. With this one difference being noted between this study and those outside New Zealand, the study authors were able to conclude that, "In general, older patient characteristics and their chief complaints at our clinic appear similar to those of other chiropractic colleges studying all age groups."

On July 16, 2018, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published the results of a case study showing the resolution of hearing loss along with the improvement in school performance in a child who underwent chiropractic care.

According to the study, "Hearing impairment refers to the loss of a person's ability to hear tones at a normal level and this can be a partial or total loss of the ability to perceive acoustic stimulus." The study points out that hearing is typically measured at specific frequencies, commonly 250, 500, 1000, 2000, 4000 and 8000 Hz as these are the frequencies that our ears are especially sensitive to. A loss of hearing is expressed as decibels of hearing loss (dB) when compared to the hearing of the average person.

It is interesting to note that the very first chiropractic adjustment given in Davenport, Iowa, on September 18, 1895, was given to a man who had lost his hearing 17 years earlier. That first adjustment, given by Dr. D.D. Palmer, to a janitor, Harvey Lillard, restored the man's hearing, and thus the profession of chiropractic was born.

In this case, a boy was brought to the chiropractor for a series of visits when the boy was 6-years-old, and again when he was 8-years-old. On each of those occasions, the boy was suffering from moderate hearing loss.

Prior to the child's initial visit to the chiropractor, he had his hearing tested using Pure Tone Audiometry (PTA) to ascertain the level of hearing loss. The results of this test are given in decibels (dB) of pure-tone thresholds (PTTs), which indicate the softest sound the person being tested can hear at least 50% of the time. When first tested, the boy showed between a 30dB and 50dB hearing loss at various frequencies which classified him as a mild to moderate hearing loss. The medical recommendation made for the child was surgery to implant tubes into the ear canals. The parents rejected this recommendation and sought chiropractic care instead.

It was also noted that prior to the discovery of boy's hearing loss, his teacher told his parents that their son was falling behind in class and that his speech was difficult to understand. The boy had been getting speech therapy for over a year with limited results.

Chiropractic care was started on the boy to specifically correct vertebral subluxations that were determined to be present. After 12 weeks of chiropractic care, the boy returned to an ENT specialist to have a follow up assessment of his hearing. On that test, it was determined that his hearing had improved to where the loss was only measured from between 5dB and 20dB leading the ENT to declare that they boy's hearing had returned to normal.

After this episode of chiropractic and hearing recovery, the boy received infrequent chiropractic adjustments over the next two years. At that point, he was tested, and it was noted that there was once again a mild hearing loss. Because of this, more regular chiropractic care was restarted, and the boy's hearing again returned to normal.

In their discussion the study authors note, "The association of chiropractic with hearing started back in 1895 when the first chiropractic adjustment was reported to have cured deafness." They further concluded, "The patient's hearing loss reversal in this study is consistent with the findings of the numerous papers published and the mechanisms discussed. This study demonstrates that chiropractic care may benefit/reverse hearing loss. Specific chiropractic adjustments to the spinal column to correct the vertebral subluxation can have positive effects on auditory processing."

On October 19, 2017, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a study reporting on a case of chiropractic helping a child with teeth grinding at night, which is called sleep bruxism. According to the Mayo Clinic, "Bruxism (BRUK-siz-um) is a condition in which you grind, gnash or clench your teeth. If you have bruxism, you may unconsciously clench your teeth when you're awake (awake bruxism) or clench or grind them during sleep (sleep bruxism)."

The authors of the study begin by defining this condition by saying, "Sleep bruxism (SB) is described as a movement disorder resulting in habitual, non-functional and forceful teeth contact (grinding and clenching of teeth) during sleep." They report that there is a wide variation on pinpointing how common this issue is as estimates range from 5.9% to 49.6% of the pediatric population.

The diagnosis of this condition, according to some studies, is based upon the parent's report of their child's sleeping habits. However, the American Academy of Sleep Medicine uses four criteria to determine a diagnosis of sleep bruxism. They include, 1) anterior teeth wear, 2) posterior teeth occlusal wear, 3) parents' report of frequent noises of teeth grinding during sleep, and 4) a white line at buccal mucosa. The common medical approach for treatment of sleep bruxism can include use of certain dental appliances, behavior modification, and medications.

In this case, a 9-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor by his mother for a consultation. Her initial question was, "Why does my son grind his teeth so loudly at night?" Upon questioning, it was revealed that the boy had been exhibiting this behavior at night for the past 4 years. In addition, the boy had been experiencing regular and heavy nose bleeds over the recent months for no apparent reason. It was reported that the boy had "Autism Spectrum Disorder tendencies." However, his condition was not deemed significant enough to be formally diagnosed.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included a postural analysis, spinal range of motion, palpation, thermographic and sEMG studies. It was determined from the tests that subluxations were present and a series of specific chiropractic adjustments were given.

After the first adjustment, the parents reported a one-third reduction in their son's grinding of his teeth while sleeping. Over the next three visits, the parents reported a continued improvement with their son showing a decrease in intensity and frequency for his sleep bruxism. Additionally, they reported that the boy was less hyperactive with his behavior being more relaxed. The boy's sleep bruxism continued to reduce as his chiropractic care continued.

In their discussion the authors noted, "Sleep bruxism is an increasingly common condition reported in children, and has been associated with other long term psychological conditions that can have serious effects on the individuals quality of life." They explained the chiropractic approach by adding, "Chiropractic care aims to optimize health and wellbeing through the enhancement of the nervous system function by removing nerve interference caused by vertebral subluxations. The correction of vertebral subluxations by chiropractic adjustments are a fundamental component of personal enhancement and wellbeing."

The Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published a case study on March 10, 2018, documenting the case of a man with Crohn's disease achieving complete resolutions of symptoms from chiropractic care. Crohn's disease is a chronic inflammatory condition of the gastrointestinal tract that belongs to a group of conditions known as inflammatory bowel diseases, commonly referred to as IBD.

The study begins by noting that IBD is a common disorder affecting 1.6 million Americans, out of which 700,000 are classified as Crohn's disease. This disease strikes both men and women equally, is not more prevalent in any ethnic group, and typically affects those individuals who are either in their early teens or over 50 years of age. It is estimated that there are 30,000 new cases of Crohn's diagnosed each year with a total of 140,000 of the cases being under the age of 18 years.

According to the Crohn's & Colitis Foundation website, some of the more common symptoms of IBD include persistent diarrhea, rectal bleeding, urgent need to move bowels, abdominal cramps and pain, a sensation of incomplete evacuation, and constipation.

The patient in this case study was a 6-foot, 1-inch, 202 pound, 60-year-old male. His chief complaint was symptoms of IBD. He was medically diagnosed with Crohn's disease three years earlier. The man's symptoms included abdominal pain and cramping, stiffness all over his body, diarrhea and a generalized feeling of sickness. For several years, he was given a variety of medications which gave him no improvement in his original symptoms, but added a variety of worsening additional side effects. He eventually decided to self-discontinue his medications and seek chiropractic care.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included visual inspection, postural analysis, static and motion palpation, physical exam, and spinal x-rays. Based upon the findings of the examination, it was determined that multiple areas of subluxation were present in the man's spine, and care was initiated to address these findings.

After two chiropractic visits, the study reports that "...the patient reported a complete reduction in his symptoms, with an overall decrease in severity of symptoms from rare to no longer present. He did not experience any additional flare-ups or symptoms relating to his Crohn’s disease."

Nine months after the start of chiropractic, the patient went to his endocrinologist for a follow-up visit. The study reported that at that time "...the patient's doctor reviewed his most recent colonoscopy and declared that the patient had complete medical remission of his initial diagnosis."

The study authors explain the chiropractic approach by saying, "Chiropractic's philosophy in health care involves a vitalistic approach emphasizing the removal of interferences to the nervous system while allowing the body to restore itself to health, healing from within and going from a state of dis-ease to that of homeostasis."

The Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics published two case studies in their July 2018 issue that documented the resolution of issues related to poor breast feeding and weight gain in two infants as a result of chiropractic care.

The study begins by noting that, "Faltering growth, previously termed failure to thrive, has been defined as a slower rate of weight gain in infants and young children than expected for age and sex." It is common for newborns to lose weight in the first few days after birth. Large, or persistent weight loss is, however, a concern that should be addressed by parents and healthcare workers.

Organic health issues can cause faltering growth. However, this is rare and can be ruled out with an examination. Most cases of faltering growth in newborns have to do with a feeding or processing of food issues. In the past, many issues were blamed for faltering growth. However, several studies have concluded that there is no association between faltering growth and social economic factors such as parental occupation, education, maternal eating habits, or alcohol consumption during pregnancy.

The first case in this study involved a three-week-old male infant who was brought into a midwifery and chiropractic feeding clinic because of difficulty breastfeeding and slow weight gain. The baby boy's mother was experiencing severe breast soreness due to the excessive time that feeding would require. Typically, it would take 45 minutes or longer to feed the infant with a frequency of every two hours in the day and three times during the night. At birth, the baby weighed just slightly over seven pounds. After three weeks, the baby had lost weight and weighed only 6 lbs. 4 oz.

Chiropractic care was started on this infant with parental consent. Initially, in the first four weeks of care, the infant started to show signs of improved feeding and weight gain which were followed by a slowing of both feeding and weight gain. Chiropractic care was continued, and the infant was given the addition of a high calorie formula supplementation. The mother eventually discontinued breastfeeding due to the length of time it was taking and her soreness. By 22 weeks, regular formula was being used and the baby's eating and sleeping habits returned to normal.

The second infant in this study was an eight-week-old girl with irregular feeding habits, slow weight gain, and discomfort lying on her back. At eight weeks, the infant girl had still not returned to her original birth weight. During the day, she would feed nearly continuously, with each feeding session lasting between 40 and 90 minutes. At night, the girl would sleep through the night with only one feeding session lasting between 60 and 90 minutes.

A 4-week course of chiropractic care was initiated. During that time, the infant showed improvement that was progressive and continuous. The baby showed larger gaps between feeding and an increase in normal daytime sleeping. This allowed the mother to engage in additional normal daily activities.

In the discussion, the authors noted the importance of trying to continue breast feeding in cases of faltering growth, "If concerns present about faltering growth in an infant, a feeding assessment should be performed. Every effort should be made to continue breastfeeding for the health of the infant and mother." They also noted the importance chiropractic played in such cases by stating, "Chiropractic care was key to improve the baby's use of muscles of mastication and to allow for comfort in supine sleep."

From the back, your spine should be in alignment. A sideways curve is called scoliosis and can produce nerve interference, affecting organs and tissues controlled and regulated by the nerves emerging from the spinal column in that area.

But from the side we want to see four curves. Because the nerves passing through the neck influence the entire body, the spinal curve in the neck is especially important. Besides having uncompromised nerve flow to and from the body, the normal, graceful forward curve is essential so you can turn to the right and left to look over your shoulder.

If you know someone who is far too dependent upon their rear view mirrors (or their car’s back up camera), or who tends to turn their upper body to look at you, encourage them to give us a call.

A thorough examination can determine if they’ve lost their cervical curve and whether they’re a good candidate for chiropractic care.

On December 11, 2017, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a case study documenting the resolution of a pregnant mother's footling breech presentation under chiropractic care. A footling breech presentation is when one or both of the baby’s feet are in the downward position and are therefore more likely to be born first instead of the normal head first position.

The study begins by noting that about 3-4% of pregnancies result in a breech presentation. Current medical thinking is that a breech birth represents a significant medical threat and therefore a Cesarean birth is normally recommended in these cases. Since, for many reasons, a normal head-first vaginal birth is preferable to a cesarean birth, any reasonable process that can correct the breech should be explored.

In this case, a 38-year-old pregnant woman sought a chiropractic consultation and evaluation. The woman was in her 30th week of a pregnancy with twins that were in the footling breech position. She had previously had three individual pregnancies and delivered each child without complication. The woman had never experienced chiropractic care before. She was physically active by playing volleyball and swimming.

A chiropractic examination included palpation and a postural analysis. This showed a forward position of her head, as well as an uneven pelvis. There was also an abnormal motion of the pelvic bones when put through a range of motion test. Based on the findings, chiropractic adjustments were given.

Over the next 11 days, the patient was seen 5 times. In that time, both of the fetuses turned from the footling breech position down to a normal vertex, head-down position. This correction of the position of her fetuses allowed her to deliver her twins vaginally, without complication or medication.

The study also reviewed several previous studies showing chiropractic helping correct breech presentations and allowing for normal vaginal delivery. In one of those documented cases, a breech presentation self corrected after four chiropractic adjustments. In another case, the breech corrected after one week of chiropractic.

The overall body of evidence for breech presentations being resolved under chiropractic continues to grow. The authors of this study reviewed several other studies showing that chiropractic helped in those cases. In this particular case, the results were especially important because of the woman being pregnant with twins. In their conclusion the authors wrote, "This case report provides supporting evidence on the benefits of chiropractic care for the pregnant woman with fetal malpresentation."

The October 4, 2017, issue of the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published a case study documenting the resolution, under chiropractic care, of a patient suffering from anxiety, depression, insomnia, scoliosis and cluster headaches, who also had an opioid addiction.

This study begins by noting that anxiety is one of the most commonly diagnosed psychiatric disorders, affecting 18.1% of the population. Anxiety disorders are often diagnosed with other disorders such as depression and substance abuse. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition - Text Revision, there is 12 different diagnoses that fall under the general heading of anxiety disorders.

The typical medical treatments for anxiety involve drugs. The problems and side effects with such medications are well documented, as is their highly addictive nature. For these reasons, and because there can be significant withdrawal issues, many of these drugs are not recommended for long term use.

In this case, a 21-year-old man presented himself to a chiropractor for a variety of issues. The man was suffering from cluster headaches, anxiety, depression, and insomnia. At that time, he was also recovering from treatment for substance abuse of opioid painkillers. He reported that he had been suffering with his issues for the prior 14 months.

The patient reported that medication seemed to reduce his symptoms. However with medication, he rated his headaches as a 10 out of 10 with 10 being the most severe. He also rated his anxiety as a 10 out of 10, and he rated his insomnia issues as 10 out of 10 when not treated with medications. Due to his complaints and his treatment for opioid addiction, the man had dropped out of college 11 months earlier.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included spinal palpation, range of motion, and spinal x-rays. The x-rays showed a loss of normal curvatures in the side views of the neck and mid back of the man’s spine. It was also noted that a scoliosis was present when viewed on the front-to-back x-rays. From these findings, it was determined that subluxations were present. The man was started on a series of specific chiropractic adjustments to address his subluxations. After a specific time period, a reassessment and follow-up x-rays were done to monitor the progress.

The follow-up x-rays taken showed a 24% improvement in the neck curvature, and a 10 degree improvement in his scoliosis. Over time, all x-rays showed improvements in the various improper curvatures seen on the original x-rays.

The study reports that one month after starting chiropractic care, the man had improved to the point where he was able to restart college. After 12 months of care, he reported being off all headache medication. He also stated that his anxiety and insomnia had drastically improved to the point where he was able to lower his medications. The report noted that after 20 months of regular chiropractic care, the patient was off all medications except for small amounts of anxiety medication as needed.

In their conclusion, the study authors wrote, "Subluxation-based chiropractic care played a role in the resolution of the patient's complaints. The patient was able to stop all medications and leads a productive life symptom free." The study reported that the changes in this man's life were profound enough that he enrolled in chiropractic college 20 months after starting chiropractic care himself.

The Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published a case study on April 5, 2018, documenting the reduction of epileptic absence seizures and self-aggression behavior in a male toddler following chiropractic care. This type of seizure is more common in children.

Absence seizures are a type of seizure where the victim can slip into a state of unaware staring. During this time, they are unresponsive and can seem to be staring off into space. According to the Epilepsy Foundation, Absence Seizures "…are a type of generalized onset seizures, meaning they begin in both sides of the brain at the same time. An older term is petit mal seizures. They begin and end abruptly, lasting only a few seconds. Absence seizures can be so brief they sometimes are mistaken for daydreaming and may not be detected for months."

In this case, a 3-year-old baby boy was brought to a chiropractic teaching clinic by his parents for consultation and possible care. For the past two years, the boy had been suffering with absence seizures. When the boy was 1-year-old, his parents would find him staring into space. His parents would attempt to talk to him or snap their fingers in front of his face, but he would be non-responsive for 15-20 seconds. Once the seizure ended, the boy would just resume the activity he was doing prior to the event.

By the time the boy was 2-years-old, these seizures became more frequent and were happening about five times per day. After his second birthday, the seizures became more violent being described as, "…he began having clonic seizures where he would stare off and his arms would quickly jerk back and forth, bending at the elbows and going back and forth across his body for approximately 15-20 seconds." At the conclusion of these seizures, the boy would once again resume his prior activity. When he began to talk, the episodes could interrupt him in mid-sentence. Afterward, he would just continue his sentence. It was reported that the boy was never aware of his seizures. As time went on, the boy started hitting himself in his head with his fists between 5 to 10 times per day.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included static and motion palpation of the spine and spinal musculature, as well as spinal thermal scans, and postural leg length checks. Based upon the examination, it was determined that there was a subluxation present at the first cervical vertebrae (C1) located at the top of the neck. With the consent of the parents, a specific chiropractic adjustment was given to the boy to address the C1 subluxation. Following the adjustment, rechecks of the initial exam finding were performed to verify that the adjustment was effective. The boy was scheduled to receive 2 adjustments per week for the following eight weeks.

After the first adjustment, the study records that the boy did not experience any seizures that day. Over the next two weeks, the number of seizures had reduced from five to only two per day. After eight weeks, the boy's parents reported that their son was only having one absence seizure every other day. They also reported that their son was no longer hitting his head with his fists.

The authors of this study also reviewed additional studies on the subject of epileptic seizures and chiropractic care. They noted that numerous other studies also found similar results in patients with seizure problems. They commented that this study adds to the body of evidence supporting chiropractic care for patients suffering from seizures. "This case report provides supporting evidence on the effectiveness of chiropractic care in abating the frequency and intensity of epileptic seizures in infants."