“By stimulating the nervous system, we can improve the function of the whole body,” said Dr. Heidi Haavik-Taylor. “This is something that chiropractors and their patients have known for years, and now we have some scientific evidence to prove it.”

Dr. Haavik-Taylor has been researching the effects of Chiropractic on the nervous system for the past 7 years. Her study included the use of an electroencephalograph (EEG) to measure brain waves before an adjustment and how these waves were altered afterwards. Her work was conducted at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic where she is director of research. Her findings were published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics.

The research involved 12 subjects who were documented as having reoccurring neck pain. All of the adjustments involved manipulations of dysfunctional cervical joints. Using a series of EEG evaluations, researchers were able to show that signals are carried by the nervous system to the brain and change the way muscles are con­trolled. “This is the first time that anyone has used EEGs to prove that there are def­inite changes to the way the brain processes information after Chiropractic care.”

Dr. Haavik-Taylor summed up the action in very simple terms. “The process is like rebooting a computer. The signals that these adjustments send to the brain via the nervous system reset muscle behavior patterns.”

People who have enjoyed successful Chiropractic adjustments can certainly relate to the findings of this research. Is it any wonder that people frequently notice imme­diate changes in the way they feel or the way a particular part of their body is func­tioning after an adjustment – and in many cases, notice it immediately? If body sys­tems do indeed reboot along the lines of a computer, changes can happen quickly with marvelous results.

Even the president of the New Zealand Chiropractors Association, Dr. James Burt, was favorably impressed. “Dr. Haavik-Taylor’s work is ground-breaking on an international level by proving that Chiropractic adjustments do alter and benefit the nervous system.”

Source: The New Zealand Chiropractors Association. Media Release. “New Science Behind Chiropractic Care.” November 2007.
http://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/GE0711/S00116.htm

Here are three basic reasons why not: 1. They don’t know about Chiropractic, 2. They don’t know about the potential benefits of Chiropractic or, 3. They think that a Chiropractic adjustment might be too rough for a child and cause pain or damage.

Once a person finds out about Chiropractic and begins to understand its benefits, it is point num­ber 3 that must be understood and dispelled, as apparently, some parents think that a Chiropractic adjustment will be “too rough” for their youngster.

Chiropractors understand that all bodies are different and tailor their adjustments and the amount of pressure required based on the individual they are treating. A big football playing man in his 20s, a little old woman in her 70s and a child of 10, will all be looked at and evaluated for their individual needs.

In this way, it could be said that a Chiropractic adjustment can be as individual as a handshake. A strong man shaking hands with another strong man will give him a lot more pressure than if the same man was shaking hands with his grandmother or the child. When parents realize this and bring their child in for an adjustment, the results can be quite remarkable. Consider this case of a 7-year-old girl.

This child had been suffering from asthma since the age of 4. By the time she came to see a chiro­practor, she had been treated medically with 10 different medications. Attacks of coughs and wheez­ing were daily occurrences. Physical activity was almost out of the question. Emergency room visits sometimes reached 5 per year. A test of lung capacity revealed she was operating at about 50 percent of her lung capacity.

An exam by her chiropractor revealed subluxations (partial dislocations) in the vertebrae at the middle of her spine. An individual program was tailored to handle these restrictions. With just one adjustment, some of the tightness in her chest disappeared and her coughing was reduced. After just 4 weeks of treatment, she was able to put aside her inhaler and get back to participating in swimming and running sports. After 3 months, her lung capacity was just about normal and all medications were stopped.

Had her parents avoided taking her to a chiropractor because of a fear that an adjustment might be too rough and cause her pain, the child might well be on her way to a dozen more medications, further restrictions of activity and even worse breathing problems.

Is Chiropractic for children too? By all means. Miracles can occur each and every day in Chiropractic with the right adjustment, tailored to the individual’s size, age, shape and need.

Source: Dynamic Chiropractic. “Chiropractic: As Individual as a Handshake.” July 2008. http://www.chiroweb.com/archives/26/14112.htm1

On a recent Montel Williams Show, he presented some very interesting information about a Chiropractic cervical adjustment he’d experienced only 12 days before. It was obvious to all of his viewers that the Chiropractic work had gone very well and that his life was immediately changed by the results.

Here is what Montel said on the show regarding his condition and his treatment suc­cess:

“I’m not certain because I haven’t done the scientific research on it to know if this can work for everybody else out there, but I want to tell you I suffer from MS. I have extreme neuralgic pain in the lower extremities; I’m in pain 24 hours a day seven days a week, 365 days a year, and then I go to see this doctor (Dr. Patrick Kerr D.C.). I’ve had pain in my feet. I’ve struggled with my balance, so Dr. Erica (Schwartz, an M.D. and patient advocate who appeared on the show) sent me to see (Dr. Kerr) 12 days ago.

“There’s not a person that knows me who will not confirm this, if you just ask them, everybody who sees me. I am walking differently, my pain is less, I have already regained strength in my left leg, my left leg has dropped because I found out that my pelvis was tilted, it’s dropped back down, they are now the same length. It’s the most amazing thing that has ever happened to me.”

Dr. Kerr has his practice in New York City. He is a graduate of Life Chiropractic College. “The goal of all Chiropractic care is to reduce pressure on the nerves, thereby allowing the body to function normally – without pain,” Dr. Kerr said during the broad­cast.

It’s going to be most interesting to learn more about Montel’s condition and his con­tinued developments during the next several months. He will likely continue on his path of improvement and recovery from his condition for some time. It will also be interesting to see if the symptoms of his MS continue to abate and if, in reality, he truly had MS or simply a cervical subluxation (partial dislocation of a vertebra in the neck region) that was indeed the cause of his long-term condition

Source: Chiropractic News. Press Release. “Montel Williams Gives Upper Cervical Chiropractic Testimonial.” February 2008. http://msrecovery.com/blog/2008/01/15/montel-williams-gives-upper-cervical-chiropractic-testimonial-chiropractic-news-press-release

A case study was recently published in the scientific publication the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics (JCCP). The article chronicled and documented the effects of Chiropractic care on a 9-month-old infant girl with a history of very disturbed sleep.

The average number of hours a child of 9 months is predicted to sleep is about 14 hours per day. This child’s sleep amount was well below that number. In addition to severe sleep disruption, she was also noted to be extremely fussy. She also was experiencing difficulty with breast feeding to one side, exhibited generally unsettled behavior and could not turn her head to the left. These problems had been occurring since birth, the article noted.

An initial examination of the girl confirmed a reduced range of neck motion to the left. There seemed to be significant muscle tension in the left and upper neck area as well. Upon being touched in the neck, the child exhibited signs of being in pain by crying and quickly moving her head away.

Viewing the results, her chiropractor determined that there were subluxations (partial dis­locations) present in the child’s cervical area. An appropriate course of adjustments was initi­ated.

The results of treatment were immediately evident and impressive. After just one adjust­ment, the baby girl fell asleep for 5 hours in the afternoon. This was followed by nighttime sleep of 2 periods of 6 hours each.

In addition to dramatic improvements in sleep pattern, much to the satisfaction of her par­ents as well, the child displayed greatly improved neck motion that was soon noted in response to sound on her left side. Additionally, the infant soon began to feed freely and comfortably.

The conclusion drawn by the authors was that the subluxation evident in the child’s neck area was at least partially responsible for the disrupted sleep pattern. The dramatic improve­ments after just one Chiropractic adjustment pretty much speak for themselves. It could like­ly be surmised as well that the infant’s parents were much better rested themselves following treatment and are very thankful for Chiropractic.

Source: Chiropractic Research 2006 http://www.chiropracticresearch.org, Abnormal Sleeping Patterns helped with Chiropractic – A Case Study.

Case in point of this study involves a child of 6 years of age, a person of any age could suffer the same lack of concentration ability following an accident or a severe blow. This could occur through an auto mishap, a slip-and-fall injury, sports contact or even a work-related trauma that is part of daily life. While drugs are now frequently prescribed by the medical community to handle the ensuing “attention” problems, a Chiropractic adjustment may really be all that is necessary for normal function to return.

A case discussing the events that happened to this child who struck his head while on the playground was recently presented by an Australian-American Chiropractic group. The child was knocked unconscious by the impact and, in the months that followed, his teachers noted his concentration problems, inattentiveness and even disruptive behavior. The boy developed all of the classic symptoms so commonly labeled as ADHD. He was unable to sit still in the classroom and his grades began to plunge.

Drugs were a main part of the medical prescription for handling the boy. Unfortunately, but expectedly, these did not bring any lasting relief or help to the child. In spite of the powerful drugs, his headaches and neck pains persisted. Finally, 18 months after the accident, his mother brought him to a chiropractor.

It may seem remarkable, but the boy only required 3 visits to the chiropractor over a 3 week period to put him back on the road to good health and classroom success. The diagnosis was a subluxation, a partial dislo­cation of the vertebrae. He continued with regular checkups and after 9 months continued to do very well.

An accident or blow which involves the head, neck and back being in pain is increasingly being documented as a trigger or aggravating factor to ADHD. This evidence and case studies such as this one can be of great value in spreading the word that drugs are not the universal solution for the handling of ADHD as has become so common in the world today. When drugs are administered, the concentration problems that are not handled can even lead to further accidents and more subluxations. Thus, the drugging solution could lead to a vicious circle that includes more injuries, more subluxations and an continued worsening of the ADHD symptoms.

However, when the symptoms of ADHD are handled through Chiropractic, tremendous benefits frequently occur. First off, the pain and discomfort is either reduced or eliminated for the patient. Next, the relief provid­ed to the nervous system through the correction of the subluxation are also extremely beneficial. Concentration ability often returns quickly, and the person gets more enjoyment out of life while doing better at school or at work, whatever the case may be.

Chiropractic adjustments of the person suffering from, so called, ADHD can lead to a better overall state of health and increased productivity without drug intervention. Again, the simple motto for handling such ADHD issues should resound, “Say no to drug and say yes to Chiropractic!”

Source: Dynamic Chiropractic. “Pain Relief. Safe Behind the Wheel.” January 2008. http://www.chiroweb.corn/archives/26/02/15.htm1