Young Girl with Epilepsy Helped with Chiropractic - A Case Study

In the February 3, 2011 issue of the Journal Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, a case study research article documents the improvement of a 9-year-old girl with Occipital Lobe Epilepsy under chiropractic care. In this case, improvement was shown with specific chiropractic adjustments being rendered to the upper cervical (neck) spine.
The study notes that epilepsy is a condition characterized by two or more seizures, brief attacks of altered consciousness and abnormal motor activity. The worldwide population with epilepsy is estimated to be 10.5 million, 25 percent of whom are children under the age of 15.
In this case, a 9-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor by her mother. The child was suffering with uncontrollable blinking of the left eye. She had been previously brought to a neurologist who diagnosed the girl with occipital epilepsy. The neurologist recommended an anti-convulsion medication but the girl's mother decided to seek chiropractic care rather that subject her daughter to drug therapy.
The girl started suffering from uncontrollable eye blinking approximately two weeks before the visit to the chiropractor. Additionally, she had shown other associated symptoms including seizures, tics, spasms, dizziness, and fainting. Other conditions the patient suffered from included constipation, seasonal allergies, rashes, itching, and skin lesions.
A chiropractic examination was performed that included a variety of specific procedures including x-rays designed to look for subluxations in the upper cervical spine. These tests confirmed that the girl was a candidate for upper cervical chiropractic care. Care was initiated with a specific adjustment to the top of the neck.
Within six days of the initial visit, the girl's mother reported that the left eye blinking had decreased in frequency. Shortly thereafter, it was noted that her symptoms were progressively decreasing and were only present at night. After two months of care, the eye blinking had completely stopped. The blinking only returned once after that but disappeared again following another adjustment.
In his conclusion, the author summed up this case and explained how chiropractic can help those with epilepsy by saying, "The relationship between an upper cervical subluxation and epileptic conditions in children exists but remains elusive. Evidence from this case supports the elimination of the upper cervical subluxation in the resolution of occipital lobe epilepsy signs and symptoms. Epilepsy is a neurological disorder and it is the opinion of this author that it should be treated conservatively in children before medical and surgical intervention."

This great article and more can be found here:http://www.berardischiro.com/article/2119.html

A Pub Med Case Study!

The Original Study is posted here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2943656/

"This case study demonstrated improvement in a young woman with a seizure disorder after she received upper cervical chiropractic [adjustment]."

Abstract

Objective

The purpose of this case report is to describe the chiropractic management using upper cervical techniques of a 25-year-old woman diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME).

Clinical Features

A 25-year-old woman had a history of JME, which was diagnosed at the age of 14 years. Her seizure episodes began shortly after trauma to her cervical spine and the onset of menarche.

Intervention and Outcome

After case history and physical examination, the patient received high-velocity, low-amplitude chiropractic spinal manipulation to her upper cervical spine using the Blair upper cervical chiropractic technique protocol. There was improvement in her seizure episodes and menstrual cycles following 12 weeks of chiropractic care.

Conclusion

This case study demonstrated improvement in a young woman with a seizure disorder after she received upper cervical chiropractic manipulation. This case suggests the need for more rigorous research to examine how upper cervical chiropractic techniques may provide therapeutic benefit to patients with seizure disorders.

The Methods to... Your Healing!

While all chiropractors focus on spine health to support overall health and wellness, upper cervical care is a unique approach that identifies misaligned vertebrae in the cervical region using high-definition x-rays (spinographs) of the head and neck combined with an extensive analysis of the cervical region.
The primary objective is to clear interference in the nervous system that delays natural healing. The main difference between upper cervical care and general chiropractic care is that upper cervical care uses a precise and gentle procedure instead of twisting or jerking the spine in any way.

Understanding the Anatomy Behind Upper Cervical Care

All of the communication to our bodies is sent via the brain stem, which extends from the base of the brain into the upper cervical region. The brain stem sends all of the messages from our brain to the rest of our body via a system of nerves to keep our body functioning properly. This includes everything from hormone secretion to muscle movement to organ function.
The atlas and axis, which make up the upper cervical spine, are freely movable and made to move in six different directions. This allows you to “roll” your head in a circular motion. However, this wide range of movement also makes these two vertebrae much more likely to become misaligned.
When the atlas and axis are misaligned, the communication between the brain stem and the rest of the body is interrupted. This can cause you to develop symptoms from improper functions within the body, which could eventually become chronic health conditions. The rest of the body must then compensate for the misalignment, causing an overall body imbalance known as a subluxation.

Precise, Gentle Care

Upper cervical care does not use the typical twisting and popping that is often associated with general chiropractic care. Instead, upper cervical specialists use a gentle and precise procedure based on X-rays and mathematical calculations to correct subluxations.
After taking spinographs of your upper cervical region, your doctor will then take precise measurements to decide exactly how the vertebrae are misaligned. Based on these calculations, your doctor will know precisely where to apply the adjustment.
A post-instrumentation reading is taken after the adjustment to ensure the subluxation was corrected. Because the goal is to have one correction hold for a long period of time, you may not need further adjustments. However, your doctor will want to see you periodically to ensure the alignment remains intact and that your body has begun healing itself as it was meant to.
At Upper Cervical Chiropractic of Spartanburg, we do everything we can to make our patients comfortable before, during, and after treatment. To schedule a consultation with one of our doctors, please request an appointment so that we can evaluate your unique needs.

CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE NERVE SYSTEM?

Brain health and healing messages leave the brain by way of the brainstem, pass through the neck, down the spinal cord and out over the entire nervous system to all parts of the body. These messages control everything that goes on in the body. These messages also direct all body healing.