On November 30, 2020, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a case study showing chiropractic helping a baby who has suffered birth trauma resulting in a brachial plexus injury. John Hopkins Medical describes the brachial plexus on their website as, “The brachial plexus is a network of nerves in the shoulder that carries movement and sensory signals from the spinal cord to the arms and hands.”

During the birth process, if the newborn is positioned in a certain way during delivery, the newborn’s shoulder can get caught in the mother’s pelvis. This type of problem is known as shoulder dystocia, and can lead to brachial plexus injury or even a broken clavicle bone. In shoulder dystocia, excessive force is commonly used to attempt to deliver the baby vaginally, and, in many instances, the procedure is abandoned, and a cesarean is performed. Brachial plexus injury during birth is relatively rare, occurring in less that half a percent of live births in the United States.

In this case, the mother of a 5-month-old boy brought her son in to the chiropractor for help. Her baby son was not using his left arm. The woman stated that her pregnancy was without incident, but the delivery was very difficult. She reported that her baby was in a transverse (sideways) position causing his shoulder to get stuck. Because of this, a large episiotomy was performed and the baby was delivered vaginally with great difficulty.

Immediately after birth, his mother noted that her baby was protective of his left shoulder and kept his left arm straight and less active than his right. The infant also could not lie on his belly for more than five minutes without becoming fussy.

A chiropractic examination noted a stiffness and rigidity of the muscles and shoulder joint on the baby’s left side. Palpation of the spine noted areas of concern for possible subluxation. From this examination, the baby began receiving age and size appropriate specific adjustments to address the subluxations.

By the fourth chiropractic visit, the boy’s mother reported that her son was moving his arm more frequently and he spent more time on his belly. By the sixth visit, the baby boy enjoyed being on his belly for extended periods of time. On the 15th chiropractic visit, a re-evaluation was performed. During that visit, the boy’s mother stated, “He is doing great under care! He’s using both his arms equally and he might even have a tendency towards his left hand now!” She also reported that her son was able to pick up bigger balls with his left hand than with his right.

In the study discussion and conclusion, the authors wrote, “The patient presented to the private family chiropractic office at five months of age without having improved upper extremity movement or strength noticeably since birth.” They sum up the results by saying, “This case study describes the positive health outcomes and prevention of surgery following chiropractic care in a baby suffering from obstetrical brachial plexus palsy secondary to birth trauma.”

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The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published the results of a case study on November 16, 2020, documenting chiropractic helping a 7-week-old infant with multiple health issues. These problems included acid reflux, problems with swallowing, difficulty sleeping, problems with latching, spitting up after feeding, gas and a superior gaze.

According to the Mayo Clinic website, “Gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) occurs when stomach acid frequently flows back into the tube connecting your mouth and stomach (esophagus). This backwash (acid reflux) can irritate the lining of your esophagus.”

This authors of this study report that in the pediatric population, GERD occurs in approximately 67% of infants before the age of four months, and decreases to 21% by six months of age. This problem can further cause eating problems and frequent vomiting which can lead to slow weight gain and respiratory issues. In most cases, this problem will self-resolve by the age of 12 months.

In this case, a seven-week-old baby boy was brought to the chiropractor by his mother. The baby was suffering with acid reflux and difficulty latching. His mother also reported that her son had a left head tilt, and an upward gaze. She also noticed that her baby had painful swallowing, was spitting up his food, and had trouble sleeping. The infant’s problems started four week earlier. Two weeks before seeking chiropractic, his mother took him to a medical doctor who diagnosed the boy with GERD and prescribed a medication to treat his problem.

Upon initial inspection, the baby boy appeared to be under-weight and had an upward gaze. An age appropriate chiropractic examination revealed the presence of vertebral subluxations. With this information and the approval of the boy’s mother, specific chiropractic pediatric adjustments were started.

After the first adjustment, the boy had an appointment with his pediatrician who commented that the boy had returned to normal weight and seemed free of any symptoms from GERD. The MD also noticed that the boy was holding his head up straight instead of tilting to one side, and the boy could lie on his belly without discomfort.

The boy’s mother also reported that her baby’s appetite had increased, and he was not fussing or crying after each meal. It was also observed that the boy was sleeping much better. After just two adjustments during 10 days of chiropractic care, the pediatrician reduced the baby’s prescribed medication and ultimately discontinued it altogether after three weeks of chiropractic care.

In their conclusion, the authors summed up this case by saying, “The case of a 7-week-old male diagnosed with GERD and a history of birth trauma, poor sleeping and feeding habits was presented. Significant improvements were observed following the introduction of chiropractic care.” They continued, “The resolution of these health challenges after two adjustments suggests there is a possible connection between them and vertebral subluxation.”

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The Journal of Primary Care & Community Health published in Volume II:1-6 of their journal and accepted on August 5, 2020, a study that showed chiropractic care ranked better that a multidisciplinary pain team in the care of chronic spinal pain.

In explaining the background for this study, the authors state, “Chronic spinal pain is one of the most common diseases in the United States. Underserved patients are most affected, and disproportionately may use opioid medications as they lack access to other therapies.” The authors go on to say, “In the United States, 20.4% (50.0 million) adults suffer from chronic pain, and 8.0% (19.6 million) of U.S. adults have high-impact chronic pain (chronic pain limiting life and work activities).”

Lower back pain in the most common spinal pain and causes the most years of disability globally. Neck pain ranks fourth in years of disability. It is also reported that those that live in poorer communities are more likely to have disability from spinal pain than those in more affluent areas.

This study was conducted in a healthcare center in St. Louis, Missouri. In that center, two types of care were given to patients with chronic pain. One type of care was given by a multidisciplinary chronic pain team, and the other type of care was chiropractic care. The team rendering multidisciplinary chronic pain care consisted of a primary care physician (PCP), a behavioral health consultant, a clinical nurse, and a clinical pharmacist. The chiropractic care was given by faculty professors and students from Logan University, a chiropractic college in Chesterfield, Missouri.

Patients entering the study were referred to either type of care or both, based on the patient’s preference and recommendation of their provider. The pain team care was largely reimbursed by insurance while the chiropractic was paid by the patients. A “PDQ” (Pain Disability Questionnaire) was used to measure the results of the participants in each of the groups.

There were 20 participants who received chiropractic care and 12 who were treated by the pain team. The study itself was scheduled to run for a longer period of time with more participants but was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The results of those who were able to complete the study showed that the chiropractic group had significantly more improvement that the pain team group after care was rendered by the respective groups.

The authors reported in their study that, “… enrollment in the chiropractic team (P = .01) were associated with a larger improvement in PDQ after intervention.” They noted that chiropractic care should be included in healthcare centers to make it easier for those in underserved areas to receive chiropractic care.

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The Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published a case study on October 1, 2020, that documented a patient under chiropractic care receiving significant relief from neck pain and torticollis.

Cervical dystonia is also sometimes known as spasmodic torticollis. The Mayo Clinic describes this condition on their website by saying “… a painful condition in which your neck muscles contract involuntarily, causing your head to twist or turn to one side. Cervical dystonia can also cause your head to uncontrollably tilt forward or backward.”

Cervical dystonia is rare, occurring at any age and affects more women than men. Typical medical treatment involves physiotherapy and muscle relaxant drugs. In some cases, intramuscular injection of botulinum neurotoxin is used to try to correct the problem.

In this case, a 14-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor. The girl was suffering from a head tilt to her right and neck pain on both sides of her neck. She also reported a feeling of tremor and neck pulling from time to time. Because of her condition, the young girl was withdrawn, socially anxious and unhappy about how she looked.

For the past year, the girl was unsuccessfully being treated medically for her painful situation. She had received three botulinum toxin injections at 3-month intervals, along with physiotherapy and acupuncture. She was currently being medically treated with muscle relaxers which were not giving the girl any relief. A chiropractic examination noted the head tilt and the spasm of neck muscles. The girl had a limited range of motion in her neck, which produced pain on certain movements. X-rays of the girl’s neck showed asymmetry of the position of the vertebrae at the top of her neck.

Regular chiropractic care was started daily for the first week. During that initial time, the girl reported significant relief of her pain. After the first week, care was rendered three time per week for the following three months.

The results of the care documented a significant reduction of the girl’s pain, elimination of spasm of her neck muscles, and an improvement in the position of her head. She also reported not having any more headaches. After nine months of care, the study reports that the girl was symptom free. This caused a positive change in her mood and she regained her self-confidence.

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The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published a case study on October 8, 2020, that documented the improvement of oxygen levels in a newborn immediately following a chiropractic adjustment. The improvement was measured in real-time using a pulse oximeter.

The study begins by noting that “Pulse oximetry (PO) is routinely used in neonatal evaluation to assess for congenital heart disease (CHD).” According to Nationwide Children’s Hospital, “The pulse-oximetry test can help identify infants with low levels of oxygen in their blood and may help diagnose critical CHD (congenital heart disease) before an infant becomes sick.” The study reports that CHD is one of the most common birth defects affecting nine out of every 1000 newborns.

Pulse oximetry has become a common non-invasive test used shortly after birth to help reduce the risk of CHD by early detection. The study reported how common the PO test has become by noting, “Recently the Canadian Cardiovascular Society and the Canadian Pediatric Cardiology Association issued a position statement strongly recommending that PO evaluation be done in all healthy newborns, and multiple states in the United States have made PO evaluation of neonates mandatory.”

In this case, an 8-pound female infant was born at home with the assistance of a certified midwife. The pregnancy was full-term and had no complications. Immediately after the birth, the midwife performed an evaluation of the infant which included a pulse oximeter being placed on the infant’s right foot. After three minutes, the PO reading was 73%. A normal reading for an infant should be above 95%.

Due to the low oxygen level, the infant was administered oxygen which caused the PO reading to rise to 93%. However, when the oxygen was removed, the PO reading would once again drop down to 85%. Because of this situation, and in accordance with state protocol, the midwife informed the parents that their newborn might need to be transported to the emergency room due to the possibility of Congenital Heart Disease.

A pediatric chiropractor was asked to evaluate the infant for the presence of vertebral subluxations. Subluxations, especially in the upper neck, are a common concern due to possible trauma during the birth process. An examination of the infant’s neck was performed which showed some segmental mobility issues. With this finding as well as other chiropractic checks, it was determined that a subluxation was present in the infant at the top of the neck area.

An age and size appropriate specific chiropractic adjustment was given to the infant using a sustained pressure at the area of subluxation. The study reported that, in-real-time, the pulse oximetry (PO) reading returned to a normal 95% immediately upon the infant getting the chiropractic adjustment. The PO reading continued to remain normal for the entire time the midwife monitored the newborn. Due to this immediate and positive change, the midwife determined that the infant would not need to be taken to the hospital.

In their conclusion the authors of this study wrote, “This case study provides supporting evidence of the benefits of subluxation-based chiropractic care in the improvement of pulse oximetry readings in neonates. Obstetric health care providers must be aware of cases like this, as low-risk interventions such as pediatric chiropractic could prevent more invasive medical treatments for patients.”

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On October 15, 2020, the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published the results of a case study documenting the resolution of chronic temporomandibular disorder with chiropractic care. Temporomandibular disorders are problems typically involving pain of the temporomandibular joints, commonly referred to as the TMJ.

According to John Hopkins Medical website, “Temporomandibular disorders (TMD) are disorders of the jaw muscles, temporomandibular joints, and the nerves associated with chronic facial pain. Any problem that prevents the complex system of muscles, bones, and joints from working together in harmony may result in temporomandibular disorder.”

Some of the more common symptoms of TMD are pain in and around the TMJ, headaches, abnormal jaw movement, or clicking sounds upon opening or closing the mouth. The study reports that about 30% of the adult population is affected by TMD at some time in their lives, with women, typically in the ages of 25 to 44, having this issue more commonly than men.

In this case, a 36-year-old woman went to the chiropractor because she was suffering with left sided TMJ pain. She reported that she had hit herself in the jaw while weightlifting several years earlier severely enough to break several teeth. The woman described her constant pain as “deep, sharp, and heavy.” She rated the intensity as 7 out of 10 (10 worst), with the pain rising to 9 out of 10 with certain activities. The pain was progressively getting worse and was aggravated by movement, sleeping and straining. She was taking some non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) to try to get some relief.

A chiropractic examination noted that her head was in a forward position as well as being tilted to the left with shoulder height asymmetry. Her TMJ was tender to palpation. From these and other procedures, it was determined that subluxations were present.

Regular chiropractic adjustments were started on the patient. After several weeks, the study noted that adequate progress had not been made on her condition. Changes to her chiropractic care were made to attempt to improve the patient’s issues.

The changes in her care showed a positive result as several days later the woman returned and reported that she had eaten almonds for the past three days without having any pain. From that point forward, the woman was able to eat normally with only occasional discomfort. With continued chiropractic care, the woman continued to improve until she could report that her TMJ pain was reduced to mostly a 0 out of 10, only occasionally rising to 2 out of 10.

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On September 28, 2020, the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published the results of a case study that documented the reduction of scoliosis in a young girl who received chiropractic care. The chiropractic adjustment given were only done on her neck but caused the rest of her spine to change.

The study begins by explaining that scoliosis is a curve of the spine to the side, greater than 10 degrees when looking from either the front or back on spinal x-rays. The method of analysis which measures the degrees of curvature is known as the Cobb method. The study notes that when disease or physical bone deformities are not present as the cause of the curvature, it is considered to be idiopathic scoliosis.

Adolescent Idiopathic Scoliosis (AIS) is described by the Scoliosis Research Society on their website as, “AIS is by far the most common type of scoliosis, affecting children between ages 10 to 18; it’s found in as many as 4 in 100 adolescents. In general, AIS curves progress during the rapid growth period of the patient.”

Scoliosis is found in 2-4% of children between the ages of 10 and 16 years old. It is less common in children younger, and very rare in those less than three years of age. AIS is considered to be the most common form of scoliosis. Typical medical care for the more severe cases is bracing.

In this case, a 12-year-old girl was brought to the chiropractor after having had a collision with a blow to the head while playing lacrosse over a week earlier. As a result of the accident, the girl was suffering with headaches. The collision was so severe that the girl temporarily lost consciousness and resulted in daily pulsating headaches near her left ear. In addition, the girl also was suffering with difficulty concentrating, neck, low-back, shoulder and ankle pain, and stomach discomfort.

A chiropractic examination and x-rays were performed. The x-rays showed a significant scoliosis present in the girl’s spine. From the examination and x-rays, it was determined that subluxation in the upper neck was present. To address the subluxation, specific chiropractic adjustments were started.

As care continued, follow-up examinations and spinal x-rays were performed. It was reported that the girl was experiencing symptomatic relief with her complaints. The x-rays showed a reduction of the subluxation in the upper neck. Additionally, the x-rays showed that the scoliosis was reducing, even though no adjustments were given to that part of the spine. Measurements of the curvature on the x-rays revealed that after 28 days of chiropractic care, there was a 40% reduction of the girl’s scoliosis.

In the discussion portion of the study, the authors summed up this case by stating, “This case presented the reduction of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis in a 12-year-old female presenting with a chief complaint of headaches. Over a 28-day period, conservative chiropractic management led to improvement in chief complaint as well as incidental findings of scoliotic distortions.”

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The Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published the results of a case study on August 24, 2020, documenting the improvement under chiropractic care of a patient suffering with fibromyalgia and depression. Fibromyalgia affects about 2% of the adult population in the US, which comes out to be about 4 million people.

According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention , National Center for Chronic Disease Prevention and Health Promotion , Division of Population Health, “Fibromyalgia (fi·bro·my·al·gi·a) is a condition that causes pain all over the body (also referred to as widespread pain), sleep problems, fatigue, and often emotional and mental distress. People with fibromyalgia may be more sensitive to pain than people without fibromyalgia.”

The study lists other issues that commonly are associated with cases of fibromyalgia. These other problems include stiffness, fatigue, numbness, migraine, tension headaches, irritable bowel syndrome, TMJ syndrome, swollen lymphatic tissue, carpal tunnel syndrome, intolerance to cold weather, anxiety, depression, mental fogginess, and sleep disorders. Women have this problem 9 times more frequently than do men.

In this case, a 48-year-old woman who was diagnosed with fibromyalgia went to the chiropractor. She had been given the diagnosis of fibromyalgia 13 year prior to her chiropractic visit. She also reported suffering with headaches, dizziness, neck, shoulder, and upper mid-back pain, as well as lower back pain that occasionally radiated down her legs. The woman had trouble sleeping and reported a 50% loss of sleep for the past 10 years. She reported that she was on three different medications for her problems, one of which was for depression.

At the time of her visit to the chiropractor, the woman reported that her pain was very severe as she could not sit in a chair longer than an hour or stand more than 30 minutes without her pain increasing. She was unable to walk without severe pain and was unable to carry out normal daily activities without severe pain.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included a posture analysis, motion and static palpation, and spinal x-rays. The x-rays showed a loss of the normal forward neck curvature, disc degeneration, and malpositioned vertebrae. It was determined that subluxations were present, and a plan was set forth for the woman to receive chiropractic adjustments at the rate of 3 adjustments per week for 12 weeks.

The study reports that the woman started noticing relief after the first adjustment. As care continued, her pain reduced dramatically and her range of motion increased. After 6 months of chiropractic care, the woman had experienced over 75% relief in her symptoms. This improvement caused her medical doctor to change her diagnosis to remission of fibromyalgia.

In the study discussion and conclusion, the authors wrote, “There are a few models and theories in which the mechanism of subluxation correction can help to manage fibromyalgia symptomatology. With the removal of vertebral subluxations the interference in the transmission of mental impulse between brain and body are restored and therefore proper physiology is returned. “They continued, “The findings in this case study suggest chiropractic adjustments to reduce vertebral subluxation may benefit patients who suffer from fibromyalgia.

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The August 20, 2020, issue of the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published the results of two case studies that documented the resolution with chiropractic of vomiting problems in two separate pediatric cases. Both patients were young boys who had never received chiropractic care prior to the care reported in this study.

In the first case, a 9-year-old boy who was feeling sick and vomiting was brought to the chiropractor. His parents reported that their son was previously a healthy and active child who played a number of sports year-round. They also noted that, in playing sports, there were multiple occasions where their son would get hit and fall hard.

A chiropractic examination was done which included inspection, palpation, and infrared thermography. Spinal x-rays were also performed which included motion x-rays of the neck known as video fluoroscopy. From these tests, it was determined that subluxations were present. Specific forms of age appropriate chiropractic adjustments were started to address the subluxations. No nutritional, exercise, physiotherapy, or lifestyle modifications were incorporated into the boy’s care.

After just one chiropractic adjustment, the boy’s parents reported that their son experienced a complete resolution of all symptoms by the next day. He no longer felt sick and was not vomiting. His parents continued their son under chiropractic care on a wellness basis.

In the second case, a 7-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractic suffering with complaints of random vomiting after eating. The vomiting was occurring about once every six weeks. He was also suffering with hearing loss in his left ear.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included thermal imaging scans, a video-fluoroscopy, and static x-rays. As in the first case, it was determined that multiple areas of subluxation were present. Based upon the findings, a series of specific chiropractic adjustments were started on the boy.

The case study reported that the boy’s vomiting problems had completely resolved, but that as of the writing of this report, there had not been a change in his hearing. The study noted that this boy also remained under chiropractic care as a wellness or preventative measure.

In their discussion, the authors of the study note that spinal injuries from activity, accidents, or sports will usually affect the neck more seriously in younger patients than it would in a fully developed neck. This scenario sets up the possibility for nerve system interference known as subluxations. Since most subluxations do not result in symptoms, they can remain present for years and create health issues that are seemingly unrelated to a health issue the pediatric patient may be experiencing.

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The Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published the results of a case study on September 21, 2020, documenting the resolution of chronic migraine headaches in a patient undergoing chiropractic care. Chronic migraines are migraines that occur more frequently for a period of at least three months.

On their website, the Cleveland Clinic describes headaches by saying, “A migraine headache is a type of headache that tends to recur and causes moderate to severe pain. The pain is often described as throbbing or pulsing and usually begins on one side of the head. Migraine headaches are worsened by physical activity, light, sound, or physical movement. The pain typically last from 4 hours up to 3 days.”

The Cleveland Clinic also reports that, “The National Headache Foundation estimates that nearly 12% of the population experience migraine headaches. This means that nearly 40 million people in the United States have migraines. Women are about three times more likely than men to experience migraines.”

In this case study, a 53-year-old woman was referred to a chiropractor by a neurologist for an evaluation of her upper neck. The woman had been experiencing migraine with aura for twelve years. She was suffering with migraines four days a week that would last 8 hours. The woman reported that the pain was sharp and radiating from her neck to her temporal areas. Additionally, the headaches were occurring with blurred vision, vomiting, nausea, grinding of teeth, spasm, tremors in jaw two–three times a day. Her symptoms were so severe that the woman would be bedridden for days and was unable to care for herself.

A specific chiropractic examination was performed focusing on the upper neck area. Special x-rays of the upper neck were also done. It was determined that there was a subluxation at the top of her neck and specific chiropractic adjustment procedures were started to address the upper neck area.

Immediately after her first chiropractic adjustment, the woman reported that she no longer had a headache, no blurred vision, no nausea, and no neck pain. She additionally noted that she no longer felt like a headache was coming on. After the first visit, the study reports that the woman remained free of migraines and neck pain.

After three months of chiropractic care, a re-evaluation was performed. At that time, the woman reported that she had been free of migraines since her first adjustment, she could rotate her neck without pain, she reported increased energy, improved clarity, and brightness in her vision.

In their conclusion, the study authors note that this woman was a medical failure and was sent to the chiropractor by her neurologist. They note that the woman had been suffering with her debilitating problems for 12 years. Once chiropractic was started, the woman became completely free of her migraines and the symptoms associated with her previous condition.

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