Tag Archives: vertebrae

Resolution of Infertility Following Chiropractic Care

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What Causes Infertility? Does Chiropractic Help Fertility?

A case study and review of literature on the results of chiropractic care on patients with infertility was published on January 19, 2017, in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health. The study defines this condition by stating, “Infertility is a reproductive issue defined as the inability to accomplish a pregnancy within one year or more of regular sexual intercourse without the use of contraceptives.”

Resolution of Infertility Following Chiropractic Care - Pregnancy Chiropractor Austin Texas Fertility Sciatic Sciatica Pain in ButtAccording to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, the number of married women between the ages of 15 and 44 who are suffering with infertility is 1 million, or 6.1% of that age population. In that age group, 6.9 million, about 11.3%, have used fertility services.

The study reports that infertility can also have psychological effects on the woman affected by this and can lead to depression, low self-esteem, anxiety, and guilt, as well as self-loathing. Medical treatment for infertility can vary but usually carries a price tag in the thousands of dollars.

In this case, a 24-year-old woman presented herself for chiropractic care with a chief complaint of back pain. Her history also showed that she was under medical care for infertility for the past three and a half years. Additionally, it was reported that all of her menstrual cycles had to be progesterone induced and would occur infrequently every 3-5 months on average.

A chiropractic examination was performed that showed postural irregularities, tender areas along her spine, and muscle spasms. Motion muscle tests, reflexes and sensation were all within normal limits with only one orthopedic test showing a positive finding. X-rays revealed a reversal of the normal neck curve as well as malpositioning of several vertebrae in the lower back.

Based on the determination of the presence of subluxations, care was started on the woman in the form of specific chiropractic adjustments. By the third visit, the woman reported that she started menstruating. However, her cycle was not of normal duration or flow. By the ninth visit, she reported that she had finished her first normal menstrual cycle. On her tenth chiropractic visit, she stated that she had began ovulating. Two visits later, she reported that she had become pregnant. The woman went on to have a successful vaginal birth. She continued to receive chiropractic care and, as of the writing of this study, she was pregnant with her second child.

In their conclusion, the study authors explained how the woman was able to overcome infertility and conceive by saying, “Chiropractic care has the ability to restore biomechanical function and neurological integrity by working with the nervous system through the reduction of subluxations. This restoration of the nervous system can improve the function of the body in many aspects, including whole organ systems. The altered function of a female reproductive system has the potential to be improved through the enhancement of neurological function due to the effects of reducing subluxations.”

If you or anyone you know could benefit from a better functioning nervous system, please call us at 512-452-2525 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Swanson. Austin chiropractor located in north central Austin, TX.

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Scoliosis Helped by Chiropractic According to Study

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What Is Scoliosis? How Is Scoliosis Diagnosed? Can Chiropractic Help Scoliosis?

The Journal of Physical Therapy Science released a study in their April 2016 issue that showed that chiropractic care can help reduce or correct scoliosis in young children. In their abstract, the study authors state,  The purpose of this study was to examine whether chiropractic techniques would reduce the curvature of idiopathic scoliosis, which commonly occurs in elementary school children.

Scoliosis Helped by Chiropractic According to Study Austin TX Chiropractor Kids Family ChildrenAccording to the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases,  Scoliosis is a musculoskeletal disorder in which there is a sideways curvature of the spine, or backbone.  Scoliosis is measured using a system known as the  Cobb angle.  The Cobb angle is determined by comparing the tilt of two vertebrae at different points in the spine. When the angle measured is more than 10 degrees, it is classified as scoliosis.

In this study, five healthy elementary school students who had scoliosis were examined and measured to document the degree of scoliosis. The five participants each had a scoliosis that measured at least 10 degrees. The average age was between 11 and 12 years. Four of the children were boys and one was a girl.

A chiropractic examination was performed on each of the five participants and chiropractic adjustments were given to areas that, according to the study, did not show proper alignment. Chiropractic care was rendered three times per week for a period of 8 weeks. A measurement of the scoliosis was taken at the forth and eighth week of care to compare with the initial Cobb angles.

Results of chiropractic care for each of the subjects was dramatic. Two of the boys had an initial Cobb angle of 10 degrees. In both of these cases the Cobb angle was corrected to 0 (zero) degrees after just four weeks of chiropractic care. One boy with an initial 13 degree Cobb angle was reduced to 7 degrees by week four, and down to 0 degrees by week eight. The fourth boy had an initial Cobb angle of 11 which was reduced to 5 degrees at 4 weeks and remained at 5 degrees at the 8 week check. The one girl in the study started at 12 degrees of Cobb angle and was completely corrected to 0 degrees by week four.

In all, three of the five children showed total correction within 4 weeks, with one child taking 8 weeks. Only one child showed a partial correction of better than half by week four.

The authors of the study are PhDs and not chiropractors, from Department of Physical Therapy, College of Health and Welfare, Silla University, Republic of Korea. They explained the study and the results in their discussion by saying,  In application of chiropractic techniques, a specific area of the vertebrae and joint is identified, and a rapid, low-amplitude stimulus is applied to correct the joint by applying force to it so that the joint moves into the physiological range and past the elastic range, which is the normal motion range of the joint. Therefore, chiropractic techniques are known to correct a twisted spine, restore muscle imbalance, help restore functions of spinal nerves.

If you or anyone you know could benefit from a better functioning nervous system, please call us at 512-452-2525 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Swanson.

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Study Suggests Most Subluxations Do Not Cause Symptoms

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A study published in the January 28, 2016, issue of the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research showed that most subluxations do not cause symptoms of any kind. The study was conducted in Germany using a survey of chiropractic offices.

Study Suggests Most Subluxations Do Not Cause Symptoms - Austin TX Chiropractor best yelp google reviewsThe definition of subluxation according to the Association of Chiropractic Colleges is: “A subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity, and may influence organ system function and general health.” In simpler terms, a subluxation (a.k.a. Vertebral Subluxation) is when one or more of the bones of the spine (vertebrae) move out of position and create pressure on, or irritate, spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from between each of the bones in the spine. This pressure or irritation on the nerves then causes those nerves to malfunction and interfere with the signals traveling over those nerves.

The study reports that the International Federation of Chiropractors and Organizations (IFCO) considers subluxations by themselves to be sufficient reason for chiropractic care. “The correction of vertebral subluxation is appropriate for anyone exhibiting evidence of its existence regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms and/or disease. Therefore, the determination of the presence of vertebral subluxation stands as a sole rationale for care.” The Council of Chiropractic Education also notes, “Vertebral subluxation may be asymptomatic, yet still exert various physiological effects.”

In this study, a survey was sent to 25 German chiropractic offices asking them several questions. Nineteen offices responded to the questions including, “How many of the patients that you treat every day have asymptomatic subluxations?” The intention of this question was not to look for patients that had no symptoms at all, but rather to look for patients with subluxations that were not causing the patient any symptoms. The survey also asked the offices how many patients they saw each week.

The results of the survey showed that, on average, 93.73% of patients who went to the chiropractor had some asymptomatic subluxations. These subluxations could have been in addition to subluxations that were causing the patient symptoms. The offices surveyed represented a variety in the number of patients that were seen with the average being 172 patient visits per week.

In their conclusion, the authors noted the importance of detecting subluxations that may not show symptoms by stating, “From the analysis of the collected data it appears that asymptomatic subluxations that are not consciously perceived are common among patients presenting in chiropractic offices in Germany. This lends support to the widespread belief among chiropractors that people should be checked for subluxations regardless of conscious symptoms being present.”

If you or anyone you know could benefit from a better functioning nervous system, please call us at 512-452-2525 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Swanson.

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Growing Number of Parents are Turning to Chiropractors to Treat Their Kids

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Do Chiropractors See Kids? How Does Chiropractic Care Help Children?

The headline above comes from a June 22, 2015, feature article in the Minnesota Star Tribune. The article looks at several children who have had their lives improved by going to a chiropractor. The article begins by saying, “Concerned about the frequent use of antibiotics, some parents are seeking chiropractic care for everything from stomachaches to runny noses.”

Growing Number of Parents are Turning to Chiropractors to Treat Their Kids - Austin TX ChiropracticThe discussion about children needing chiropractic is a polarizing one. Many people believe very strongly that chiropractic care is essential for young spines while others do not. Kimberly is the mother of Tobias, an active one-year-old boy featured in the article who is a new chiropractic patient. “We knew that as our children were growing that we would seek chiropractic care as they had growing pains and accidents,” she explains. Noting how active her son is, she added, “And Tobias, he’s a mover and a shaker.”

Tobias’s chiropractor, Dr. Anne, explained that for many babies, the only way they can communicate something is wrong to their parents is by crying. “For an infant, their only way to tell a parent they don’t feel good is by crying.” She points out that this may not be just the result of being hungry or tired or wet, but may well be the result of a health issue that stems from a spinal misalignment, known as a subluxation.

Dr. Anne also explained the uniqueness of the process of adjusting a baby or small child. “With a 2-year-old, you’ve got about 20 seconds to get it done because they’re either yelling at you or want to be done. It’s hard to describe to a young kid what they’re going to feel,” she said. “So I always have them near Mom and Dad so that they’re not afraid.”

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention state that in 2012, about 3.1 percent of children in the U.S. were seen by chiropractors. Dr. Elise Hewitt, president of the pediatrics council for the American Chiropractic Association added, “That’s a total of almost 2 million children in 2012 that received chiropractic and osteopathic care.”

In explaining the typical scenario of why a parent brings their child to see a chiropractor, Dr. Anne said, “So parents get frustrated. They’ve been at the pediatrician for two or three months and their kid has been on three or four antibiotics,” she said. “More often than not, it’s a structural thing that’s causing the ear infections. So they end up here.”

To explain her reasons for bringing her kids to the chiropractor, Kimberly stated, “I think we’ve always understood that there’s such rapid growth when a child is growing, and the birthing process — I don’t ever say traumatic, but it can be dramatic,” she said. “So it has always sat right with us to have someone who understands the vertebrae be able to take a look at little guys early on.”

If you or anyone you know could benefit from a better functioning nervous system, please call us at 512-452-2525 to schedule a consultation with Dr. Swanson.

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