Newsletter Articles
January 2021

• Kidney Function, Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain Helped with Chiropractic
• Survey of Parents Who Bring Their Infants to Chiropractors Shows High Satisfaction Rate
• Migraines Helped with Chiropractic Care
• Chronic Dizziness, Neck Pains and Headaches Helped by Chiropractic

Kidney Function, Neck Pain and Lower Back Pain Helped with Chiropractic

The Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published the results of a case study in the December 10, 2020, issue documenting the improvement in kidney function as well as symptomatic improvement in a patient under chiropractic care who was suffering with neck pain, lower back pain, and hip pain.

The study begins by reporting that, according to the National Kidney Foundation, 1 in 3 adults are at risk for developing kidney disease. The major job of the kidneys is to filter the blood. One of the things that the kidneys filter is creatinine.

According to the Mayo clinic website, "Creatinine is a chemical waste product that's produced by your muscle metabolism and to a smaller extent by eating meat. Healthy kidneys filter creatinine and other waste products from your blood. The filtered waste products leave your body in your urine." The Mayo Clinic continues with, "If your kidneys aren't functioning properly, an increased level of creatinine may accumulate in your blood. A serum creatinine test measures the level of creatinine in your blood and provides an estimate of how well your kidneys filter."

In this study, a 42-year-old man sought chiropractic care for help with his pain in his low back, the right-side of his neck, as well as pain in his right pelvis. He reported that he had been suffering with the low back and pelvis pain for almost 30 years ever since he suffered injuries playing high school football. His neck pain had been present for decades after another injury suffered while playing a pick-up game of football.

The man rated his pains as 7 out of 10, with 10 being the worst. He stated that his pain was present about 70% of the time. He also reported some numbness in his right-hand fingers as well as some shoulder pain. The man had sought medical care for his problems with no relief. His history also revealed that he was taking medications for high blood pressure and elevated cholesterol. Lab tests revealed that the man had an elevated serum creatinine levels with a value of 1.41 mg/dL (milligrams per deciliter) indicative of kidney problems. The normal range for creatinine in the blood is between 0.84 and 1.21 mg/dL.

A chiropractic examination was performed on the man with the specific intent of locating subluxations. Specific forms of chiropractic adjustments were then given on regular intervals to correct the subluxations.

Following the first adjustment, the man reported that he noticed a 30% reduction in his symptoms. The level of relief increased to 70% within the first month of chiropractic care. After several months of chiropractic care, another serum creatinine analysis was performed. This time his serum creatinine levels had fallen to 1.19 mg/dL, which is well within a normal range for a man at his age. This change documented that there was an increase in kidney function after chiropractic care.

In their conclusion, the authors of the study wrote, "Improvements in the patient's subjective complaints, as well as objective thermography, and blood analysis were seen while receiving chiropractic care." They went on to say, "In this case, chiropractic care may have played a role in the physiological changes that resulted in the reduction of serum creatinine levels, by restoring balance to the autonomic nervous system."

Survey of Parents Who Bring Their Infants to Chiropractors Shows High Satisfaction Rate

The Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics published the results of a large-scale survey in their December 2020 issue showing that parents who bring their infants to chiropractors are highly satisfied with the care and results.

This survey study was performed at the AECC University College (Anglo-European College of Chiropractic) in Bournemouth, England. Infants up to the age of 12 months were included in this study. The infants received chiropractic care at either the AECC teaching chiropractic clinic or at selective private chiropractic practices in the UK.

In this study, a 12-question standardized form known as the United Kingdom Infant Questionnaire (UKIQ) was given the parents of infants who were seeing chiropractic care at either the AECC teaching clinic or in the private practices participating in the study. These forms were filled out initially before any chiropractic care was rendered and were then sent to researchers to be compared with forms done later in care.

A 13-question questionnaire was given to the parent at the fourth visit, or at the time of discharge from care, whichever occurred first. This questionnaire had the same first 12 questions with the addition of a 13th question asking what changes the parents had noticed in their infant. This one additional question is known as the Parent’s Global Impression of Change (PGIC). Additionally, information collected included the infant’s age, gender, type of birth, place of birth, feeding type, symptoms, medications, sleeping preferences, and information about any healthcare providers that had previously been seen for the infant’s current problems.

In total, there were 312 follow-up questionnaires that were compared to the initial questionnaires. On average, most infants in the study had two health issues for which their parents were seeking chiropractic care. The average age of infants in this study was between three and eight weeks old. Since almost all of these infants had health issues, many were under medical care. Between 58% and 62% of the children had been given some form of medication.

Overall, 86% of the parents reported that they were satisfied with their chiropractic care and that their babies had improved. Additionally, in the entire study group, there were no recorded incidences of any adverse events due to chiropractic care among the near 500 infants in the survey study.

In their conclusion, the authors of the study survey stated, "In this study of outcomes of chiropractic care for infants presented to a teaching clinic and to private clinics showed very high satisfaction ratings from the parents along with good improvements in the infants’ complaints with no adverse events."

Migraines Helped with Chiropractic Care

Published in the volume 3 issue of the 2020 Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic are the results of a case study showing the resolution of migraine headaches in a chiropractic patient who had previously had Harrington rods surgically implanted into her spine.

A Harrington rod is a surgical device implanted next to the spine. The study begins by describing "Harrington rods are titanium or stainless steel spinal implants used to treat spinal instabilities or spinal deformities, such as severe scoliotic curves." Developed in 1953, the Harrington rod was widely used from the 1960s into the 1990s.

This study states that, although there is limited scientific information that would link the implantation of a Harrington rods to migraine headaches, the authors suggested that the change in musculature could create events that may affect the length and severity of a migraine.

In this case, a 20-year-old woman sought chiropractic care in the hopes of getting relief of her migraine headaches. Her history noted that she was diagnosed by her medical physician with migraines at the age of 13. Shortly thereafter, she had received a Harrington rod fusion surgery which fused her spine from the base of her neck down to the bottom of her middle back.

The woman had sought out chiropractic care previously for one visit only. She reported that she did get some relief but decided to pursue other treatments. These other treatments included multiple over-the-counter non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (NSAID) medications, which only gave her minimal relief. At the time of her recent visit to the chiropractor, the woman was experiencing migraine headaches daily.

A chiropractic examination did show that the woman had a reduction in her neck range of motion and tight neck muscles. Immediately after her first chiropractic adjustment, the woman did show an increase in her neck range of motion. She reported that she felt relief from the tension she had in her neck and head. She was also given home stretching exercises for her neck.

After the second chiropractic visit, the woman reported that her migraines had decreased in frequency from one per day to only one in a week. By the sixth week of chiropractic care, the woman reported that she had not had a migraine for three weeks.

The authors of the study summed up this case by stating, "This case demonstrates a favorable reduction in migraine frequency following a 6-week episode of chiropractic care in a person with a Harrington rod fusion."

Chronic Dizziness, Neck Pains and Headaches Helped by Chiropractic

A case study published in the 2020 issue of The Journal of Physical Therapy Science documented the improvement of a patient under chiropractic care who had been suffering with severe and chronic dizziness, neck pain and headaches. Dizziness is a common occurrence that can come from many different problems. When the cause of the dizziness is unknown, it is referred to as idiopathic dizziness.

In this case, a 57-year-old woman sought chiropractic care for help with her chronic dizziness. She was also suffering with recurring lower back and neck pain as well as headaches. At the most severe, the woman rated her neck pain as a 9 out of 10, with 10 being the worst pain possible.

The woman had been getting episodes of dizziness for 30 years. Her dizziness began one year after she was involved in an automobile accident. Using a standardized test that rates the level of disability due to dizziness, the woman's dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) was rated at 56 out of a possible 100, where 100 would be totally disabled. Prior medical tests had ruled out any pathologies or Meniere’s disease as a possible cause of her dizziness.

A chiropractic examination included x-rays which showed a loss of the woman's neck curve and a forward projection of her head. Based on the findings of her chiropractic examination and x-rays, specific chiropractic care was started. Due to her severe dizziness, special accommodations and adaptations needed to be made to her care.

After three months of care, the study reports that the woman's lower back and neck pains had reduced significantly down to only 1 out of 10. Follow-up x-rays showed that her neck curvature was starting to return to normal. Additionally, the woman's dizziness had improved dramatically going from an original dizziness handicap inventory (DHI) score of 56, down to a score of just 12. Her score continued to improve with time decreasing to 10 DHI after ten months.

In their summary of the results, the researchers wrote, "The patient reported significant reduction in neck pains, headache and dizziness frequency and severity. The patient had a 44-point drop on the dizziness handicap inventory; dizziness symptoms were reported to be very rare. A 1.5 year follow-up showed stability of the symptom relief and a negligible score on the dizziness handicap inventory."