Case Studies

This case illustrates the potential benefits of chiropractic care in pediatric patients with neurological and developmental challenges, highlighting the importance of addressing structural misalignments and promoting neurological function through gentle adjustments. Regular chiropractic care may contribute to improved quality of life and functional outcomes in such cases. 

Asperger’s syndrome is considered a high-functioning autism [1] and since its exact cause is unknown some research supports the likelihood of a genetic basis. It differs from other autism spectrum disorders by its relative preservation of linguistic and cognitive development. Although not required for diagnosis, physical clumsiness and atypical use of language are frequently reported [2]. There is no single treatment, and the effectiveness of particular interventions is supported by only limited data. Intervention is aimed at improving symptoms and function.

Approximately 4 million babies born in the U.S. each year, up to 35% with reflux in the first few months of life, which may resolve by their first birthday yet some will never outgrow the condition. Beyond infancy, up to one fourth of children and adolescents have recurrent abdominal pain, whereas only 5% report heartburn or epigastric pain 1. Surgical treatment (fundoplication) has mortality rates up to 4.7% with 6% having postoperative complications 2. Therefore the onset of gastroesophageal reflux (GER) and hiatal hernia (HH) symptoms are on the rise in the pediatric population.

This thirty four year old woman entered my office on January 10 2000, seeking chiropractic care for a variety of conditions, including help with her infertility. She had previously attempted to get pregnant in the usual and customary manner but was unable to do so. Eventually, after a series of fertility drugs that failed to produce results, she was able to conceive a child through in vitro fertilization (test tube baby) and implantation. Her son was born on July 3, 1998. Approximately one year after his birth she again attempted to get pregnant but was unable to do so.

Lumbar disc injuries to L5-S1 and the accompanying neurological radicular syndrome are one of the most common discogenic injuries to the spine. The common occurrence of this condition and its devastating effects on the health and well-being of the individual is staggering. In the United States the lifetime incidence of LBP has been reported to be 60-90% with an annual incidence of 5%. LBP affects men and women equally. Most people with LBP do not seek medical care, they do not have significant functional impairment, and they recover rapidly.

A call has been made for more rigorous scientific inquiry to examine the value of manipulative therapy in the treatment of pediatric conditions [1]. Simultaneously there have also been inquiries by our scientific community attempting to isolate what subset of patients with nonmusculoskeletal conditions might respond to chiropractic care [2-5].

Searching for care that is safe and offers low levels of intervention for our children is essential in our evolving healthcare arena. One important aspect of pediatric skeletal healthcare involves the awareness and treatment of scoliosis. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) remains the most common deforming orthopedic condition in children [1,2].

The purpose of this paper is to investigate whether chiropractic care and the application of Sacro Occipital Technique (SOT) protocols utilized for evaluation and adjusting of subluxation patterns may have a global effect on health. While a condition such as stenosing tenosynovitis (trigger finger) is not usually considered neurological or musculoskeletal in nature it is relevant that in this case standard chiropractic care applied mainly at the spinal level appeared to facilitate a complete resolution of the patient’s trigger finger.