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Their Success stories, our patients and friends
Mary the Volleyball Player
Mary presented one day at the clinic for a new patient consultation. Mary was a tremendously gifted volleyball player who had suffered a stress fracture to one of the lower vertebrae of her spine. She walked into the clinic treatment room with a full frontal upper torso cast and low back cast, in separate pieces held tight to her body by elastic bandages.
Mary had been warned by a hospital specializing in children (Mary was in her teens) that not using the cast properly and taking it off too early would be extremely detrimental to her spinal well being. She was also told that her volleyball days were over. Mary was depressed, frightened and apprehensive about ‘going against doctors orders’. After all, she did have a broken spine.
A full chiropractic examination, utilizing chiropractic, orthopaedic, neurological testing plus a standing x-ray examination was completed. The diagnosis concluded that she did in fact have a fracture, called a spondylolysthesis at the fifth vertebrae in her lumbar spine, but this fracture was held in its usual place by the supporting spinal ligaments. It was considered stable. This was all good news for Mary’s situation.
Most chiropractors take x-rays standing, the medical practice shoot x-rays for the low back lying down. The upright x-ray positioning allows us to study the relationships of the bones of the spine and pelvis, plus hip joints in the patient’s weight bearing stance.
To give you an example of x-ray protocols, the differences in positioning became quite noticeable one day when Marcel came in to the clinic for an acute low back condition. He was bent over to the side at a 45-degree angle and grimacing in pain as he handed his x-rays to me. I put them up on the view box to assess his spinal condition. On the x-rays was a perfectly level and beautifully straight spine. Much different then the man standing in front of me.
Answering my question he told me that the films were taken one hour ago and the technician had Marcel lie on the x-ray table and pulled his legs until he was straight. She then took the x-ray. The weight bearing positioning provides the chiropractor information as to the vertebral relationships, alterations in curvatures, and possibly the directions through which the spine should be adjusted.
One of the wonderful things about the chiropractic profession is the variety of techniques available for the patients. Conditions such as stable fractures, osteoporosis (thinning of the bones), apprehension or rigidity of the body, all can be dealt with through chiropractic quite readily. This variety in techniques allows infants, children, adults and the elderly to experience the benefits of chiropractic safely and effectively.
With Mary’s case, research at that time indicated that casting for the fracture that Mary had suffered was counterproductive. The first thing she needed to do was to eliminate the use of the cast. The muscles of her trunk (stomach, sides and back) needed to be reeducated to function properly again. The vertebrae of her spine needed to be adjusted, there were multiple subluxations (vertebrae with less than optimal movement) of her spine, that had to be corrected.
Chiropractic care began with only the Activator technique, trigger point therapy, and soft tissue therapy to her trunk stabilizing muscles and she was given mild core strengthening exercises. Over the next three months Mary gradually progressed from the Activator method through to drop table work and then to full spine, hands on adjusting.
She reached a point were she was able to begin training for volleyball again. Mary went on to star in high school volleyball, starred in university volleyball and was honored to play with the Canadian Team for one set of an exhibition game.
Pretty good outcome for someone who was told five years earlier that her volleyball days were over.
Stewart's Ears
Yvonne was a new patient at the clinic. On one particular visit she started talking about Stewart, her 18-month old son who was having a problem with his ears. He was now on his fourth round of anti-biotics for ear infections.
This is a common thing to hear at the clinic. We schedulled an appointment for Stewart for later that same day
In Stewart’s case, his examination revealed a subluxation or dysfunction of the first and second vertebrae of his neck. The type of problem can create congestion in the head, lack of proper drainage from the ears, possible lung irritation or stomach and digestive problems (plus many others).
It was suggested to Yvonne that quick and significant action must take place to eliminate this problem. Yvonne agreed since the medical doctor, who looked in Stewart’s ears at a morning appointment said the eardrums were very red and swollen. Due to the severity of the eardrum swelling Stewart was to see the MD again in five days for a follow up.
Stewart was adjusted twice a day for five days. Yvonne started him on a modified diet to decrease his sugars and hard to digest food, and he was given acidophyllus daily, a product to help restore is intestinal bacteria destroyed by the anti-biotics.
Yvonne recounted the story of the follow-up MD appointment, which will remain with her for a very long time. After the five-day interval, in the examining room, the MD picked up her otoscope and looked in Stewart’s ears. She pulled the scope out, shook her head and looked back into Stewart’s ears. The ears were healthy looking again, no more swelling, no more redness.
“All clear.” The MD stated.
“Yes they are, thanks to chiropractic!!” Yvonne replied, gathered up Stewart and left the office quickly.
How many people go through this cycle of anti-biotics, time and again only to have tubes placed in the child’s ears? Research clearly shows, in medical journal such as the British Medical Journal, and the Journal of the American Medical Association, plus others, that antibiotics including amoxicillan are ineffective for the treatment of ear infections. In 2000, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality found that after 24 hours following the diagnosis of an ear infection, the pain and fever were gone in two-thirds of the children, without the use of anti-biotics. Within seven days, still without anti-biotics, eighty plus percent recovered.
James and ADHD
James was 10 years old, easily distracted at school, couldn’t or wouldn’t do his homework, started missing classes and then started shoplifting.
The teachers wanted him on Ritalin. He needed to be calmed down, so he would be easier to teach. They said he was ADHD.
Ritalin is classified as controlled category 2 pharmaceuticals. So is cocaine.
Cocaine has biochemical reactions and properties similar to Ritalin. Ritalin is manufactured and consumed in the United States five times more than the rest of the world combined. Ritalin decreases the flow of blood to the brain by 20-30%, and concomitant decrease in cognitive functioning. Ritalin causes symptoms similar to Parkinson’s Syndrome. The diagnostic criteria are highly subjective and varied, requiring a direct observational period of at least six months. Are they really sure that that was the best answer?
Six months prior to these events, James was a ‘normal’ nine-year old boy who was getting along with everyone, paying attention in class and doing his homework.
The parents were defiant in the knowledge that their son was not ADHD. They brought James in to the clinic for an assessment.
James’ history revealed no falls or traumas to his body over the last number of months. His assessment revealed postural changes of his head on his shoulders, anterior head carriage, rounded shoulders and a subluxation of the first and second vertebrae of the neck.
When the brain begins to form the nervous system at the entry level into the spinal opening, part of the brain stem also enters the upper reaches of the spinal canal. If you consider the first two vertebrae as the gatekeepers to the entire system, having their function disrupted for any number of reasons you will have a variety of symptoms. The symptoms include but are not limited to: headaches, congestion in the head; stomach trouble; intestines feeling ‘off’; sometimes heart palpitations; jaw irritation; facial irritations or in some cases over-activity.
Having a subluxation at that level of the first and second vertebrae is somewhat similar to the reaction of your body when you hear nails scratched on a chalkboard. Your body at a deep level is being irritated to do something but conciously you don’t know what. Subsequently you are restless, and your body just wants to keep active, because those vertebrae are irritating nerves that go to the entire body.
That was exactly what was James was experiencing.
All James had was a subluxation. This subluxation created a powerful irritating effect on his whole body. The irritation on his nervous system was so great he couldn’t concentrate, or sit still as he was receiving ‘let’s move’ messages.
James was adjusted three times for the first and second week. By the start of the third week he was sitting in class appropriately, doing his homework without incident at night, had apologized and began to do volunteer work for the man from whom he stole from.
A 10 year old boy, no drugs, no long term side effects on his body and back to himself again with the love of his family and chiropractic adjustments.
Stephen's Story
Stephen was only 10 years old when he was struck by a car while riding his bicycle. He was knocked unconscious and received many bumps and bruises, but was saved by his helmet, which was dented severely.
The headaches, migraines and visual disturbances started soon after.
Since the age of 10 he has been on daily migraine medication to control the serotonin levels in his brain, a cerebral vasoconstrictor, amytryptyline as a precautionary drug and daily doses of two advil and two extra strength tyelenol. None of it has allowed this problem to be corrected. Along with the trauma of his accident, these attempts to control Stephen’s internal biological and physiological milieu most likely has created a toxic load on his system, the drugs overloading his liver cleansing ability, and thus creating problems within his spine (a subluxation).
The nervous system travels from the brain down the spinal canal and out to all the surrounding tissues, cells and organs, then feeds back from the organs to the spine, nervous system and then to the brain for subconscious monitoring. This viscerosomatic loop (organ to spine) if disrupted will has been found to alter the ability of the vertebrae to move properly, a subluxation at the respective spinal level.
For Stephen, his is not a problem that will be solved quickly and may show up as larger health problems in the future.
Ct-scan and MRI tests were all normal. His EEG (brain wave assessment) indicated abnormalities in function, a result of the contusion to his brain from the accident.
Now this is five years later and these headaches and migraines continue to be so incapacitating that Stephen is unable to complete homework or even go to school on some days.
Wendy, his mother, reported that prior to the accident Stephen was only sick once, with a couple of ear infections as a baby that cleared up with anti-biotics. On doctors advice Stephen has had to give up swimming and basketball.
The medical doctors have given up on him. An M.D. had suggested acupuncture and this is how he ended up at my clinic.
Stephen and his mother Wendy came to see me with significant reservations. They had recently arrived in town and were staying with a friend, Tina, who was a chiropractic patient at the clinic.
Knowing the history of Stephen’s problem, Tina spoke of chiropractic as an option. Wendy balked at the idea. A self described skeptic of anything non-medical she wasn’t about to try anything her medical doctor had not suggested.
“Go find out for yourself!” Tina urged them regularly. Tina was polite but relentless. Finally, after several months of urging, Wendy agreed to go and ‘talk’ to ‘this guy’, this chiropractor who offers acupuncture as well. After all, she only ever wanted Stephen to have acupuncture, so that is what she’ll discuss.
Observing Stephen while we spoke about the history of the accident, he demonstrated some interesting physical signs. Stephen’s head was mishapened, he had facial asymmetry in that one eye was lower than the over, and he had a recessed chin (overbite). I also told Stephen that I was also concerned for his liver, given all the medication he has been taking for such a long time. The liver has an effect also on the eyes as well.
As defensive as Wendy’s posture was demonstrating (facial and body language), and with all due respect I began to discuss some of Stephen’s physical ‘deformities’ with them. Wendy wasn’t buying this story at all. Everything that we talked about Wendy challenged.
“If what you are saying is true,” Wendy began with a scowl and folded arms, “why didn’t the MD or neurologist notice these things?”
Good question I thought. “I don’t know.”
I continued. The helmet that he was wearing at the time of the accident saved his life. The trauma of the collision of the head on the ground caused a disruption of the cranial bone of his head. This may result in a distorted look to the skull and effects on the jaw. This disruption affected the dural membrane that attaches to the inside of the skull and surrounds the nervous system all the way down to the sacrum (the triangular bone located between your buttock cheeks).
From inadequate movement of the cranial bones tension can be given to the dural membrane and headaches, visual changes and many other conditions can result.
This same type of disruption is seen in infants with forceps deliveries or vacuum extractions. Although infants can not verbalize a problem, they do give physical signs such as ineffective suckling, crying relentlessly, high-pitched crying or listlessness, among others. These all can be related back to ineffective cranial bone movement.
Gentle, delicate pressure on the bones of the skull, with specific hand and finger placement can help to restore the movement of these bones. The technique is called craniosacral therapy.
“Why would the MD or neurologist not suggest these things?” Wendy pressed for more information.
That is a question asked many times a week by many patients. I’ll leave that to the reader to determine the answer.
I gave Wendy and Stephen a book on Craniosacral Therapy. The entire interaction was subject to a lot of skepticism, so I did not know whether I would see either Wendy or Stephen again after this first visit.
Two weeks later Wendy called to book an appointment for craniosacral work. “I don’t know if it will work, but we’ll give it a try.” Wendy told my front desk assistant.
Two sessions over two weeks resulted in better sleep and a reduction in medication and headaches for Stephen. After five more sessions the visual disturbances had started to abate.
Stress of school work and life continue to cause the occasional aggravation but in less than two months, Stephen states that he was 75% better than he was before starting care. Soon after his mom, Wendy, became a patient.
