New Research Sheds Light on Chiropractic, Speech & Developmental Delay

Recent research reporting on improvement in a two year old boy undergoing chiropractic care reveals that chiropractic may play an important role in managing children with developmental delays. 

The research, reported in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic, includes a review of the literature supporting the role of chiropractic in children suffering from a number of disorders that share their origin with learning and speech delay. 

“Research is revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and brain” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study. “Basic science research shows that the proper development and function of the brain relies on proper structure and movement of the spine from an early age.” 

Research has shown not only that the developing brain relies on normal structural integrity and joint movement, but that complex neurochemical communication and pathways involved in helping humans to develop normally are tied into spinal biomechanics and their related neurological pathways. 

“It makes perfect sense when you think about it” stated Dr. McCoy. “And now we are seeing more and more basic science and clinical research showing the relationship between abnormal spinal function and the diagnosis of conditions such as learning and other developmental “disorders”. In older children the situation becomes worse due to a huge increase in sedentary behavior in children. 

According to McCoy, “Researchers believe that the increase in the diagnosis of learning disorders, ADHD, pervasive developmental disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and other neurodevelopmental disorders, have their root in a “perfect storm” of abnormal spinal development coupled with cultural changes.    

In the case reported on in the article a two-year-old male presented for chiropractic consultation with developmental delays in speech and coordination. Symptoms included below average locomotion skill, delayed auditory comprehension and expressive communication, and difficulty swallowing foods certain textures. 

The patient was examined and found to have abnormal position and movement of the spinal vertebra which leads to nerve interference. It is this interference, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct. The child was cared for with chiropractic and showed improvement in the infant’s motor skills, auditory comprehension and expressive communication. 

The authors of the study call for more research on the role of chiropractic care in these types of disorders.