New Research Sheds Light on Asthma & Functional Disorders in Children

Recent research reporting on improvement in a 9 year old boy undergoing chiropractic care reveals that chiropractic may play an important role in managing children with asthma and other functional disorders. 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 asthma, allergies and other functional disorders and calls for more research in this area.

CLICK HERE to review the study 

“Numerous case studies and some clinical studies are revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and the various problems related to asthma, allergies and a host of functional disorders” stated Dr. Pamela Stone, the lead author of the study. “These types of structural shifts in the spine can cause obstruction of the nerves affecting the respiratory and immune systems. By correcting the structural shifts chiropractic helps reduce the obstruction of the nerves.” 

Stone added “With everything we know about the relationship between the nervous and immune systems, chiropractic makes perfect sense in the case of asthma. In fact, chiropractic is not treating the asthma or immune dysfunction but re-establishing normal neurological function which benefits the respiratory and immune systems of the patient.”  

There is an intimate connection between the functioning of the respiratory, immune and nervous systems. The immune system has even been described as a continuation of the nervous system, with immune cells functioning as the effector cells of the nervous system as it alerts and guides the immune system, helped along by numerous factors such as neurotransmitters and cytokines. This close association of the two systems has long been acknowledged in chiropractic as an underlying feature of why people improve under chiropractic care for various problems. 

The boy reported on in this study had been diagnosed with chronic asthma along with several other functional disorders including: insomnia, headaches, dizziness, neck pain, low back pain, stomachaches, constipation, diarrhea, allergies, eczema and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder. 

He had a history of trauma starting before birth. The mother had preeclampsia, as well as an emergency cesarean section. The patient was involved in a car accident when he was six years of age. He underwent medical intervention throughout his life and had multiple visits to the emergency room. 

The chiropractor examined the child and found abnormal posture and structural shifts in his upper neck, mid and low back. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct. 

Following chiropractic care the boy has not been to the hospital and has been able to reduce the amount of medication use from four times daily to an as needed basis. His sleeping has become normal and his headaches, stomachaches, constipation, diarrhea, neck pain, and back pain have all have subsided. His eczema has improved and he is no longer in need of special accommodations for ADHD. His grades are much better and he made honor roll while only missing one day of school.

The authors of the study called for more research in this area.  

Contact Information: 
Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health – Chiropractic
http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net
drmatthewmccoy@gmail.com