Asthma
Asthma is a common condition in children. It is characterized by breathlessness that begins with a dry cough and chest tightness. If the asthma attack continues it can progress into laboured breathing and wheezing. In mild cases, asthma attacks usually last only a few minutes. However in severe cases they are terrifying as the sufferer gasps and struggles to get air.
Asthma can be caused by many factors. Usually it starts as an allergic reaction to something in the environment or to a food allergy. Studies also indicate that an imbalance in your nerve system that regulates lung function also causes asthma.
Chiropractic Care
Patients with asthma typically have neck and upper back subluxations (spinal restrictions). Specific adjustments (precise spinal movements) to the neck and upper back restore the proper balance to your nerve system that is required for lung function.
Spinal adjustments to the neck and upper back also reduces muscle tightness and joint stiffness that occurs from the wheezing and laboured breathing.
Once your muscles, joints and nerve system are working properly, you will able to function and breathe better.
Studies show that :
- children under chiropractic care achieved the same decrease of asthma attacks as those undergoing medical care, and without the side effects of drugs
- children under chiropractic care reduce the amount of medication they required by 47%
- frequency decreased by 45% for those children undergoing chiropractic care
- children, after 4 weeks of care stated that their asthma severity decreased 34%
Choose natural Chiropractic care.
Interesting Studies
Children under chiropractic care showed a 96.5% non-occurrence rate of asthma, whereas children under medical care showed a 95% non-occurrence rate of asthma. The authors concluded that the immune systems of children under chiropractic care are better able to cope with allergens which may cause asthmatic conditions.
van Breda WM; van Breda JM. A Comparative Study Of The Health Status Of The Health Status Of Children Raised Under The Health Care Models Of Chiropractic And Allopathic Medicine. J Chiro Res 1989; 5:101-3
Among parents of asthmatic children who had received chiropractic treatment, 92% considered this treatment beneficial. Alternative treatment was more frequent among children from the higher social classes. A tendency was observed towards less satisfaction with medical treatment, information and general guidance concerning the illness among families who sought alternative treatment.
Vange B; Contact between preschool children with chronic diseases and the authorized health services and forms of alternative therapy. Ugeskr Laeger 1989; 151(28):1815-8
76.5% of patients with bronchial asthma said they benefited from chiropractic treatment. Peak flow rate and vital capacity increased after the third treatment.
Hviid C; A Comparison Of The Effects Of Chiropractic Treatment On Respiratory Function In Patients With Respiratory Distress Symptoms And Patients Without. Bull Eur Chiro Union 1978; 26: 17-34
Patients with juvenile onset asthma are most likely to obtain a perceived benefit from chiropractic spinal adjustments. Patients reported improvement after an average of five treatments over a one month period of time.
Nilsson N, Christainson B; Prognostic Factors in Bronchial Asthma in Chiropractic Practice. J Aust Chiropr Assoc. 1988; 18(3):85-7
While under chiropractic care 6 of 15 patient's studied elected to voluntarily reduce their daily dose of medication. An additional patient stopped using medication all together. This represents a 46.67% decrease in the need for medication while under chiropractic care. However, the authors failed to recognize less need for medication as an improvement in condition.
Jamison JR, Leskovic K, Lepore S, Hannon P; Asthma In A Chiropractic Clinic: A Pilot Study. J Aust Chiropr Assoc. 1986; 16(4):137-43
Manipulation Helps Patient-Rated Asthma Severity
The purpose of this randomized patient- and observer-blinded cross-over trial was to
evaluate the efficacy of chiropractic treatment in the management of chronic asthma when
combined with pharmaceutical maintenance therapy. The trial was conducted at the National
University Hospital's Out-patient Clinic in Copenhagen, Denmark. Thirty-one patients aged
18-44 years participated, all suffering from chronic asthma controlled by bronchodilators
and/or inhaled steroids. Patients who had received chiropractic treatment for asthma
within the last 5 years, who received oral steroids and immunotherapy, were not eligible.
Patients were randomized to receive either active chiropractic spinal manipulative
treatment or sham chiropractic spinal manipulative treatment twice weekly for 4 weeks, and
then crossed over to the alternative treatment for another 4 weeks. Both phases were
preceded and followed by a 2-week period without chiropractic treatment. The main outcome
measurements were forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital
capacity (FVC), daily use of inhaled bronchodilators, patient-rated asthma severity and
non-specific bronchial reactivity (n-BR). Using the cross-over analysis, no clinically
important or statistically significant differences were found between the active and sham
chiropractic interventions on any of the main or secondary outcome measures. Objective
lung function did not change during the study, but over the course of the study,
non-specific bronchial hyperreactivity (n-BR) improved by 36% (P = 0.01) and patient-rated
asthma severity decreased by 34% (P = 0.0002) compared with the baseline values.
Nielsen NH, Bronfort G, Bendix T, Madsen F, Weeke B. Chronic asthma and chiropractic spinal manipulation: a randomized clinical trial.Clin Exp Allergy 25 (1): 80-88 (1995)
Palmer Upper Cervical Specific Technique Decreases Asthma Severity
Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood. Its intrinsic form, with no known
etiology, is a particular challenge to the treating physician. A neurological cause may be
present in the intrinsic form of asthma. Chiropractic treatment of asthma focuses on
correction of spinal subluxation that may restore proper nerve function to the organs of
respiration. This case study reports an eighteen year-old subject with a two year history
of bronchial asthma. The subject received chiropractic adjustments using the Palmer Upper
Cervical Specific technique and was monitored over a five-year period. The result of that
care was marked improvements in the subject's health status. The greatest improvements
were
reported in the weeks immediately following the chiropractic adjustments. This case is
interesting in that trauma to the cervical vertebrae coincided with the onset of asthma
and chiropractic care focuses on those regions coincided with improvement in that
condition.
KILLINGER, L Chiropractic Care in the Treatment of Asthma. PALMER JOURNAL OF RESEARCH. 1995 SEP. 2(3). pp 74-7.