ARLINGTON, VA -- Chiropractic neurologists are gaining respect for their treatment of patients suffering from hyperactivity, attention deficit disorder, autism and other disorders as recent clinical findings suggest that problems in central nervous system function could be a source of many of these conditions.
An article in the June 2000 issue of the Journal of the American Chiropractic Association (JACA) reports on the growing specialty of chiropractic neurology and new research in the neurological sciences that points to chiropractic as a possible non-drug treatment for a host of baffling disorders.
"Chiropractic is neurology," says Dr. Gail Henry. "That's what we do -- affect the central nervous system. We affect segmental spinal cord reflexes. That has an immediate segmental response back to a muscle, a joint, out into the periphery, and into the central nervous system."
For example, chiropractic neurologists have successfully treated attention deficit disorders (ADD/ADHD) without drugs, according to the JACA article. Doctors isolate aspects of the brain that are not developing or functioning properly and determine the appropriate therapeutic approach.
"We use modalities to effect either a calming or an activation and increase of stimulation of a part of the brain that controls mood, attention, problem-solving qualities and thought processing," Dr. Henry explains. "These children do wonderfully. They usually respond very quickly, especially in the absence of any brain damage. We are usually simply dealing with developmental patterns and the development of the brain. Some respond well to music, but of course, the treatment is very individualized."
Chiropractic neurology is also addressing autism. "Many children may be autistic as a result of compromised cerebral and thalamic integration," explains Dr. Michael Hall. "A chiropractic neurologist may be able to provide additional clinical insight and clinical procedures to improve brain function through manipulation and non-manipulative procedures. The research is still in its infancy, but clinical results are promising with regard to brain-based clinical disorders."
In keeping with its mission to treat the whole body, chiropractic neurology is also proving helpful in the management of injuries from whiplash accidents, traumatic brain injuries, stroke, weight problems, sleep apnea, and many other clinical disorders, according to the JACA article.
Currently, there are 525 board-certified chiropractic neurologists worldwide recognized by the American Chiropractic Association (ACA). The specialty has enjoyed an increased popularity over the past 15 years, according to Dr. Frederick Carrick, a distinguished post graduate professor of clinical neurology at Logan College of Chiropractic and president of the ACA Council on Neurology. "While neurology has always been the basis of chiropractic, advanced training in the discipline allows the practitioner to serve patients at a higher level."
In Other JACA Stories:
Animal Chiropractic: Turf War Brewing Between Veterinarians and Chiropractors
As complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) continues to gain popularity, many pet owners are beginning to recognize its effectiveness for animals as well. However, this new trend is creating tension among doctors of veterinary medicine (DVMs) whose scope of practice acts have universally provided them with a plenary license to provide all health care to animals, according to an opinion piece by Dr. Edward L. Maurer in the June issue of JACA.
"More and more doctors of chiropractic are making ëfarm and barn calls,'" Dr. Maurer writes in the article. "Invariably, it's the animal's owner who makes the requests -- sometimes with the knowledge and consent of the ëattending veterinarian,' but more often without. We know people are not good about advising the family MD when seeking the services of a CAM provider. It seems the same policy holds true of animal owners and the ëfamily DVM.'"
"Led primarily by equestrian owner groups, both race and show horse health care has been found to benefit from CAM procedures," Dr. Maurer continues. "Frequently, these benefits have come only after exhausting the usual DVM treatment(s). Chiropractic, homeopathy, physical or massage therapy, acupuncture, and other forms of health care have demonstrated success in ëpatient outcomes' at less cost to the owners." As a result, Dr. Maurer writes, there is a growing demand among animal owners for direct access to alternative health care services.
While the American Veterinary Medical Association (AVMA) has recognized this issue and even created a "Task Force on Alternative and Complementary Procedures" several years ago, the association ultimately decided to "maintain the status quo" regarding CAM procedures and allow them only under the direct supervision of a licensed DVM, according to Dr. Maurer.
In his article, Dr. Maurer examines this turf war between the two professions and unveils the workings of the newly-formed Animal Wellness Alliance (AWA), a group formed to advance the rights of animal owners to seek out and obtain all CAM services without the intervention of the DVM.
Living with Pain, Looking for Answers
For millions of people who have been injured, gone through the healing process, but still find themselves aching with unexplained pain months or years later -- there may be hope, according to an article in the June JACA. New research being conducted by Dr. Geoffrey Bove, a chiropractor and full-time neurophysiology researcher at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, will examine the causes of lingering pain and how inflammation from an injury affects nerves and nerve axons, the thin fibers that conduct impulses toward and away from nerve cells.
"If a nerve is compressed, one gets numbness," Dr. Bove says. "If an inflamed nerve is compressed, one often feels pain." According to Dr. Bove, 40 percent of people with back pain also report having pain down one of their legs, suggesting that some type of connection between inflammation of axons and pain in distant parts of the body does exist.
There is also the question of scar tissue, which forms following an injury and may be left intact when a patient remains inactive or restricts certain movements because of injury-related pain. Nerves are not immune to scarring, even when the surrounding tissue is damaged. In fact, this could explain why an individual might experience pain long after an injury has otherwise healed: the leftover scar tissue may continue to affect nearby nerves and axons by limiting their normal movements.
"There are a lot of unanswered questions about why what chiropractors are doing is working or not working," Dr. Bove says. "All this pain research is directly relevant to what chiropractors do."
For a copy of the June JACA, call the American Chiropractic Association at 800-986-4636.