Queensbury Family Chiropractic
Parkinson's Improved in 77-Year-Old Man With Chiropractic - A Case Study
A case study appeared in the August 1, 2011 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, documenting the improvement through chiropractic, of a 77-year-old man with Parkinson's Disease.
The authors of the study begin by noting that Parkinson's disease is a progressive disorder that affects the central nervous system. People with Parkinson's often experience tremors in extremities, impaired co-ordination, rigidity in movement, postural instability, and impaired imbalance and coordination. They also note that Parkinson’s disease afflicts an estimated 1 million people across the United States with 50,000 new cases being diagnosed each year.
This case involved a 77-year-old retired shipyard worker who had been diagnosed with Parkinson’s several years earlier. His history recorded that, in his prior occupation, he was exposed to asbestos as well as neck trauma. As a young man, he was knocked unconscious from head contact while playing football. Since being diagnosed with Parkinson’s, he had been taking several medications for the condition. His condition had been worsening and was interfering with his ability to perform daily activities.
His examination revealed a restricted range of spinal motion as well as numerous positive findings in the neurological tests performed. Thermal heat reading showed irregularities indicative of spinal subluxation. Spinal x-rays were also performed to check spinal positioning and confirm the presence of subluxations. From these tests, a determination of subluxations was made and a specific course of chiropractic care was initiated.
Regular re-evaluations were performed during care to monitor the progress. Of the initial 29 neurological tests performed, over half of those that originally had positive findings were found to be normal during the chiropractic care. More importantly, the patient reported that he experienced an increase in ease when performing daily tasks such as moving from a seated to standing position, as well as keeping his head up to look at people while walking.
