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Chiropractic Correction May
Reverse MS, PD Progression
Chiropractic correction of trauma-induced injury to the upper
cervical spine may halt or reverse the progression of both
multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease (PD) symptoms,
according to a retrospective study published in the August issue
of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research.
Erin
L. Elster, DC an upper cervical chiropractor in private practice
in Boulder, Colorado, presents her experience with 44 MS and 37 PD
patients she treated over the past 5 years.
Seventy-eight of the 81 patients reported that they
experienced at least one traumatic head or neck injury 2 months to
30 years prior to the onset of MS or PD. Paraspinal digital
infrared imaging and laser-aligned radiography confirmed the
presence of upper cervical subluxation (misalignment of the upper
cervical spine from the neural canal) in all 81 patients.
According to Dr. Elser, 40 of 44 (91%) MS patients and 34 of 37
(92%) of PD patients showed symptomatic improvement following
chiropractic care to correct vertebral subluxation.
Of the
44 MS patients, improvement in MS symptoms was "substantial" in
28, "moderate" in 8, and "minor" in 5 patients. Of the 37 PD
patients, 16, 8, and 11, respectively, showed substantial,
moderate, and minor improvement.
No
further progression of MS or PD occurred over a 1- to 5-year
period in the "improved" cases.
Some
studies have suggested a causal link between head and neck trauma
and the subsequent development of PD or MS (see Reuters Health
report May 19, 2003), although the link remains controversial.
Dr.
Elster concludes the current uncontrolled data support a causal
link, and therefore a larger controlled study is warranted.
Reference: New York (Reuters Health) Sept 03
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