Health Library

Appearing in the March 2004 issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, was a documented case study of a life-changing event. The subject of the study was a previously healthy 17-year-old who was involved in high school sports.

On one occasion, he was competing as a pole vaulter in a high school track meet when he had an accident in which he landed on his head from a height of 10 feet.

Immediately following the accident, the young man noticed the onset of neck pain focused at the base of his skull. In addition, he started suffering from back pain, daily headaches, and migraine headaches approximately three times per week. He described his pain as an “unbearable everyday occurrence.” Additionally, several days after the accident, he began experiencing “blackouts,” which were later diagnosed as petit mal seizures. These seizures continued to increase until he was experiencing them four times per day.

Things continued to worsen for the young man. During the first six months following the accident, he started experiencing the onset of depression. He described a complete loss of appetite, extreme lethargy, a lack of concern for himself, and an extremely erratic sleep cycle that often left him awake for several days, followed by periods of 14 to 18 hours of sleep.

The patient and his mother reported that he consulted with approximately 24 practitioners during this time. Prescribed medications and therapies did not alleviate or reduce symptoms. To alleviate his pain and depression, he started using illegal drugs in an attempt to “make himself feel better.” After becoming addicted, his parents checked him into a drug rehabilitation program, which he completed.

It was after this long and difficult six-year period that this young man sought chiropractic care from the chiropractor who authored the published study. An examination was performed, and it was determined that the young man was suffering due to a subluxation in the upper neck. A course of corrective adjustments was begun to correct the subluxation and reduce nerve pressure.

The results, as reported in the journal, were life-changing for the young man. After one month of care, the patient reported an absence of seizures and manic episodes and improved sleep patterns. After four months of care, seizures and manic episodes remained absent, and migraine headaches were reduced from three per week to two per month. After seven months of care, the patient reported the complete absence of symptoms. Eighteen months later, the patient remained asymptomatic. Needless to say, his life was changed!