Health Library

Today’s Chiropractic, November 2000
by William Amalu, DC.

EXCERPTS FROM “Chiropractic Management of 47 Asthma Cases”
Study Report

Over a seven-year period, 47 cases of asthma were managed in an outpatient setting. Every case was followed for a minimum of two years to observe the effectiveness of care. The study group comprised 28 males and 19 females, ranging from 7 to 42 years of age. Of the 47 cases, 32 patients ranged in age from 7 to 19 years.

All of the cases presented with an incoming medical diagnosis of asthma and corresponding classification level. Medical specialists monitored these patients for objective respiratory improvement and medication changes. A thorough initial history and physical examination was performed to corroborate the diagnosis. The chronicity of this condition ranged from 2 to 23 years. Patients with intermittent or exercise-induced asthma were excluded from this study due to the ease of care response in most cases.

Of the 47 cases, 11 were classified as mild persistent, 28 as moderate persistent, and 8 as severe persistent. Each patient’s progress was assessed on every office visit by rating the intensity of the symptoms along with the frequency of their acute medication usage.

Upon stabilizing the upper cervical spine, determined by consistently presenting normal paraspinal infrared images, objective improvement in all 47 asthmatic cases was 87-100 percent. The total time of care to reach this point ranged from 3 to 9 months, with a mean time of 16 weeks. The most common initial care frequency used was 3 times per week, with tapering frequency after 4-8 weeks. Total care visits ranged from 14 to 44, with a mean of 26 office visits to stabilization.

All 47 patients reported maintaining their improvements at two years or more of follow-up care. The sole care method rendered consisted of corrections of aberrant arthrokinematic function of the occipito-atlanto-axial complex, via adjusting with Applied Upper Cervical Biomechanics procedures.