Over the years Chiropractic care has been known to help with many conditions other than back pain, can it help with Parkinson's disease? While Chiropractic is not a treatment for Parkinson's disease or many other conditions, it is an approach to help the body heal itself. Parkinson's disease (PD) is a degenerative disorder of the brain, resulting from the destruction of substantia nigra cells that produce dopamine. Typical PD symptoms include rigid muscles, tremor, bradykinesia (slow movement), gait disturbance, and postural instability. How upper cervical Chiropractic Care relates to Parkinson's disease. While medical science has not determined the exact cause of PD, recent research is pointing towards a possible trauma-induced origin for PD. Evidence supports that trauma (in particular mild concussive injury to the head, neck or upper back) increase the risk of PD onset. Following the trauma, PD symptoms can take months or years to develop. The purpose of upper cervical care is to reverse the trauma-induced upper neck injury; thereby eliminating adverse effects upon the brain. While many PD sufferers recall specific traumas such as head injuries, auto accidents or falls, some do not. An upper cervical examination is necessary in each individual's case to assess whether an upper cervical injury is present and whether benefit from upper cervical care can be achieved. Research and case studies: There was a preliminary study of 10 Parkinson's patients in 1999 and by 2002 the study was continued so that approximately 50 patients were examined and treated following the protocol of upper cervical chiropractic care. All patients showed evidence of trauma induced upper cervical injuries during examination (upper cervical radiographs and digital infrared imaging). (1) Approximately 90% of patients responded to upper cervical care in that they showed improvement and /or reversal in their Parkinson's symptoms and no further progression of Parkinson's disease.
Here is a Welcome to Wellness success story with one of our own patients –Pedro Hernandez.
“I’m a person living with Parkinson’s Disease. I’ve had PD since 2004. Every month I notice how the disease is very slowly taking control of my body and my body functions. In June 2011 when my back started to fold and hunch to an extreme it almost seemed like a part of the progression of the disease to me. But, by September 2011 my spine was at a 70 degree bend to the ground, where my line of sight was directly at my feet.
My family and I got scared that this terrible situation would be my new permanent state. In this condition I could only see the legs of people walking in front of me but not above their waist. At home I could only see what was on the counter but nothing on the shelves. If I opened the fridge, I could only see the lower shelves. The photo above was taken when Pedro first came to our office in September, 2011.
That was my condition when a friend of the family recommended Dr. Phil.
I started coming into Welcome to Wellness in September 2011 and by mid-October I noticed that I started getting better. November was a month of notable improvement.
Visiting Dr. Phil three times a week gave me new hope to cure my bent over condition that I feared was permanent. December was a month of big improvement and by the end of that month Dr. Phil recommended that I also start seeing a physiotherapist.
The photo to the right was taken on January 31, 2012.
I then had the perfect team to help me recuperate and by March 2012, I was walking straight and with no support of any kind.
Today I walk normal and upright again and I continue to visit Dr. Phil every two weeks because I don’t want that terrible condition to take control of my body again.
Thank-you to the Welcome to Wellness Team”.
Pedro’s son Peter authored a children’s book named A New Day with Rhyming Robin.
The proceeds from this book are going directly to Parkinson’s Research.
Welcome to Wellness is happy to have a few copies of this book in our office for sale to help support this important research for a worthy cause.