Smoky Valley Chiropractic, PA :: 785-227-4455
From the September 28, 2009 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health, comes a case study documenting the improvement of a young woman with Tourette Syndrome (TS) and headaches.
Tourette Syndrome (TS) is a developmental disorder characterized by unwanted, irresistible, stereotyped movements and vocalizations called tics. People with Tourettes also may exhibit conditions of attention issues, impulse control, and mood problems. Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) are also common with Tourettes.
In this case a 20 year old woman had been suffering from Tourettes from the age of three. She was also suffering from headaches when she presented herself for chiropractic care. Medical care was not sought for this condition as the family of the girl made a decision not to subject their daughter to drug therapy for her condition.
The young woman's history showed that two years prior to beginning chiropractic care she began experiencing tics consisting of muscle contractions in her face and shoulders. The tics occurred constantly throughout the day. When she was relaxed, the tics would occur once every five minutes. However, when she felt stressed or when she ate a diet of too much sugar, the tics increased in severity and timing to about once every 5 seconds.
Chiropractic care was administered to the young woman after an examination revealed interference to the nervous system resulting from vertebral subluxation. Over the course of one year of corrective chiropractic adjustments the patient experienced significant decreases in the occurrence and severity of her motor and vocal tic episodes as well as an improvement in headaches. The results were that she was able to better function throughout the day with decreased motor and vocal tic episodes.
Dr. Pamela Stone-McCoy, lead author of the paper, explained the result by saying, "Research is revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and brain." Dr. Stone-McCoy continued, "Basic science research shows that the proper development of the brain relies on proper structure and movement of the spine from an early age."