Chiropractic and Multiple Sclerosis: Relationship and Benefits

Chiropractic can play a crucial role in the management of multiple sclerosis. At the Marc Bony Chiropractic Center in Mataró, we explore how chiropractic adjustments can improve the natural health of our patients.

subluxations/high cervical

Erin L. Elster, D.C. INTRODUCTION OBJECTIVE: The objective of this article is threefold: To examine the role of head and neck trauma as a contributing factor to the onset of multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease; To explore the diagnosis and treatment of trauma inflicted on the upper spine, through the protocol developed by the INTERNATIONAL UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC ASSOCIATION (IUCCA); and to investigate the potential to improve and reduce Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease by correcting the traumas inflicted in the upper cervical area. This study presents data from 81 patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease who recalled a previous trauma, with injuries in the upper cervical area and who received care in accordance with the aforementioned protocol.

CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Patients were selected according to the author’s criteria. Each patient was examined and received chiropractic care within the author’s private practice in an uncontrolled environment, over a period of more than 5 years. Of the 81 patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, 78 experienced at least one trauma to the head or neck prior to the onset of the disease. In order of frequency, patients indicated that they had suffered car accidents (39 patients), sports accidents, such as skiing, horseback riding, biking, American football (29 patients); or falls on icy sidewalks or down stairs (16 patients). The duration between the traumatic event and the disease varied from two months to 30 years.

INTERVENTION AND OUTCOME: Two diagnostic tests, the projection of a digital infrared paraspinal image and a laser-aligned X-ray, were performed according to the IUCCA protocol. These tests objectively identify subluxations (misalignment of the upper cervical vertebrae of the neurological canal) caused in the upper cervical area, resulting in neuropathophysiology. Subluxations in the upper cervical vertebrae were found in all 81 cases. After administering treatment to correct the traumas in their upper cervical area, 40 out of 44 (91%) patients with multiple sclerosis, and 34 out of 37 (92%) of the Parkinson’s cases showed symptomatic improvement and a stagnation in the progression of the diseases during the care period.

CONCLUSION: There appears to be a causal relationship between traumas inflicted in the upper cervical area and the onset of the diseases, both for Multiple Sclerosis and for Parkinson’s disease. Correcting the damage in the upper cervical area using the IUCCA protocol may reduce and reverse the progression of both diseases, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease. A larger study is recommended, in a controlled and experimental environment with a larger number of samples. INTRODUCTION While the relationship between head trauma and the subsequent development of Parkinson’s disease or Multiple Sclerosis is still controversial, many researchers of Parkinson’s and Multiple Sclerosis have confirmed the connection. Several researchers have reported a strong association between head trauma and the subsequent development of Parkinson’s in retrospective controlled studies, and have found that this association was much stronger than other environmental agents that have long been suspected of being risk factors for Parkinson’s. On average, these studies find that head traumas occurred two or three decades before Parkinson’s disease developed. In a recently published study conducted at the Mayo Clinic and led by Dr. J.H Bower, the association between head trauma and Parkinson’s was investigated in more detail. After reviewing the complete medical histories in both cases and controls, the research team was able to objectively determine a prior head trauma. The results of the study suggested that head trauma was associated with the subsequent development of Parkinson’s, even when the limitations of the study were taken into account. In a discussion arguing the possible role of trauma in the development of Multiple Sclerosis, Dr. Charles Posar argues that in some patients with Multiple Sclerosis, certain types of trauma (to the brain and/or to the spine, including whiplash) may act as a trigger for the onset of new or recurrent symptoms. Posar further suggests that trauma to the central nervous system may alter the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which many researchers consider to be a critical factor in the formation of Multiple Sclerosis lesions. His study conducted with monkeys demonstrated that a moderate trauma inflicted on the central nervous system, including damage caused by whiplash, resulted in the BBB breaking down. He also cites several studies that observed the correlation between traumas and the formation or exacerbation of Multiple Sclerosis lesions. He goes further to say that the relationship between cervical spondylosis and Multiple Sclerosis has been very well documented by Multiple Sclerosis researchers, revealing a very close anatomical correspondence between the understanding of the spine at the level of the cervical vertebrae due to spondylosis or herniated discs and intra-spinal plaques at the same level. In 1996, a British court awarded damages to a plaintiff based on the rapid development of Multiple Sclerosis shortly after suffering a car accident.

The judge presiding over the case stated that he agreed that the plaintiff suffered whiplash, and that the symptoms that later appeared indicated that Multiple Sclerosis had developed in the same area that had been affected by the accident. Experts testified that hundreds of cases of Multiple Sclerosis were diagnosed just after a car accident occurred; other cases stated that they were caused by coincidence. While the relationships between accidents and the subsequent development of Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s have been established, researchers have yet to define an exact mechanism to explain the onset of Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s after an accident, nor have they isolated an objective method to measure and/or diagnose the type of trauma that causes damage and seems to precipitate the onset of Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s. This work serves to demonstrate the aforementioned facts through a case summary, diagnostic test results, and the responses to chiropractic treatments in 81 patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s, 78 of whom confirmed that they had experienced a trauma to the head or neck prior to the development of the disease. These patients were examined and were under the private care of the author for a period of more than 5 years in a non-experimental environment without a control group. This work does not imply that it is a controlled research study, but it does serve to provide the basis for future research. Reports of two of the 81 cases (1 of Multiple Sclerosis and 1 of Parkinson’s) were published in scientific journals (peer-reviewed and controlled by professionals in the field). Other reports documenting the success of treatments for patients with similar diagnoses using chiropractic care in the upper cervical area are primarily limited to research led by Palmer on the upper cervical area, 70 years ago, which have never been published in the same manner. Patients with other neurological conditions such as migraines and Tourette’s Syndrome also responded favorably to chiropractic care of the upper cervical area following the IUCCA protocol. In both cases, patients reported substantial accidents and traumas to the head or neck prior to the onset of symptoms and diagnoses.
CLINICAL CHARACTERISTICS: Of a total of 81 cases of Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease, 44 individuals with Multiple Sclerosis and 37 with Parkinson’s consented to examination and treatment for the author’s private practice. Patients began their treatment at various intervals over a period of more than five years. The duration of treatment varied from one to another depending on each individual. Data from the 44 patients with Multiple Sclerosis and the 37 with Parkinson’s were collected and listed in Tables 1 and 2 respectively. The patients with Multiple Sclerosis ranged in age from 21 to 66 years and had the disease diagnosed by their neurologists in a range of 1 year to 20 years. Most patients reported that they had already tried everything to relieve their symptoms including prescriptions, osteopathic manipulation, physical therapy, massage therapy, rolfing, acupuncture, herbs, Chinese medicine, chelation, special diets, supplements… Patients were asked if they had suffered any type of trauma (head injury, concussion, whiplash, accident, fall, etc.) prior to the onset of Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson’s. Of the 44 patients with Multiple Sclerosis, 43 (98%) recalled some type of trauma. (Table 1). Of the 37 patients with Parkinson’s, 35 (95%) recalled some type of trauma. (Table 2). Of the 78 patients who recalled some type of trauma (many recalled more than one), 39 (21 Parkinson’s patients and 18 Multiple Sclerosis patients) reported having suffered one or more traffic accidents (most were minor rear-end accidents) 29 reported head and/or neck injuries during sports activities, including skiing, biking, horseback riding, gymnastics, etc… And 16 reported falls on icy sidewalks or falls down stairs. In other lesser incidents, one man reported being hit on the head by a cow, another man reported head injuries as a result of an accident with very heavy machinery, and two women reported concussions due to domestic abuse. The duration between the traumatic events and the diseases varied from two months to 30 years.

INTERVENTION: Each patient was examined and cared for using the protocol developed by the INTERNATIONAL UPPER CERVICAL CHIROPRACTIC ASSOCIATION (IUCCA), including the use of digital infrared paraspinal imaging and laser-aligned X-rays in the upper cervical area, the Knee-Chest posture adjustment procedure, and post-adjustment recovery. The care, explained in detail in previous publications, is based on the original research on the upper cervical area conducted by Palmer 70 years ago. To diagnose damage in the spine, a paraspinal thermal analysis was performed, using the Tytron C-3000 according to thermographic protocols. In the 81 cases, paraspinal scans contained static thermal asymmetry of 0.5 degrees or greater, indicating neuropathophysiologies originating in the upper cervical area. Based on the results of the thermal scans, a series of X-rays were taken of the cervical area (lateral, anteroposterior, open mouth, and posterior base) using a specially designed machine (American X-Ray Corp.) that incorporates a laser-aligned frame, a laser mounted on the X-ray tube (Titronics Research and Development), a specific chair for positioning, and head restraints. This setup is designed to ensure with certainty the deviation of the upper cervical area concerning the neurological canal (and therefore the spinal cord). The analysis of the X-rays of the upper cervical area revealed deviation of the upper cervical area concerning the neurological canal, or subluxations of the upper cervical vertebrae in all 81 cases. On average, the atlas and axis of each patient were laterally deviated from the foramen magnum (occipital) by about five millimeters or less, and rotated (anteriorly or posteriorly) by five degrees or less. In Tables 1 and 2, the listings of laterally deviated atlas are presented with L (left) or R (right) and the rotation A (anterior) and P (posterior). The lateral deviation of the axis is presented as (ESL) to the left, and (ESR) to the right. Because subluxations of the upper cervical area were discovered in all 81 cases, it was recommended that these patients receive the necessary care to correct these cervical damages. Before beginning care, patients were advised to continue their medical treatments, including medications unless their doctor suspended the treatment. After consent, care was initiated according to the IUCCA protocol, to correct the deviations of the upper cervical vertebrae. To receive the adjustment, each patient was placed on a special knee-chest table with their heads turned to the right or left side, using the posterior arch of the atlas or the lamina of the axis as the contact point and applying an adjustment force with the hands. After the adjustments, each patient lay in a post-adjustment recovery room for 15 minutes following the thermographic protocol. After 15 minutes, a post-adjustment thermal scan was performed to ensure the recovery of normal neurophysiology. All subsequent visits began with the thermal scan. The adjustment was only made when the patient presented thermal asymmetry again. If an adjustment was made, a second scan was performed after the recovery period to determine if normal thermal symmetry occurred again. On average, patients went to the office twice a week during the first two weeks of care, once a week for the next four weeks, twice a month for the following month, once a month for the next three months, and once every three months thereafter. RESULTS: The results of the 44 patients with Multiple Sclerosis and the 37 patients with Parkinson’s are shown in Tables 3 and 4 respectively. The tables indicate gender, age, years since diagnosis, initial symptoms, symptom improvement, and the category of improvement (minor, moderate, substantial, or unchanged). If the patient’s condition remained the same during the care period, it is indicated as “unchanged.” Patients who showed improvement or absence of symptoms in less than half of them are indicated as “minimal improvement.” Patients who showed improvement or absence of symptoms in half of them are shown as “moderate improvement.” If patients showed improvement or absence of symptoms in the vast majority of them, they are shown as “substantial improvements.” Of the 44 cases of Multiple Sclerosis, 40 (91%) showed improvement. Of these 44, 28 showed substantial improvements, 8 showed moderate improvements, and 5 showed minor improvements. No progression of Multiple Sclerosis was presented in the cases during the care period, which varied from 1 to 5 years depending on each patient. 4 cases showed no change in their condition (stability). Of the 37 patients with Parkinson’s, 34 (92%) showed improvements. Of these 37, 16 showed substantial improvements, 8 showed moderate improvements, and 11 showed minor improvements. No progression of the disease occurred during the care period, which varied from 1 to 5 years depending on each patient. 3 cases showed no change in their condition (stability). HYPOTHESIS: 78 patients out of 81 with Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s had a trauma to the head or neck prior to the onset of the disease, including head injuries, whiplash, or concussion as a result of a car accident, sports, or other types of accidents. These facts are consistent with retrospective studies conducted with patients of Multiple Sclerosis or Parkinson’s. In this study, patients were examined to confirm the damage caused to the spine as a consequence of the trauma. Two diagnostic examinations were performed, according to the protocol of the Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (IUCCA) – the projection of digital infrared imaging and laser-aligned X-rays in the upper cervical area. In the 81 cases, subluxations in the upper cervical area were found due to the traumas. After providing chiropractic care according to the IUCCA protocol, 91% of patients with Multiple Sclerosis and 92% of patients with Parkinson’s showed improvements, and all showed stagnation in the progression of the diseases during the time they received chiropractic care. 70% of the patients with Multiple Sclerosis who showed improvement, and 47% of the patients with Parkinson’s who showed improvements, reported substantial improvements, stating the absence or significant improvements of the majority of symptoms. Hypothesis: Both diseases, Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s, may be produced as a result of head or neck traumas, resulting from these traumas damage in the upper cervical area. This damage can be diagnosed and corrected through chiropractic care of the upper cervical area following the IUCCA protocol. Finally, correcting the damage may decrease and reverse the processes of Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s diseases.

CONCLUSION: 81 patients with Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s were examined and cared for using the protocol developed by the International Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (IUCCA). Trauma to the neck or head was confirmed in 78 of the cases: subluxations in the upper cervical vertebrae were found in all 81 cases, and 91 percent of cases responded to care with improvement of symptoms and reversal and/or no progression of the diseases. These results indicate a causal relationship between trauma, damage in the upper cervical area, and the onset of Multiple Sclerosis and Parkinson’s diseases. Correcting the damage in the upper cervical area using the IUCCA protocol may decrease and reverse the progression of both diseases. A study in a controlled environment with a larger number of patients is recommended.

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