Chiropractic Treatment of Tourette Syndrome
The Tourette syndrome is a neurological disorder that can benefit from the natural approach of chiropractic care. At the Marc Bony Chiropractic Center in Mataró, we explore how chiropractic adjustments can provide relief and improve quality of life.
Tourette syndrome is often misunderstood and misrepresented because it is not a behavioral disorder that causes sufferers to make sounds and movements (that they cannot control) but rather it is a neurological disorder.These disorders are called tics and there are two types: motor and vocal. Some common motor tics include blinking, facial grimacing, jaw movements, head and arm jerking, and shoulder shrugging. Some of these motor tics can be more complicated and combined. The most common vocal tics are sniffing, throat clearing, grunting, and shouting. More complicated vocal tics may include words or phrases that do not sound like they should be part of a normal sentence.
It generally begins before the age of 18, and worsens when the child is excited or agitated; some children can control the tics for a period of time, but cannot stop them completely. Other issues may be associated with Tourette syndrome including hyperactivity, difficulty concentrating, school difficulties, anxiety, and learning problems. However, it is important to understand that children and adults living with Tourette syndrome are just as intelligent and live like anyone else.
Until the 1970s, Tourette syndrome was thought to be very rare; however, nowadays more and more patients experiencing milder symptoms are being diagnosed; the current estimate is that 3-6 children out of every 1000 are likely to be affected. Treatment for Tourette syndrome usually includes pharmacology and combined drug therapies, as well as behavioral intervention and deep brain stimulation, even in patients who have not responded to other treatments.
Conventional science has obtained subjective results in its research believing that it is complicated to determine its origin and initially relating it to problems in one or more parts of the brain, which was thought to be hereditary, but also possibly linked to other triggering factors such as streptococcal infections.
However, there are new studies that show hope in the treatment of Tourette through non-invasive and drug-free methods such as chiropractic care. In a study published by the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal, and Family Health, research demonstrated positive results with chiropractic care in the case of Tourette syndrome and other disorders that also share their origin with Tourette syndrome. This research shows that as the brain develops, it is based on normal structural movement and joint movement, and also that complex communication and pathways in the brain are linked to spinal biomechanics and their neurological pathways.
Dr. Kim Muhlenkamp, one of the co-authors of the study, explains, “It makes total sense when you think about it. Neurological disorders can be related to the way the whole body communicates with the brain and the most critical areas in this are the spine.”
Our nervous system needs constant stimulation to develop properly. An abnormal positioning of the vertebrae can lead to nerve interference, or vertebral subluxations, which only a chiropractor can correct.
The additional benefits of a care plan developed with a chiropractor related to neurological-type diseases such as Tourette syndrome make specific chiropractic adjustments a perfect method as this chiropractic treatment area specializes and focuses on the connection between the brain and the spine to the whole body. As research continues, and more information and real-world studies become available, the results remain promising.
If you know someone who suffers from a neurological syndrome, contact a licensed chiropractor!
Study: http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net/
Other studies:
