Tourette Syndrome It is often misunderstood and misrepresented because it is not a behavioral disorder that causes people with the condition 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 grimaces, movements of the jaw, head, and arm jerks, and shrugging the shoulders. Some of these motor tics can be more complex and occur in combination. The most common vocal tics include inhaling, clearing the throat, grunting, and shouting. More complex vocal tics may include words or phrases that do not sound as they should in a normal sentence.
It usually begins before the age of 18 and worsens when the child is excited or agitated; some children can control their tics for a period of time, but they cannot stop them completely. Other problems may be associated with Tourette syndrome, including hyperactivity, difficulty concentrating, problems in school, anxiety, and learning difficulties. However, it is important to understand that children and adults living with Tourette syndrome are just as intelligent and live just as full lives as anyone else..
Until the 1970s, Tourette syndrome was thought to be very rare; however, today an increasing number of patients with milder symptoms are being diagnosed. Current estimates suggest that 3–6 out of every 1,000 children are likely to be affected. Treatment for Tourette syndrome typically includes medication and combination drug therapies, as well as behavioral intervention and deep brain stimulation, even for patients who have not responded to other treatments.
Conventional science has obtained subjective results in its research, believing that it is difficult to determine the cause and, in principle, linking the condition to problems in one or more parts of the brain—a condition that was thought to be hereditary but may also be linked to other triggering factors, such as streptococcal infections.
However, new studies offer hope for the treatment of Tourette’s syndrome through noninvasive, drug-free methods such as chiropractic care. In a study published in the *Journal of Pediatric, Maternal, and Family Health*, researchers demonstrated positive results with chiropractic care for Tourette syndrome and other disorders that share a common origin with Tourette syndrome.. This research shows that as the brain develops, it relies on normal structural movement and joint movement, and also that complex communication and pathways in the brain are linked to spinal biomechanics and its neurological pathways.
Dr. Kim Muhlenkamp, one of the study’s co-authors, explains, “It makes perfect sense when you think about it. Neurological disorders may be related to the way the entire body communicates with the brain, and the most critical area in this process is the spine.“.
Our nervous system needs constant stimulation to develop properly. Abnormal alignment of the vertebrae can lead to nerve interference, or vertebral subluxations, which only a doctor of chiropractic can correct..
The additional benefits of a care plan developed with a doctor of chiropractic for neurological conditions such as Tourette syndrome make the specific chiropractic adjustment an ideal method, since this area of chiropractic treatment specializes in and focuses on the connection between the brain and the spine to the entire body. As research continues, and as more information becomes available and more real-world studies—rather than test-tube studies—are conducted, the results continue to be promising.
If you know someone who suffers from a neurological disorder, contact a licensed chiropractor!
Study: http://www.chiropracticpediatricresearch.net/
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