Editor's note: In Editor/Publisher Donald Petersen's November 6, 1992 "Report of My Findings" ("The Bigger Picture"), he urged DCs to submit testimonials and case histories demonstrating the effectiveness of chiropractic treatment.
With this issue, we begin what will be a regular presentation in "DC" of these case histories. NB: Patients will be referred to with initials only.
Submitted by: Dan Berneche, D.C.
Hampden, Massachusetts
The patient's name is K. He is two-month-old male child, red hair, fair complexion, and diagnosed as a Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) risk patient. Baby K arrives hooked up to a life sustaining monitor having just returned from the hospital following his sixth respiratory failure attack. His anxious, exhausted mother grasping for any ray of hope has turned to chiropractic care, referred to us by a friend. The mother asks, "Dr. B. can you help?"
I examine the child and the mother asks, "Dr. B., did you find anything?" I replied, "Look, the monitor set the apnea alarm with his neck in a forward flexion left position." Having repeated this demonstration three times, I was assured the atlas vertebra was causing neurological dysfunction at the medulla level. A gentle adjustment to the left atlas was performed.
Further flexion mobility tests failed to trigger the apnea alarm, suggesting anoxia was no longer a problem for baby K. K is now nine months old and totally absent of recurrence since his first adjustment.
Why was this little patient so severely subluxated? The patient's entire prenatal and birth process history spelled out "TRAUMA." Amniocentesis was performed twice, seven ultrasounds (three in one day), the mother was medicated beginning with amniotic membrane puncture following with pitosin, demarol, and a final end came with a C-section delivery. The baby was born flaccid iatrogenically related to the birth process.
Is chiropractic needed in a life-or-death situation? I would say, "YES" after this experience. How many SIDS patients have been lost when a simple spinal examination upon birth could have saved the child? Is it not time to consider chiropractic intervention?
R.C. was first seen at Spears Chiropractic Hospital in Denver, Colorado in January 1968. He spent three months receiving diagnostic evaluation, followed by intensive therapies for the treatment of cerebral palsy resulting from birth injuries. A renowned New York City medical clinic had concluded that the infant had sustained severe brain damage and that nothing could be done to help him. R.C. made little progress at Spears, but there was hope that in time, improvement might occur.
Following those first three months, he was referred to me, a former staff member of Spears Hospital. On the initial visit, the picture was discouraging for the youngster who was then just two-years-old and unable to sit unsupported, drooled from the mouth, and failed to focus on a moving object or sound.
With only the encouragement received in Denver, a regimen of Spears technic, which included full spinal adjustments plus the skull-molding methodology developed by Leo Spears, was initiated. Treatment continued for six months, at which time R.C. was able to sit without support. Adjustments became a fun-filled game as well as a therapy. Within the first year, R.C. was able to stand with support, but was yet to speak other than unintelligible sounds.
After 14 months of frequent treatment, R.C. took his first unaided steps. Soon thereafter, he was seen by an orthopedic consultant for an opinion about club foot, and proper shoes were made to correct this problem.
Shortly thereafter, R.C.'s father was instructed to take R.C. to a clinic in New York City to try to improve his speech defect. It was then well-established that he was not mentally handicapped, but that the speech centers of the brain had been damaged at birth. R.C. continued receiving speech therapy for more than a year and improved in his ability to enunciate his thoughts, although somewhat reluctant because of the difficulty he encountered.
From 1968 through 1970, treatment continued on a gradually reduced frequency. During this time, his speech improved and his walking improved to such a degree as to reveal only minimal difficulty.
Every year through January 1971, R.C. returned to Spears Hospital for re-evaluations, revealing progress on each visit. At age four, R.C. entered nursery school, and at age five was enrolled in special education programs in the public school system of New York City.
Chiropractic treatment continue sporadically thereafter throughout his education in the grammar grades. When last seen at age 18, R.C. appeared to be a normal teenager, normal in development both physically and mentally. There continued some speech impediment, but none to his enthusiasm for life and a promising future.
When sports chiropractors first appeared at the Olympic Games in the 1980s, it was alongside individual athletes who had experienced the benefits of chiropractic care in their training and recovery processes at home. Fast forward to Paris 2024, where chiropractic care was available in the polyclinic for all athletes, and the attitude has now evolved to recognize that “every athlete deserves access to sports chiropractic."
It is estimated that 61% of patients with CTS avoid taking surgical options due to postoperative complications and costly surgical procedures. Chiropractic care offers a comprehensive and effective treatment for carpal tunnel syndrome, addressing the condition from multiple angles. Recent studies also have unveiled a game-changing adjunct to chiropractic treatments for CTS: nerve flossing.
Some doctors thrive in a personality-based clinic and have a loyal following no matter what services or equipment they offer, but for most chiropractic offices who are trying to grow and expand, new equipment purchases help us stay relevant and continue to service our client base in the best, most up-to-date manner possible. So, regarding equipment purchasing: should you lease, get a bank loan, or pay cash?
