Children With Cerebral Palsy Respond To Chiropractic Care

The October, 2000 issue of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research reports on a study that found children with cerebral palsy responded very well to a short program of chiropractic care.

The research was presented at the Eighth Annual Vertebral Subluxation Research Conference October 7-8, 2000 in Spartanburg, South Carolina. All four children in the study were medically diagnosed with cerebral palsy that was the result of birth trauma from medical deliveries. All four showed evidence of vertebral subluxation.

The children were placed under a course of chiropractic care aimed at reducing their vertebral subluxations. Surface EMG exams (which checked the function of the muscles where they attach to the spine) and Thermographic exams (which measure the function of the autonomic nervous system) were performed in order to document the response to care. The children's mothers and care-givers monitored changes in activities-of-daily-living and quality-of-life factors.

All four children showed a positive response to chiropractic care. All showed improvement in muscle tone via EMG re-evaluation and autonomic function via follow-up Thermography readings. Activities-of-daily-living such as mobility, range of motion, coordination, concentration, behavior, discipline, emotional states, vigor, feeding and appetite, sleeping patterns, balance and postural control showed improvement as well.