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Introduction
Daydreaming, procrastination, impulsive behavior,
undisciplined, lazy, hyperactive, or irresponsible are all terms
used to describe the typical Attention Deficit Disorder patient.
Is it a real illness, an ingrained character flaw, or tension on
the brain stem interrupting bio communication transmissions
from the brain to the body and vice versa?
The Merck Manual of diagnosis and therapy describes the
ADD patient as developmentally inappropriate in attention and
impulsivity, with or without hyperactivity.[1]
The September issue of Men’s Health says, according to
the “experts,” many men’s inability to succeed socially and
financially results from a physical problem, not a
psychological one. They claim these irrational behaviors are
caused by a glitch in the brain’s wiring. They label it ADD.[2]
Dr. Ralph Gregory, founder of the NUCCA method of
spinal correction, states that tractionalized or compressed
nerve structure at the brain stem level can cause cessation of
normal nerve inhibitrons and create spastic contracture of
spinal musculature.[3] He further states that the Atlas
Subluxation Complex can create this type of interference and
effect normal body activity. To this author, this also sounds
like a glitch in the brain’s wiring.
The Atlas Subluxation Complex (from here in called ASC)
can be described as a displacement of the top vertebra in the
neck (called the Atlas) creating a misalignment of the head
and neck resulting in neuromuscular stress.
In my practice, I have had the opportunity to correct the
ASC on more than 20 children and adults who have been
previously diagnosed with ADD. I have had positive results in
relieving many of the symptoms used to define this condition.
I had only one patient whose symptomology according to
ADD did not change. However, I did note postural and
muscular improvements in this patient. At times, the changes
were very timely and dramatic. I have seen patients who were
diagnosed with ADD by school teachers, school psychologists,
school nurses, and MD’s. Ritalin is the usual prescribed
treatment for both children and adults. The prescription of this
drug to control or mask symptoms of this disorder instead of
investigating and eliminating possible cause factor is, once
again, where conventional medicine and natural health care
find their boundaries.
After clinical observation and examination of patients
diagnosed with ADD, I documented common characteristics
among both children and adults.
The children are usually hyperactive and difficult to
handle. Parents always reported problems at school either
with discipline or with the educational process. Each child
was very sensitive to digital palpation of the cervical region as
a result of severe cervical hypertonicity. The examination
would yield a “jump response” which is an involuntary
neurological reaction present in children due to severe cervical
musculature tension. In other words, the child’s whole body
would jerk when slight pressure was applied to the neck.
In the case of adults, most were experiencing periods of
confusion, fatigue, depression, and lack of concentration.
They all commonly complained of headaches and tension or
pain in the neck.
All of these patients, after physical examination and x-ray
analysis were diagnosed with ASC and treated in my office.
The goal of this NUCCA practitioner is to correct the
ASC. However, research papers, articles, and documentation
of mental, behavioral, or physical changes as a result of a
spinal correction can enhance our ability to educate the public
and the health care community on the importance of structural
balance to normal physical and mental functions. The
following case study is offered as a clinical example of
symptomatic changes after correction of the Atlas Subluxation
Complex.
Case History
Patient A is a nine year old female who presented to our
office experiencing symptoms that had been diagnosed as
ADD. The primary signs were hyperactivity, short attention
span, and poor impulse control. According to her parents and
school teacher, Patient A had a first grade reading level (1.5)
at the beginning of the third grade. Her printing was illegible,
and spelling was a problem. The parents stated that Patient A
has never been able to sit still and relax and has never taken
naps. She also woke up crying at least twice every night. A
school psychologist had suggested that Patient A be evaluated
by a pediatrician and then given Ritalin to control the ADD
symptoms. Patient A’s parents had decided to investigate a
more conservative alternative and chose not to medicate
Patient A at this time. However, the parents agreed that
Patient A’s behavior and learning abilities were being
compromised by this condition which was labeled ADD.
Examination
Physical examination of Patient A revealed the following
information:
- A right leg deficiency in the supine position
- A right low hip and shoulder in the standing position
- Right spastic contracture of paraspinal musculature
especially in the cervical region
- Digital palpation of the cervical spine elicited a jump
response
- Patient was nervous and fidgety
X-ray examination of the cervical region revealed an ASC.
The lateral view revealed a hypolodotic cervical curve.
Rotation of the atlas vertebra was minimal.
Results
The success of the first NUCCA adjustment was initially
measured by lessening of the leg deficiency, postural changes,
post x-ray analysis, cervical palpation, and observation. After
the spinal correction, the leg length measured even; the hips
and shoulders were level, and x-ray analysis showed a fifty
percent reduction of the ASC. Patient A was noticeably more
relaxed and drowsy. She was instructed to relax in a reclined
position after returning home.
Patient A’s parents noticed several distinct changes in her
behavior and schedule. Patient A relaxed for 2 hours watching
TV and napping. Her parents stated that they were amazed.
She had never remained motionless for an extended period.
Patient A slept through the night for the first time in her entire
life.
By the end of the next school semester, Patient A had
seven A’s on her report card. Her reading level was 3.5 (a 2.0
increase in less than three months). Her manuscript and
cursive writing were legible. Her teacher described her as
poised and relaxed. As a final note, the school psychologist
became a patient in our office and referred several other
children.
Discussion
On follow-up appointments, I questioned Patient A’s
parents to see if anything had been changed during her
treatment in our office. The parents reported that activities,
eating habits, nutritional supplements, and family relationships
had all remained constant to their knowledge. Therefore, this
author would have to conclude that correction of the ASC
effectively changed the symptoms used to diagnose the
condition known as ADD. The remission of those symptoms
were clearly documented.
Documentation of changes in the mental and behavioral
function as a consequence of upper cervical adjustments is
nothing new to the chiropractic field. It began several decades
ago when Palmer College reported a sixty-six percent
recovery rate of mental patients at two sanitariums owned by
the school for over twenty-five years. This recovery rate was
far above the national average. It was more recently discussed
in a research paper written and published by Dr. Michael
Thomas entitled, Upper Cervical Adjustments May Improve
Mental Function.[4] Further investigation into the causation of
mental and behavioral disorders could reveal the correction of
the ASC as a possible avenue to reduce or eliminate the need
for drug and other more radical therapies.
References
- The Merck Manual of diagnosis and Therapy, 15th
Edition, 1987, p. 1978-79.
- Grower, Timothy, Attention Headache, Men’s
Health, Sept. 1994; p. 55-56.
- Gregory, R., The Upper Cervical Monograph, Vol. 3,
No. 3, April 1982, p. 10-12.
- Thomas, M.D., Wood, J.: Upper Cervical
Adjustments May Improve Mental Function; Journal
of Manual Medicine (1992) 6:215-216.
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