Recent research reporting on a 24-year-old man who was suffering from food intolerance reveals that chiropractic may play an important role in caring for people with this health challenge.
The research reported in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research showed improvements in symptoms after chiropractic adjustments to the upper part of the neck.
“Research is revealing that there is a relationship between structural abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and brain” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study.
Research has shown not only that the brain relies on normal structural integrity and joint movement, but that complex neurological communication and pathways involved in helping humans balance and orient themselves in space are tied into spinal biomechanics and their related neurological pathways.
The 24-year-old man in this study had low back pain and food intolerances for several years. His food intolerance was specific to wheat/gluten which would send him into a manic depression. Garlic and onions often interrupted his concentration while dairy caused him to have gas and abdominal pain. He had been hospitalized several times as a result of eating these foods. He would try to use supplements to help manage his depression.
The chiropractor examined him and found structural shifts in his upper neck. He had postural changes, pain, and tight muscles in his neck and throughout his body. X-rays and other testing confirmed these findings. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct.
Following upper cervical chiropractic care, his food intolerances resolved. He reported that he was able to eat all the foods he had to previously avoid. His episodes of depression, difficulty concentrating, and abdominal pain were no longer issues for him.
The study’s author called for additional research to investigate the clinical implications of chiropractic in patients with food intolerances.
To read more about this study, and other chiropractic research, visit Vertebral Subluxation Research.
