Recent research reported in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research on a child with tonsillitis reveals that chiropractic may play an important role in managing these patients. The literature included supports the role of chiropractic in those suffering from the related health challenges and calls for more research in this area.
“Numerous case studies and some clinical studies are revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and the various health challenges that children experience” 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.
McCoy added “In the case report presented, the child was suffering from tonsillitis that resolved under chiropractic care because of the nature of the nervous system and its relationship to the immune system and the spine.”
According to researchers the nervous system controls and coordinates all functions of the body and structural shifts in the spine can occur that obstruct the nerves and interfere with their function. By removing the structural shifts, chiropractic improves nerve supply and function.
With everything we know about the spine and nervous system, chiropractic intervention makes perfect sense in the case of a child with tonsillitis.
The 5-year-old female in this study was suffering from tonsillitis after strep throat for a year. She had been prescribed antibiotics and oral steroids, which did not help change the size of her tonsils. Her specialist recommended a tonsillectomy.
The chiropractor examined her and found structural shifts in her upper neck, midback, and low back. There was a decrease in range of motion, edema, and tight muscles in her neck. X-rays, postural analysis, and other diagnostic tests confirmed the findings. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves, and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct.
Following chiropractic adjustments, the size of her tonsils decreased, and she was able to avoid the tonsillectomy.
The study’s author called for additional research to investigate the clinical implications of chiropractic in children with tonsillitis.
To learn more about this study and chiropractic research visit, Vertebral Subluxation Research.
