The Tale of the Constipated Boy

I came across this article the other day in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics and thought it was very interesting. It is a case study of a young boy who came to a Chiropractic clinic complaining of constipation, and here is his tale.

The boy came to the clinic with his mother, who said that he had bowel movements at 7 to 10 day intervals, and sometimes even two weeks apart. She told the Chiropractor that he had been having this problem since he was born. His pediatrician referred him to a gastroenterologist, who diagnosed him with chronic constipation, and informed the boy’s mother that he would likely continue to have this problem.

His treatment at the time consisted of a diet that was high in fiber, high fluid intake and was also prescribed a laxative. He followed this recommendation moderately closely, and was still having very large, painful bowel movements, that would take as long as two hours. The mother noted that he had a bowel movement the day before the visit.

The boy had never had a spinal complaint or pain before, and upon Chiropractic examination was found to have a subluxation in his pelvis (specifically his sacrum was subluxated, which is the large bone at the bottom of the spine). The subluxation was adjusted, and the abdomen of the patient was also massaged along the course of the colon (which was based on anecdotal evidence that it may help the situation). The Chiropractor also recommended that the mother continue with the high fiber and fluid diet.

3 days later the mother and boy returned to the Chiropractic clinic to report that the boy had a bowel movement the day of the adjustment, and one 2 days after that, and she was excited because he had never had 3 bowel movements in 4 days before this point.

The mother reported that his bowel movements were much quicker, easier, and less painful, and the stool was much softer and smaller. Treatment was continued for a month, with a total of 8 visits, after which point care was discontinued because his bowel movements had normalized, and no more sacral subluxations were found. The patient never returned for more care, and a follow-up call 13 years later found that he was still experiencing normal bowel function.

Chiropractic care was able to relieve his 8 year long condition in just one month.

Sources:

1) Quist DM, Duray SM. Resolution of symptoms of chronic constipation in an 8-year-old male after chiropractic treatment, Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2007 Jan; 30(1):65-8.

Chiropractic Health Care: Wellness Care

Hello and welcome to my blog. This blog is meant to explain what Chiropractic health care can do for you and your family. I will present information as I progress through my education in a Doctor of Chiropractic program at Palmer College of Chiropractic. I feel it is fitting that the first post here be a broad topic over how Chiropractic works and the philosophy of a Chiropractic Lifestyle.

Chiropractic is an alternative approach from the medical model of health-care. The Marriam-Webster Medical Dictionary defines health as "freedom from physical disease and pain". However, Chiropractic philosophy strives for people to be more than simply free of disease; Chiropractic strives for wellness in people. Wellness can best be described as "an approach to health-care that emphasizes preventing illness and prolonging life, as opposed to emphasizing treating diseases" (dictionary.com). Chiropractors help patients to maintain their state of wellness through adjustments that are frequently, but not solely, to the spine, as well as through nutritional, dietary, and exercise advice.

The human body is a complex interrelated unit that is controlled by the nervous system which includes our brain, brainstem, and the nerves running throughout the body. All of the functions of the human body are regulated by the nervous system and unfortunately there are times when the nervous system can become compromised and less able to work effectively. Take for example when we are sick: when we catch a cold, many things start happening in our bodies, all of which lead to our immune system responding and killing the cold virus that has invaded our system. The nervous system plays a very important role in immune response, and if the nervous system somehow becomes compromised, and therefore less able to achieve its goals, then the body will not develop a very strong immune response and a person will be sick for longer. This type of situation is in all of our body processes and responses, and as a result the integrity of the nervous system is critical to the maintenance of wellness.

When you visit a Chiropractor, the purpose of an adjustment is to remove anything that may be compromising the nervous system. Take for example the spine which houses our spinal cord: if a bone has been moved out of its natural alignment, then it is possible that the nerves could be compromised, and it will not be as able to transmit its signals as well. However, once the compromise is removed by a Chiropractic adjustment, the nervous system is able to send signals at its strongest. After an adjustment the body is able to naturally maintain its optimum level of health and allow the person to lead a life of wellness.

These are the fundamentals of how Chiropractic works, and what Chiropractic philosophy is about: Wellness care.