(10/10/09, Spokane). A recent case study published in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health shows promising results for a 2-year old boy suffering from Cerebral Palsy.
“According to the published report, 10,000 children are born in the U.S. each year with Cerebral Palsy,” said Spokane-based Dr. Pat Dougherty, D.C. “This is an extremely debilitating disorder, so it is encouraging news when we see an improvement in the condition through a documented course of care.”
The patient, according to his adoptive mother, had a traumatic birth and endured a number of health problems while still an infant, including acute respiratory failure, seizures, pneumonia and gastro-esophageal reflux disease. The patient was diagnosed with hypotonic cerebral palsy, deriving from the traumatic birth. He had a twin sister who was diagnosed with spastic CP at the same time.
The child’s adoptive mother brought him to a chiropractic clinic for an examination, and disturbances in the child’s nervous system were noted. A course of chiropractic care was undertaken over a period of seven months, with
light force vertebral adjustments occurring during each visit.
“The patient received full spinal chiropractic care,” said Dr. Dougherty, “with visits averaging slightly more than one per month. The child’s mother reported improvements her son’s condition almost from the start.”
After one visit, the child started pulling himself up on to his riding toys. After the fifth visit, the mother reported that the child began sleeping 9-10 hours a night, a steep improvement over the 3-4 hours per night he had been averaging prior to the start of chiropractic care. Over the seven months of care, the boy gained four pounds and had improved eye contact. Unfortunately, other CP effects persisted, including poor vocal sounds and hyper-reflexes.
“This study represents a very preliminary level of findings, and much more research is needed,” Dr. Dougherty added. “But the results should offer some encouragement for parents of children with cerebral palsy. This child saw definite improvements and should continue to experience a genuine life style enhancement because of them.”
Anyone wishing more information may contact Dr. Dougherty, whose office is located at 2110 North Washington Street, Spokane, USA (telephone 509-327-4373).
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