A study published in the Journal Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health on January 13, 2011, documented the case of a boy with Neurofibromatosis Type I, asthma and ear infections who was helped by chiropractic care.
Neurofibromatosis is also known as von Recklinghausen disease. It is a genetically-inherited disorder, but can occur from random mutations in which the nerve tissue grows tumors. In most cases, symptoms of NF1 are mild, and individuals live normal and productive lives. In some cases, however, neurofibromatosis can be severely debilitating and may cause cosmetic and psychological issues.
In this case, a 3-year-old boy who was previously diagnosed with neurofibromatosis was brought to a chiropractor. From an early age, he suffered from infections. At the age of 18 months he began chemotherapy for tumor growths on his optic nerve. To compound his problems, it was at this time that he began to suffer from allergy induced asthma. The study also noted that once the chemotherapy regime was complete the asthma began to worsen which required visits to the emergency department at least two times per month. The boy was placed on strong asthma medicine which caused severe reactions. According to this case study, the boy’s mother also stated there were times when she felt she did not know her son because he became “wild” from the asthma drugs.
A chiropractic examination was performed on the boy and subluxations were determined to be present. Based upon the examination, a course of specific chiropractic adjustments was initiated. Care began at the rate of 2 to 3 adjustments per week. The study documents that within one month after starting care, the asthmatic attacks resolved and there was no need for any more medications. Within three months, the boy’s mother reported that her son had only one attack in which he needed to use the rescue inhaler.
The authors of the study also noted that the boy’s mother believed chiropractic care improved her son’s overall immune function as well as his asthma as he demonstrated overall improvement in his health.
