From the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research comes a study published on February 22, 2012 documenting the case of a woman with atrial fibrillation and hypertension being helped with chiropractic.
Atrial fibrillation is the most common form of irregular heart beat and can be temporary or chronic in nature. The Mayo clinic describes atrial fibrillation as, “…an irregular and often rapid heart rate that commonly causes poor blood flow to the body. During atrial fibrillation, the heart’s two upper chambers (the atria) beat chaotically and irregularly — out of coordination with the two lower chambers (the ventricles) of the heart. Atrial fibrillation symptoms include heart palpitations, shortness of breath and weakness.”
In this case a 67 year old woman came to the chiropractor after being hospitalized for atrial fibrillation. She was also being treated with beta blockers for her history of hypertension, and she had suffered multiple transient ischemic attacks. Additional symptoms from her atrial fibrillation included fatigue, weakness, shortness of breath and a rapid heart rate. Initially she reported these problems 1-2 times per week, but more recently she was experiencing these problems on a daily basis.
A chiropractic examination was performed which included palpation, postural analysis, leg length checks, thermal scans and postural x-rays. Additionally her cardio functions were monitored and showed her blood pressure at 193/98 mm Hg, her heart rate measured at 98bpm and her respiratory rate was14 breaths per minute.
Subluxations were determined to be present in the upper neck and specific chiropractic adjustments were initiated to correct the nerve interference from the subluxations. The case study reported that five days after the woman’s initial adjustment a second adjustment was given. At this point the patient’s condition started showing improvement. The woman reported that her heart rhythm was improving and that her energy level had increased.
A week later the woman had improved to the extent that during her visit to her cardiologist it was decided that she would discontinue her medication. In time her hypertension also resolved and was recorded to be down to 124/74 mm Hg. She did not suffer any episodes of arrhythmia.