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Asthma Study on Benefits of Chiropractic
Asthma has become a large health concern for children in recent years. Over
the past 20 years the incidence of asthma has doubled. The Centers for Disease
Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that in 1998, approximately 17,299,000
people in the United States, or 6.4% of the population, with cases among very
young children up 160%. As reported in the June 16, 1999 issue of JAMA, the CDC also noted that between 1980 and 1994, the
number of people self-reporting asthma grew 75%.
In a study conducted in 1996 by the Michigan Chiropractic Council (MCC), a panel
of doctors performed an out-come assessment study to test the qualitative and
quantitative effectiveness of chiropractic care on children with asthma. The
high demand of parents seeking alternative care for pediatric asthma was shown
by the overwhelming interest in the study. More than 500 parents called the MCC
seeking to get their child involved in the chiropractic study.
The study, which took place during May and June of 1996, examined the chiropractic
effectiveness in correcting the cause of asthma in patients from birth to age
17. The average age of the participant was 10 years. "After 30 days
of chiropractic health care, patients averaged only one attack, whereas prior to
the study they were experiencing more than four attacks," said MCC Dr. Bob
Graham, who directed the study. "Medications, which can be costly,
were decreased by nearly 70 percent. Finally, patient satisfaction was rated 8.5
on a scale of 10." More than 70 chiropractors from 62 cities in
Michigan studied more than 80 children suffering from asthma. |