Chiropractic Care For A Nine-Year-Old Boy With Tourette Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, Depression, Asthma, Insomnia, and Headaches: A Case Report

From the July 12, 2003 issue of the peer reviewed, "Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, comes a case study of a very ill nine year old boy. According to the case study, this child was suffering from a multitude of problems including, asthma and upper respiratory infections since infancy; headaches since age 6; Tourette Syndrome, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD), depression and insomnia since age 7; and neck pain since age 8. It was noted in this child's history that he had been delivered by forceps delivery.  His mother described her son as being “constantly sick since birth.”

There has been much discussion about forceps delivery causing a variety of health problems in children.  In the December 2nd, 1999 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine, was a report that showed that the  forceps delivery death rate was more than twice that for vaginal delivery. (click here for more).  This situation along with other trauma the young boy had experienced offered some possible explanation for the findings of subluxations in this child.  During the patient’s initial examination, evidence of a subluxation stemming from the upper cervical spine was found. Chiropractic care was then administered to correct and stabilize the patient’s upper neck subluxations.

Following six weeks of chiropractic care, all six conditions were absent and remained absent five months later at the conclusion of care. In a follow up seven months later, no asthma attacks, headaches, neck pain, insomnia, behavioral trouble, or tics had occurred. He had not suffered any infections, nor had he used any medications other than his half-dose of Wellbutrin. His mother reported that her son’s only “problem” was becoming accustomed to being a “normal” child who was required to complete chores, walk home from school by himself, or complete school work during allotted time.