Crohn's Disease Helped with Chiropractic; Study Says

Research, published in the November 2002 issue of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR) demonstrates that chiropractic care may be effective in helping patients with allergies and Crohn's Disease. The results of those studied showed long term remission and alleviation of symptoms in both allergy and Crohn's Disease.

Crohn's disease causes inflammation in the small intestine. Crohn's disease usually occurs in the lower part of the small intestine, called the ileum, but it can affect any part of the digestive tract, from the mouth to the anus. The inflammation extends deep into the lining of the affected organ. The inflammation can cause pain and can make the intestines empty frequently, resulting in diarrhea. Crohn's disease is an inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), the general name for diseases that cause inflammation in the intestines. Crohn's disease affects men and women equally and seems to run in some families. About 20 percent of people with Crohn's disease have a blood relative with some form of IBD, most often a brother or sister and sometimes a parent or child. Crohn's disease may also be called ileitis or enteritis.

In the research 57 patients were divided into two groups. One group was a control group that received only standard medical care for their condition. The second group consisted of 17 patients who also received their standard medical care but additionally received chiropractic care. This group of 17 patients received spinal adjustments in order to reduce the vertebral subluxations in the thoracic and lumbar regions of their spine. The control group did not receive spinal adjustments.

The researchers found that vertebral subluxations were a common and characteristic finding in patients with allergies and Crohn's disease. The results showed that 12 of the 17 patients who received spinal adjustments, showed long-term and stable remission of their symptoms while 9 experienced an alleviation effect. The researchers concluded, "According to the results of this study the possibility may be considered that chronic nerve compression secondary to vertebral subluxation in the thoracic and lumbar regions had a significant effect on the immune function of these allergy and Crohn's disease patients."