Should Natural Remedies for Asthma Include Chiropractic Care?



I am not the first one to jump on the idea that chiropractic care can fix everything (although, I could put forth a good argument that a chiropractor well versed in lifestyle changes is the most powerful player on your provider team).  However, over the years there has been a surprising amount of research as it relates to the affect of manipulation on respiratory conditions such as asthma.

Or maybe it shouldn’t be so surprising.  The ribs, after all, do articulate with the spine.  If the joints of the thoracic spine are dysfunctional and not moving optimally, then you can guess that the rib joints that meet up with the thoracic spine are going to have issues as well.

Ribs not moving well leads to reduced movement of the chest cavity, which THEN could lead to a lower respiratory volume.  You can see where this all leads.

Yes, it leads to this particular study, which reviewed 8 different studies that have been done in the past on the affect of manual therapies on respiratory disease in children.  Of these, 6 studies showed some type of a benefit.  Not too shabby.

I remember a patient some years back who had such bad asthma that he would cough any time I adjusted his thoracic spine.  It would take several goes, with some water drinking in between.  He had been “managed” by his pulmonologist for many years.  But never once did the subject of this patient drinking several cans of Mountain Dew per day ever come up.

After I explained to him how bad this was for his lungs, he stopped cold turkey.  Just a few short weeks later you would have no idea there was anything wrong with him. No more coughing during his thoracic adjustments.

Based on this, it would make sense for every pediatrician to recommend at least a trial of chiropractic care for any children with respiratory problems.  And, if that chiropractor is well versed enough in lifestyle changes to recommend vitamin D, fish oils and avoidance of trans fats and refined carbohydrates, life is going to be good.

Based on this, do you think every child with respiratory problems should see a chiropractor for a short course of treatment to see if it helps?

 

James Bogash

For more than a decade, Dr. Bogash has stayed current with the medical literature as it relates to physiology, disease prevention and disease management. He uses his knowledge to educate patients, the community and cyberspace on the best way to avoid and / or manage chronic diseases using lifestyle and targeted supplementation.







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Categories: Asthma, Chiropractic Care
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One thought on “Should Natural Remedies for Asthma Include Chiropractic Care?”

  1. A clinical trial showed that asthma patients treated with chiropractic treatment experienced significant improvement of bronchial hyper-reactivity and saw a decrease of asthma severity. Another comprehensive clinical trial reported that the patient group that was treated with spinal manipulation showed significant improvement in asthma symptoms. Thanks for sharing.

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