Epilepsy & Seizure Treated With Chiropractic
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorders. Can chiropractic care be an answer?
A brain unbalanced and out of control
Epilepsy and seizures are characterized by sudden, spontaneous and abnormal firing of neurons. They can be localized to a specific networks of neurons or can affect the entire brain. In many cases, the causes of seizures are unknown.
Intriguing new research
Traditional medical treatment includes medication and, in very severe cases, surgery. But a new line of research has emerged in North America. Some doctors now implant patients with a device that electrically stimulates the Vagus nerve, a nerve that exits the spine between the skull and the first spinal bone. We know that an Atlas subluxation can alter Vagal tone. In fact published studies have show that chiropractic adjustments can improve heart rate variability (HRV), other studies show that blood pressure returns to closer to normal when adjustments are needed and given.. At Progressive Chiropractic we measure HRV and use this to tell how well the Vagus nerve is working. Chiropractors have long known that adjusting the upper cervical spine if needed could have a significant impact on the function of the Vagus nerve.
Chiropractic adjustments balance the brain.
There is research showing that chiropractic adjustments positively influence the brain. Numerous cases of patients being helped by chiropractic have been published in the scientific literature. In a 2001 study, (link to study) published in the Journal Of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, researchers looked at 17 children who had received unsuccessful management with anticonvulsive medications. All 17 patients subsequently received chiropractic care of the upper neck to correct vertebral subluxations, the term chiropractors use to describe abnormal spinal function that results in nerve interference and imbalanced brain function.
88% of the patients (15 out of 17) experienced significant reduction in the frequency and severity of their epileptic seizures. So, if you know someone who is suffering from epilepsy, let them know that chiropractic is a safe option to look into.
What We Do
At Progressive Chiropractic, when someone suffering from seizures or epilepsy asks if we can help, we immediately test the autonomic function of the nervous system by evaluating for Subluxations. We test by using HRV, and a Thermal scan. Seizures can be the result of an imbalanced autonomic nervous system. The vagus nerve is instrumental in parasympathetic function. The vagus nerve and its function can be greatly affected by Subluxation in the upper cervical spine.
One medical option is a “vagus nerve stimulator”. A medical surgeon implants the device that artificially stimulates the vagus nerve to help rebalance the autonomic nervous system from fight/flight to a restful and relaxed state. This has been shown to reduce the frequency of seizures and epileptic activity. However, because it is artificial, it is very difficult to pinpoint when and how much to stimulate the vagus nerve. At this stage, it is merely a cover up and a work in progress because stimulating the vagus nerve is only half the battle. It is also about regulating the function of the vagus nerve, and that can only be achieved by allowing the brain to do it on its own. So instead of guessing when your vagus nerve needs to work more, how much more and when to stop with a man made device, why not have your brain do all of that without guessing.
How Chiropractic Is Different
The beautiful thing with chiropractic care is we do not stimulate the vagus nerve. Chiropractic can restore normal function to the vagus nerve by removing the irritation to the brain stem put there by a subluxation. From there, the body can figure out when and how much to stimulate the vagus nerve on its own.
A child who has been overstressed and who is also Subluxated in the upper cervical spine may present with seizures or epilepsy. If so, they are immediately medicated with some heavy duty drugs that dumb down the body and fry the brain, which just adds more stress to the neurology going forward and limits their quality of life. Not a very good prognosis, especially if we are all striving to allow our children to be happy.
A child has been through a lot of stress (see children and chiropractic - link to video) that can create a severe Subluxation in the upper cervical spine. The subluxation combined with the continued stressors can trigger symptom episodes. When the child is freed from that subluxation, this allows for normal feedback regulation to stimulate and regulate the function of the vagus nerve and allow for better balance within the autonomic nervous system.
Click here to see study.
