Newsletter Articles
March 2025

• Study Shows School Aged Children Benefit from Chiropractic Care
• Chiropractic Helps Patients with Cervical Disc Herniations

Study Shows School Aged Children Benefit from Chiropractic Care

The Journal of Bodywork & Movement Therapies published the results of a study on February 19, 2025, showing that school aged children with a wide variety of health issues benefit from chiropractic care. The study data was tabulated and written by multiple authors in the United States, New Zealand, and the Netherlands.

The authors of the study begin by noting "Chiropractic care is utilized in school aged children for a variety of health complaints, including headaches, postural issues, nocturnal enuresis, neurodevelopmental disorders, and back pain." The study points out that there is an alarming increase in neurodevelopmental disorders (NDD’s) among children. NDD conditions include problems such as autism spectrum disorders (ASD), dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity order (ADHD), and other neurological conditions.

The study reports that children are typically brought to the chiropractor for care with musculoskeletal disorders such as back pain, neck pain or headaches. However, there is a growing group of children who receive chiropractic for NDD issues. They state, "Chiropractic care for children has been used in the clinical setting to help co-manage individuals with NDD’s, particularly autism spectrum disorders, ADHD, and other behavioral disorders." They continue, "Previous research on chiropractic care in the pediatric population has also shown improvements in quality of life and a high satisfaction of care."

In this study, the health records of children between the ages of 5 and 18 who had received chiropractic care in a public-school setting in the United States were reviewed. Children were offered chiropractic care if they were identified by their teachers as having an NDD, or if requested by the child’s parents or caregivers due to musculoskeletal problems or other health complaints.

The records of the children included in this study were reviewed to determine the results of the care. The children were only included if they had received 12 weeks of continuous chiropractic care within the schools participating in this study. This study was ethically approved by the Institutional Review Board (IRB) of Life University, Marietta, Georgia, USA.

Results of the chiropractic care were evaluated by standardized scientific questionnaires, and by tests to determine neurological function. The questionnaires included information about the child’s quality of life, mental health, school performance, and relationships with other children.

The results of this study show positive changes for the children in the various areas that the study examined. The authors described the results by saying, "This retrospective case series in 180 children revealed statistically significant improvements following 12 weeks of chiropractic care in several areas." They elaborated by stating, "Statistically significant improvements were noted in the ‘health and activities’ sub-section and overall score of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory™ and in the hyperactivity domain of the Strengths and Difficulties questionnaire." The authors concluded, "These positive changes highlight the potential benefits of chiropractic care in addressing certain aspects of well-being and behavior of school-age children."

Chiropractic Helps Patients with Cervical Disc Herniations

The 2025 first-quarter issue of the Asian Pacific Chiropractic Journal published the results of a case series documenting the care of two patients who were helped by chiropractic who were suffering with severe pain as the result of having cervical disc herniations.

On their website, the Cleveland Clinic describes disc herniations as, "A herniated (slipped or bulging) disk occurs when the soft, jelly-like center of a disk in your spine pushes against and leaks out of its outer ring. This can lead to pain, numbness and weakness in your neck, back or legs." They go on to further explain, "A herniated disk occurs when one of the disks in your spine (backbone) tears or leaks due to natural wear and tear or injury. This puts pressure on your spinal cord and irritates your spinal nerves, leading to pain, numbness and weakness."

In this study, both these patients had confirmed cervical disc herniations. Both of the patients were suffering with severe pain that was interfering with their daily ability to function. Both had been told by their medical physicians that they should have spinal surgery. Specific chiropractic care was rendered to subluxations of each of these patients’ necks to see if there was a change in their symptoms.

The first patient was a 57-year-old woman who had disc herniations in her neck that had been confirmed by MRI. The woman was suffering with severe pain radiating from her neck into her shoulder and elbow, as well as weakness in her right hand. She experienced severe pain when she moved or when she was sitting in one place for more than 5 minutes.

The second patient was a 49-year-old man who was suffering with left sided body numbness and severe pain in the left shoulder that severely limited his ability to move his left arm. Additionally, he had pain and limited movement in the neck and was suffering with dizziness. His grip strength was weak in his left hand compared to the right, and he stated that his left arm felt heavy and numb. The man also had pain in the left pelvis area that radiating down his left leg along with leg numbness. These problems caused him to walk with an unsteady gait and a limp.

Both of these patients received specific forms of chiropractic care focused on removal of vertebral subluxation found in their necks. Both patients responded well to care and with a reduction and elimination of their symptoms.

The authors of this study summed up the results these two patients experienced and how it had a positive effect on their daily lives by stating, "Both patients are now off their medications and feeling much better, with no plans now to consider spinal surgery. Five visits and 5 weeks later both patients were back to full time work with a few cautionary restrictions. They are treated once or twice a month and have active lives again today, where interaction with their family and hobbies resumed to the full."