Improvement in Multiple Sclerosis Symptomatology in a Patient Undergoing Chiropractic Care

The Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research published a study on August 24, 2015, documenting the case of a man with multiple sclerosis (MS) showing a decrease in symptoms and an increase in his quality of life with chiropractic care. Multiple sclerosis is a chronic inflammatory, demyelinating disease of the central nervous system.

The study reports that MS is the most common disabling autoimmune disease in young adults affecting approximately 250,000 people in the U.S. primarily between the ages of 20 and 50. MS affects the central nervous system and creates a variety of symptoms and problems. Problems can include in-coordination, optic neuritis, mild sensory or motor symptoms, numbness, handwriting difficulties, headaches, and depression.

In this case, a 49-year-old woman suffering from MS went to the chiropractor. She had been diagnosed with MS years earlier in 1996. This diagnosis was confirmed by MRI studies. The first symptom she noticed was an uncontrollable shaking feeling in her body that was relieved by exercise.

Upon going to the chiropractor, she was suffering with neck pain, difficultly writing, fatigue, head instability, severe neck and upper back pain and stiffness, loss of grip strength in her hands, cold hands/feet, ringing in the ears, vertigo, blurred vision, photo-phobia, and allergies. Her MS was causing difficulty in talking and affecting her ability to drive a car.

A chiropractic examination showed a reduced range of motion in both the neck and lower back along with postural abnormalities. A thermal scan was performed which showed abnormal temperature variations in the neck area. X-rays were taken of the cervical spine which showed misalignments in the upper neck area.

It was determined that the woman had vertebral subluxations present in her neck. Chiropractic care was begun using specific adjustments designed to address the subluxations found in the woman's neck.

After care was ongoing, the patient was given a questionnaire to record her progress of her adjustments. She recorded a marked improvement in her driving ability, allergies, cold hands/feet, vertigo, blurry vision, ringing in ears, fatigue, neck pain, and upper back pain. She also reported that her prior complaints had not returned since she began chiropractic care. She even showed moderate improvement in her writing ability and her head instability.

The study authors note that MS is considered an immune system problem that causes the neurological issues. To help explain how chiropractic can have a positive effect on MS, the authors wrote, "Studies have shown that when the nervous system is not working properly it will impair the immune system because of the numerous connections between the two. Chiropractic adjustments aim to remove subluxations interference in the nervous system. This will help restore the body's ability to be in a state of homeostasis and respond to both changes in the internal and external environment, improving overall health, and allowing the body to heal."