Autistic Child Improves Under Chiropractic Care

The March 24, 2008 issue of the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research reports on a case study involving a three year-old autistic child who experienced improvements in her social interactions and language skills after a short course of chiropractic care.
The girl had been diagnosed with autism 12 months before beginning chiropractic care. She did not communicate with anyone except by throwing tantrums and screaming. She wouldn’t socialize with kids her own age and the only physical activity she got was from throwing tantrums. Difficulty sleeping and constipation were also mentioned as ongoing problems.
Previous research has noted links with autism from both traumatic birth injuries and vaccinations. This child was delivered using vacuum extraction, which has been associated with birth trauma. She also received all the standard vaccinations, with her mother noting that she slept for 24 hours after receiving her first set of vaccinations. She had not spoken at all, only verbalizing by screaming.
At the beginning of chiropractic care the child was very apprehensive about getting adjusted. Within two weeks of beginning chiropractic care, the child was climbing onto the table by herself and holding the chiropractor’s hand. By the 10th visit the child was verbalizing and laughing.
After a month of care, the mother noted fewer nightmares, expressions of sadness and discomfort and less hyperactivity. She noted more spontaneity, expressions of joy and better posture.
The authors point out that vertebral subluxations can affect sensory input into the parts of the brain that sense its surrounding environment; the same parts of the brain that seem to be affected in autistic people. Once the child had her subluxations corrected, better sensory input occurred to these areas and she then experienced improvements in her behavioral patterns.