Several recent studies have shown the benefits of chiropractic care for children suffering from "Nocturnal Enuresis" more commonly known as bedwetting. Several studies published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed marked improvement in children with this problem over children who did not receive chiropractic care.

In one study 171 children suffering with enuresis averaged 7 nights of bed wetting per week prior to the study. After the children were given some initial chiropractic care the average child reduced the number of "wet" nights to 4 nights per week. A full 25% of the children receiving chiropractic showed a 50% reduction in wet nights. In addition, only 1% of the children were considered "dry" prior to the study and prior to receiving chiropractic care. After the study 15% of the children were then considered "dry".

In another study, 46 primary enuretic children were studied. Of this group 31 were placed under chiropractic care while 15 were in the control group and did not receive any chiropractic care. The results of this study showed a 17.9% decrease in wet nights for the chiropractic group. Over the same period of time no change was noted for the control group who did not receive any chiropractic care.

Amazingly, improvement in some of the studies was shown to be immediate after the first adjustment and remain stable thereafter.

In the October 2004 issue of the peer-reviewed research publication, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), comes a case study of a child with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder), who was helped with chiropractic.

The case was of a 5 year old boy who had been diagnosed with ADHD at age 2. The childs pediatrician prescribed methylphenidate (Ritalin), Adderall, and Haldol for the next 3 years. The combination of drugs was unsuccessful in helping the child.

At age 5 the child was brought to a chiropractor to see if chiropractic care would help. The history taken at that time noted that during the childs birth, there were complications during his delivery process. The results of this trauma and complications resulted in a 4-day stay in the neonatal intensive care unit. The childs mother reported no other incidence of trauma.

The chiropractic examination and x-rays showed noticeable spinal distortion including a reversal of the normal neck curve indicative of subluxations. Chiropractic care was begun and the childs progress was monitored.

According to his mother, positive changes in her son's general behavior were noticed around the twelfth visit. By the 27th visit the patient had experienced considerable improvement.

The child was brought by the mother to the medical doctor for a follow up visit and questioned the usage of the Ritalin. The medical doctor reviewed and examined the child and based on that assessment and his clinical experience, the MD felt that the young boy was no longer exhibiting symptoms associated with ADHD. He then took the boy off the medications that he had been taking for 3 years.

The conclusion of the author of the JMPT case study noted, The patient experienced significant reduction in symptoms. Additionally, the medical doctor concluded that the reduction in symptoms was significant enough to discontinue the medication..

Four documented case studies were published in the June 21, 2006 issue of the scientific periodical, the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. In each of these case studies the children were previously diagnosed with cerebral palsy secondary to birth trauma. Additionally each of these children were found to have the presence of vertebral subluxations as detected by objective testing.

Chiropractic care was given to each of the children with the objective of correcting or reducing the detected vertebral subluxations. The mothers and or care providers of each of these children monitored changes in activities of daily living and observed their quality of life. They noted that after one month of chiropractic care, all four children showed improvement in activities of daily living including mobility, feeding, and postural control.

The first case study was of an 8 year old female presenting with a diagnosis of cerebral palsy secondary to birth trauma who was also prone to seizures. She also suffered from tremors of her arms and legs, frequent urination and had visual problems as well as poor posture. Her previous medical treatment consisted of physical therapy procedures including massage and acupuncture.

Over a 9 week period this child received a total of 22 chiropractic adjustments. Following chiropractic care, the parents reported that she could sit better and was able to walk upright without anyone's help. She also gained the ability to walk up stairs on her own. She was able to use her left arm and hand better, especially when feeding herself. She was able to walk steadier and more confident, and was less "limp." Her parents also noted that her overall coordination improved and they reported an increase in energy and that her emotional state improved. They also noted that she was less fatigued and needed less sleep, and the tremors lessened in severity.

Similarly each of the children also showed improvements. One 7 year old boy who was diagnosed with cerebral palsy also suffered from seizures. His parents reported that as an infant he did not move much and that he seemed to lack any emotion. He also did not start to crawl until he was 11 months old and did not walk until he was almost 5 years old. Additionally, this unfortunate child suffered from frequent colds, numbness and pain in the arms and legs, seizures, nasal bleeding, throat pain, hoarseness of the voice, pain in the gums and teeth, rhinitis, extremity tremors, pain in the feet, and anemia. He had trouble sleeping, difficulty communicating, concentrating and working in school.

After the initiation of chiropractic care, his parents reported that he became more stable while standing and walking, had greater mobility and better balance of the upper part of the body. Additionally, he was able to walk longer distances before tiring. His abilities in school improved and his sleeping problems resolved. They reported that his appetite, communication and emotional state improved.

The other two children in this study also showed improvements that included improved changes in their coordination, gait improvements, better sleeping and appetite. Additionally, changes in posture and mental attitude were also noted.

The authors note that all of these improvements correlated with objective findings of reductions of subluxations during chiropractic care. In their conclusions they state, "These reports are consistent with widespread anecdotal reports of similar types of improvements and are consistent with other case reports in the literature. Given the significance of such types of improvements in the lives of these children the authors call for more extensive investigation of the effects of subluxation analysis and correction in children suffering from cerebral palsy."

Asthma has become a large health concern for children in recent years. Over the past 20 years the incidence of asthma has doubled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that in 1998, approximately 17,299,000 people in the United States, or 6.4% of the population, with cases among very young children up 160%. As reported in the June 16, 1999 issue of JAMA, the CDC also noted that between 1980 and 1994, the number of people self-reporting asthma grew 75%.

In a study conducted in 1996 by the Michigan Chiropractic Council (MCC), a panel of doctors performed an out-come assessment study to test the qualitative and quantitative effectiveness of chiropractic care on children with asthma. The high demand of parents seeking alternative care for pediatric asthma was shown by the overwhelming interest in the study. More than 500 parents called the MCC seeking to get their child involved in the chiropractic study.

The study, which took place during May and June of 1996, examined the chiropractic effectiveness in correcting the cause of asthma in patients from birth to age 17. The average age of the participant was 10 years. "After 30 days of chiropractic health care, patients averaged only one attack, whereas prior to the study they were experiencing more than four attacks," said MCC Dr. Bob Graham, who directed the study. "Medications, which can be costly, were decreased by nearly 70 percent. Finally, patient satisfaction was rated 8.5 on a scale of 10." More than 70 chiropractors from 62 cities in Michigan studied more than 80 children suffering from asthma.

Chiropractic care for children offers your family a solid foundation for wellness. Throughout pregnancy, birth, and childhood, the chiropractic lifestyle offers choices and benefits for your greater health and well-being. The following articles will help you understand the importance of the chiropractic family wellness lifestyle.

A study published in the May 2003 issue of the peer-reviewed Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, showed a strong link between the resolution of infertility and the initiation of chiropractic care. The study consisted of a retrospective review of 14 separate articles of 15 women suffering with infertility. In each of these cases chiropractic care was introduced and the results were documented and published.

The studies followed 15 female subjects ranging in age from 22 to 65. The prior pregnancy history of these women revealed 11 of them had never gotten pregnant. Two of the women had prior successful unassisted pregnancies. One woman had an assisted pregnancy, while 1 had a history of a miscarriage. In this group 9 women had previous treatment for infertility before starting chiropractic and 4 were actually undergoing infertility treatment when they started chiropractic care.

The study noted the huge expense of infertility treatment options currently used by many couples noting the range of expenses can easily go into the thousands. The article also noted that in vitro fertilization has shown evidence of long term risks. A study published in November 2002 in the online version of the American Journal of Human Genetics reported that "babies conceived by in vitro fertilization may be at increased risk for a rare genetic disorder that predisposes them to cancer".

The chiropractic care rendered to the women listed in this study was from a variety of chiropractors using a variety of techniques. The focus of the care in these cases was correction of vertebral subluxations. The research article defined Subluxation by using the agreed definition of the Association of Chiropractic Colleges. Subluxation, as defined by the Association of Chiropractic Colleges, is a "complex of functional and / or structural and / or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and general health". The study noted that all of the women in these studies, who were struggling with infertility, had evidence of nerve system interference, as detected by the presence of subluxations.

The results of these individual case studies showed that even though many of these women had tried unsuccessfully for some time to become pregnant, all of the women in this study eventually became pregnant somewhere between 2 months and 20 months of the onset of chiropractic care. One of the case studies was summed up by the author, Elizabeth Anderson-Peacock, DC, DICCP, "Although chiropractic care is not a treatment for infertility, it is postulated that improvement of spinal neural integrity through specific chiropractic adjustments may have contributed to improved homeostasis and physiological adaptation thus allowing the body to express a greater level of health as an outcome."

In the October 1998 issue of the Ladies Home Journal appeared an article entitled, "Chiropractic Adjustments for Chronic Ear Infections." This article reviewed several studies showing the effectiveness of chiropractic care for preventing re-occurring ear infections known as Otitis Media or OM.

According to the article, reoccurring ear infections account for over 35% of all pediatrician visits in the United States. Sometimes these infections are due to bacteria and sometimes these are due to a virus. The most common medical care for this situation has been antibiotics, even though antibiotics have no effect on viruses. While the article mentions that the antibiotic may be effective in an acute bacterial infection, they do nothing to stop repeat infections. Research and statistics is now showing that repeated use of antibiotics is contributing to future infections by creating drug-resistant infections. The surgical approach has met with little long term results as the "tubes" placed in children's ears often come out and usually require a child to be put under general anesthesia to do the surgery.

The article in the Ladies Home Journal states, "Chiropractic care is thought to prevent recurrent infections by correcting misalignments (called subluxations) and allowing normal fluid drainage from the middle ear." What the article took special note of was that 6 months after the chiropractic care was given to the children in the study, 80 percent had not suffered a recurrence of ear infections.

In closing the article did make a profound statement. They made a recommendation to parents on this subject. "If your child is between ear infections and his doctor suggests ear-tube surgery, ask if you can try chiropractic treatment first." While we agree with that sentiment, we suggest you not wait for a period between episodes, and you don't have to "ask" permission from any other doctor to seek chiropractic care. As the sneaker company said, "just do it!"

"Chiropractic Care of 401 Children with Otitis Media: A Pilot Study"

Found in the March 1998 edition of Alternative Therapies and authored by Fallon and Edelman. (Conclusion) "There is a strong correlation between chiropractic adjustment and the resolution of otitis media for the children in this study, which can serve as a starting point from which those in the chiropractic profession can examine their role."