Woman in Wheelchair Suffering from Progressive Ataxia Helped by Chiropractic

On September 20, 2021, the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research published the results of a case study with the title "Resolution of Progressive Ataxia in a 64-Year-Old Female Undergoing Chiropractic Care for the Management of Vertebral Subluxation."

According to the National Ataxia Foundation, "Ataxia is a degenerative disease of the nervous system. Many symptoms of Ataxia mimic those of being drunk, such as slurred speech, stumbling, falling, and incoordination." They further explain, "People affected by Ataxia may experience problems with using their fingers and hands, arms, legs, walking, speaking or moving their eyes. Ataxia affects people of all ages. Age of symptom-onset can vary widely, from childhood to late-adulthood. Complications from the disease are serious and oftentimes debilitating."

In this case, a 64-year-old woman came to the chiropractor because she was suffering with the inability to walk or stand for any length of time, which caused her to rely on being in a wheelchair. The woman reported that she was also suffering with worsening dizziness and a progressively unsteady gait over the past two months. She reported falling when trying to walk and side to side dizziness with a feeling of severe instability. Her history also included history of hypertension, hyperlipidemia, and coronary artery diseases.

Prior to chiropractic care, the woman had a battery of medical tests which failed to detect a cause for her problems. In her most recent hospitalization, the woman was finally diagnosed with subacute progressive ataxia, along with unsteady gait, vertigo, migraines, and thyroid issues.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included inspection, palpation, range of motion, reflexes, and spinal x-rays. From this examination, it was determined that there were multiple areas of spinal subluxation present. With this information, a series of specific chiropractic adjustments was started. She had to be driven to the chiropractic office as she was unable to drive a car due to her condition.

The study documented the woman’s results under chiropractic care and noted that "Within three weeks, the patient was able to walk and was eventually driving herself to the clinic, even walking up the stairs without any assistance."

The study explains how subluxations could create these types of neurological problems. "In simplest terms, a subluxation (a.k.a. Vertebral Subluxation) is when one or more of the bones of your spine (vertebrae) move out of position and create pressure on or irritate spinal nerves.26 Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from between each of the bones in your spine. This pressure or irritation on the nerves then causes those nerves to malfunction and interfere with the signals traveling over those nerves. The nervous system controls and coordinates all the functions of your body. If you interfere with the signals traveling over nerves, parts of your body will not get the proper nerve messages and will not be able to function at 100% of their innate abilities. In other words, some part of your body will not be working properly."

The authors of this study note that an increasing number of elderly people are seeking chiropractic. "Recently, more people are presenting to the chiropractor for other conditions, and not just back or neck pain. The elderly population, most specifically, has become keen to the idea of chiropractic and its beneficial effects." They continued in their conclusion by saying, "The findings presented in this study suggest that the chiropractic care may play a role in the management of patients who suffer from ataxia."