Asthma and Sever’s Disease Symptoms Helped by Chiropractic - A Case Study

The Asian Pacific Chiropractic Journal published the results of a case study in their April 2023 edition documenting the case of a child with asthma and Sever's Disease being helped by chiropractic. According to the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, "Sever’s disease is the most common cause of heel pain in growing children, especially those who play sports or exercise regularly. Also known as calcaneal apophysitis, Sever’s disease occurs when the growth plate in the back of the heel becomes inflamed and painful."

This study begins by explaining, "Sever’s disease (SD) is of common occurrence in the paediatric [sic] population and the condition has been described as one which causes pain in the posterior heel and is more common in children from 8 to 15 years of age." The study continues, "Children and adolescents engaged in high rates of physical activity seem to be at a greater risk of developing the condition, which is more common in boys."

In describing the prevalence of asthma, the authors report, "Asthma is a global issue that affects all age groups. In the paediatric [sic] population an increase in prevalence has been observed in recent years. Current paediatric [sic] asthma prevalence is stated to be around 7%, with school-age children having a prevalence of 8.6%."

In this case, a 9-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor by his parents. The parents were seeking a second opinion for their son’s heel pains which had been previously diagnosed as bilateral Sever’s disease by the boy’s pediatrician who recommended physical therapy. After two months without relief, the boy’s parents decided to bring their son to a chiropractor.

The parents also revealed that their son had been suffering with asthma since he was 6-months-old and had been hospitalized for his condition. Over the years, the boy was prescribed a variety of medications to treat his asthma. Unfortunately, his asthma was still not well controlled.

A chiropractic examination was performed which included a postural analysis, paraspinal infrared thermography, a gait analysis, spinal palpation, and spinal x-rays. The results of the exam revealed multiple spinal abnormalities and subluxations. With these findings, specific forms of chiropractic care were recommended, and with parental consent, care was started.

As care progressed, the study documented that the boy had significant reductions in his heel pain. In addition, they also documented the improvement in his asthma, having progressed from a status of "poorly controlled asthma" to a level of "well-controlled asthma." The study also documented improvements in the boy’s gait and posture, as demonstrated by follow-up examinations and x-rays.

In their conclusion, the authors noted, "The results from this case report revealed that a multimodal program of chiropractic care with the goal of correcting ‘global’ spinal subluxations was effective at improving Sever’s disease, and asthma in a 9y [sic] male patient. Also, improvements were observed in certain gait parameters in the child ..."