Patient with Parkinson's Disease Helped by Chiropractic

A case study, published on October 2, 2023, in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research documented a case of a woman suffering with Parkinson's Disease (PD) being helped with her symptoms through chiropractic care. According to the National Institute of Aging, "Parkinson's disease is a brain disorder that causes unintended or uncontrollable movements, such as shaking, stiffness, and difficulty with balance and coordination."

This study begins by reporting that the Parkinson's Disease Foundation states that "Parkinson's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that affects almost one million people in the United States with approximately 60,000 new cases diagnosed each year."

In this case, a 58-year-old woman went to the chiropractor for help with symptoms from her Parkinson's disease. She had been diagnosed with PD one year before seeking chiropractic care. Her symptoms included pain in her shoulder and tremors in her right arm. Her general movements were slow and jerky which is typical in patients with PD. The woman's intention for seeking chiropractic care was to get relief from the symptoms she was experiencing with the PD.

A chiropractic examination showed postural anomalies as well as muscle spasms in her right shoulder and along her upper mid-back. The woman exhibited weak muscles upon testing and several orthopedic tests were positive. Spinal x-rays were taken and showed multiple areas of subluxation in the woman's spine along with a reduction in her neck curvature.

Based on these findings, chiropractic care was started. After several months of regular care, the woman reported that she noticed decreased tremors of the right hand. Additionally, the pain she was experiencing in her shoulder had decreased enough to allow her to resume longer walks, an activity she enjoyed but was unable to do recently.

Upon follow-up examination, it was reported that her muscle spasms were reduced, although her overall range of motion had not improved. However, as her chiropractic care continued her range of motion continued to improve as did most all of the symptoms and tremors the woman was suffering from.

In their conclusion, the authors of this study noted that there are several case studies in addition to this one that show chiropractic helping specific people with the symptoms resulting from Parkinson's disease. "The case study in addition to previous chiropractic research demonstrates the success of chiropractic care in managing PD symptoms."