| A recent
study of 81 cases, published in the Journal of Vertebral
Subluxation Research (www.jvsr.com), is the first to show that
correction of upper neck injuries may reverse the progression of
both Multiple Sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson’s disease (PD). The
research was performed by Erin Elster, D.C., an Upper Cervical
Chiropractor in Boulder, Colorado, who compiled data from 44 MS
patients and 37 PD patients treated over the past five years.
"Each patient was examined and cared for in the private practice
of Erin Elster in an uncontrolled, non-randomized environment over a
five-year period."
After treating upper neck injuries in 81 patients, 91% of MS
patients and 92% of PD patients improved, suggesting that correction
of neck injuries stimulated a reversal of MS and PD.
According to Dr. Elster, traumas to the head, neck, and upper
spine can result in vertebral subluxations that occur when vertebrae
(the small interlocking bones of the spinal column) misalign or
become stuck and interfere with the function of the central nervous
system (brain and spinal cord).
By aligning the first two upper vertebrae with the skull, nerve
pathways traveling between the brain and spinal cord became less
obstructed. This may help improve and/or reverse both MS and PD.
"According to medical research, head and neck injuries have long
been considered a contributing factor for the onset of both Multiple
Sclerosis and Parkinson’s disease," said Elster. "But this is the
first research to show that correction of those injuries can have a
dramatic effect on improving and reversing MS and PD."
Upper neck injuries frequently occur during traumas in which an
individual sustains a blow to the head, whiplash, or concussion,
such as during a fall, auto accident, or sporting accident.
The injury can precede the onset of MS and PD by months, years,
or even decades. In many cases, an individual is completely unaware
that he or she has sustained such an injury. "An examination would
need to be performed in each individual’s case to determine whether
a neck injury is contributing to his or her health problem," Elster
noted.
Dr. Matthew McCoy, JVSR editor, commented that “Hundreds of
millions of dollars are spent every year on research of MS and
Parkinson’s ... none of that money goes to chiropractic research.
Hopefully Dr. Elster’s research will get the attention of the
government, private foundations and individuals who can earmark
money to further research the effects of chiropractic care on these
disorders. What motivation does a pharmaceutical company have to
look elsewhere for the answers? Clearly, attempting to solve what
might be a mechanical problem with chemicals is not the answer.”
This research comes on the heels of other publications by Elster
in which upper neck injuries were corrected in patients with
migraine and cluster headaches, seizures, bipolar disorder, Tourette
Syndrome and ADHD, all of which have been linked to head and neck
trauma by medical researchers.
www.jvsr.com (Aug. 2004) |
