This case study describes the effects of subluxation-based chiropractic care on the management of a 5-year-old female with congenital scoliosis associated with L5 myelomeningocele.

From the Abstract:

A 5-year-old female was brought into a private chiropractic practice for evaluation and alternative options to medical intervention. The patient’s main concerns were neurological complications from L5 myelomeningocele including balance issues, neurogenic bladder and bowel dysfunction, and lower extremity sensory and motor deficits. Also present in the case history was hydrocephalus and Type II Arnold Chiari malformation. Radiographic analysis of the thoraco-lumbar spine revealed a double-curve congenital scoliosis. The patient maintained compliance with 12 months of chiropractic care utilizing the Torque Release Technique® (TRT). Re-assessments utilizing thermography were performed every 3 months. Post x-rays were taken following 12 months of care, which revealed complete correction of the abnormal curvature of the thoraco-lumbar spine. Thermographic assessments showed significant improvement in thermal asymmetries, resulting in improved neurological function. This case report serves as an objectively documented account of the effectiveness of subluxation-based chiropractic care on the management of congenital scoliosis. The improvement of spinal neural integrity, by reducing primary vertebral subluxation at segments of dural attachment, serves as the main objective of TRT chiropractic care, thus allowing for the optimal functioning of the central nervous system.

McClimon, Daniel, Kowalke, Erik; “Structural Correction of Double-Curve Congenital Scoliosis associated with Myelomeningocele through Subluxation-Based Chiropractic Care” (2014).

“Congenital Scoliosis is a rare condition that results most often from vertebral disorders involving a lack of segmentation or failure of proper formation. Hedequist reports that congenital scoliosis is the most common congenital spinal disorder, appearing in roughly 1 in 1,000 births. Kaspiris et al contends that congenital scoliosis is often associated with damage to the fetus during the period of intrauterine development and formation of the spine, which occurs during weeks 5-8 of gestation.”

“The long term trajectory for a child with congenital scoliosis can be highly formidable, as impairment in development can lead to decreased global health measures, significant deformity and resultant mental and social hindrance. Congenital Scoliosis can cause vertebral rotation as it progresses, impacting the structure of the thoracic spine and the associated visceral heart and lung function. This can lead to issues such as shortness of breath and cardiac pathology. Twenty-five percent of congenital scoliosis cases proceed without progression of curvature, 25% experience mild progression, and the remaining 50% experience rapid progression, requiring immediate medical intervention. Jahn and Cupon state that scoliosis in a child under the age of 10 that has not reached skeletal maturity is more likely to progress than it would in an adolescent.”

“The patient was adjusted for a total of 12 months utilizing the Torque Release Technique®. The patient’s care plan consisted of adjustments that began at three times per week for four weeks, which were scaled down to twice per week for 12 weeks, and once per week for the remainder of the 12-month care plan. The patient was evaluated utilizing the Torque Release® Model and adjusted with the Integrator instrument.”

“Upon re-examination, it can be seen that the patient was continually improving with regards to areas of thermal asymmetry within the spine. Initially, the patient had extremely severe thermal asymmetry on the right side of her cervical spine (C1-C7) when compared with the left, measuring four standard deviations from normal at C1, and three standard deviations from normal at C2-C7. Also, the patient had additional thermal asymmetries in the upper thoracic area, measuring three deviations from normal at T1-T2 on the left side. At 12 months, the thermal asymmetries present within the cervical region had all normalized, except a moderate thermal symmetry measuring two standard deviations from normal at C1 on the right side. This, however, was still a dramatic improvement from the initial assessment, where the thermal asymmetry measured four deviations from normal at the same location within the spine. Other asymmetries were noted in thoracic spine, measuring one standard deviation from normal in the thoracic spine, at T5-T8 on the left side and additional asymmetries in the lumbar spine measuring three deviations from normal at L4-S1. Regressive changes in asymmetry located in the thoracic and lumbar spines may be due to retracing, in addition to the L5 myelomeningocele located in the lumbar spine, causing the severe asymmetry located at that area.”

“Postural x-rays were also taken at 12 months, in order to analyze any structural changes that may have occurred as a result of subluxation-based chiropractic care. Initial radiographs taken revealed a double scoliosis measured utilizing the Cobb-Lippman method of mensuration, both at the initial x-ray and 12 month follow up x-ray. The initial curvatures measured were an 11-degree left rotational scoliosis from L3-L5 and a 12-degree right rotational scoliosis from T9-L3. The 12 month x-ray yielded less than a 3-degree right curvature from L1-L4, a significant improvement from the initial measurements.”

“This case study presents the history, medical diagnoses, and associated treatments of a 5-year-old female with double-curve congenital scoliosis associated with myelomeningocele at L5. The patient’s parents were previously unaware of the scoliosis present within the spine, despite having spinal x-rays taken just three months prior to presenting to the private chiropractic practice. The patient suffered from lower extremity sensory and motor dysfunction, neurogenic bowel and bladder dysfunction, and well as frequent urinary tract and kidney infections when she initially presented to the chiropractic facility.”

“After 12 months of Torque Release Technique® chiropractic care, the patient experienced great improvement in the double-curve scoliosis from an 11-degree left rotational scoliosis from L3-L5 and a 12-degree right rotational scoliosis from T9-L3, to an insignificant amount of lateral spinal curvature as demonstrated by initial and 12-month x-rays, as well as thermographic analysis.”