Post-Concussion Seizures Resolved with Chiropractic - A Case Study

2011-11-10Return to Health & Wellness Article Library

 

A November 3, 2011 case study published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, documents the resolution of seizures in a patient who previously had a concussion.

The authors of the case study start off by reporting that in the United States alone, there are approximately half a million brain injuries per year. Of this number between 5 and 7% develop seizures. Patients who suffer seizures immediately after the accident are more likely to suffer brain damage. The authors also noted that 24% of people with mild traumatic brain injury have reported anxiety and people that sustain mild to moderate injury suffer from major depression in 25-40% of the cases.

In this case a 76-year-old woman was referred to the chiropractor for evaluation by a neurologist. The woman’s problems started 10 years earlier after a slip and fall accident. According to the woman, 10 years prior she had jumped out of the shower and ran to answer the phone when her feet came out from under her causing her to land straight back on her head. Immediately after falling she experienced a seizure and severe migraine which left her unable to talk or walk. She was then rushed to the emergency room and was admitted as a patient. She was then given MRI and CT scans which she was told were unremarkable. She was diagnosed with a concussion and post concussion seizure and remained in the hospital for three months.

During her time in the hospital the woman experienced rapid fluctuations of her blood pressure and continued to suffer from migraines. She also had difficulty talking and experienced a swaying feeling upon standing, and had a wide gait when walking. By the time she had been released three months later her blood pressure had stabilized and her migraines had stopped.

Ten years later her symptoms started to get worse again including suffering from seizures that would leave her unable to walk or talk for several days. She returned for medical care and went through numerous tests, recommendations and medical doctors before being told by a second neurologist to seek chiropractic care.

A chiropractic examination was performed with x-rays. The results of these procedures revealed a neurological problem from subluxation at the first bone in the neck called the "atlas". A specific adjustment was given to the woman and a reevaluation and x-rays were done to verify positive changes. After the first adjustment the woman immediately noticed an improvement in her walking and she no longer had the feeling that a seizure was coming on.

Two months after the initiation of care the woman had not had any seizures since her first chiropractic adjustment. She had also reported pain free neck rotation, normal walking, increased energy, improved clarity and brightness in her vision and improved hearing. Her blood pressure stopped fluctuating and returned to normal. In follow up visits, it seemed that her ten year ordeal had ended.