Archive for October 12th, 2008
From the April 26, 2004 release of the peer-reviewed scientific journal, the “Journal of Vertebral 
Subluxation Research” (JVSR), comes a very large literature review study showing the multiple benefits of chiropractic care on people who are not suffering from pain or other obvious problems.
This literature review looked at more than twenty studies involving subjects who were specifically described as, “asymptomatic,” “healthy,” “normal,” or “free from physical injury.” In addition, an equal number of studies were found also documenting objectively measured health benefits in subjects who had no symptomatic presentation, (asymptomatic).
The results of this large review showed measurable objective improvements in things such as range of motion, blood pressure, heart rate, plasma catecholamine levels, immune responses, enhanced respiratory burst, pupil reactions, slower heart rate, improved pulmonary function, as well as many other objectively measured indications of improved body physiology.
The conclusion of the study stated, “Data reviewed in this article lend strong support to the popular contention that chiropractic adjustments, for the purpose of correcting subluxations, confer health benefits to people regardless of the presence or absence of symptoms.” The JVSR article authors further conclude, “A significant amount of preliminary evidence supports that people without symptoms can benefit from chiropractic care. It is plausible that chiropractic care may be of benefit to every function of the body and have the potential for long-term, overall health benefit to those receiving chiropractic care.”
It is estimated that up to 15 million people suffer from asthma. Of those, 14.8 million are children under the age of 18.
Childhood Asthma
In 1993 alone, there were 198,000 hospitalizations for asthma. In that same sample year, 342 people under the age of 25 died due to this problem. In money terms, the direct cost of managing a patient with severe asthma has been estimated at more than $18,000 per year.The following statistics about asthma come from the Better Health & Medical Network.
- Asthma has increased 46% from 1982-1993 with an 80% growth in children under 18.
- In the 5-17 age group, asthma causes an annual loss of more than 10 million school days per year.
- Asthma accounts for more childhood hospitalizations than any other childhood disease.
- Children with asthma spend approximately 7.3 million days per year restricted to bed rest.
- In 1990, there were 7.1 million physician visits for asthma.
- Health care costs for asthma were estimated to be $6.2 billion, which is almost 1% of the total US health care costs.
- More than 5,200 Americans died from asthma in 1991.
Recent articles in publications such as “The American Chiropractor”, and “Today’s Chiropractic” describe strong links between people who suffer from these conditions and nerve interference from subluxation. Subluxations are when bones in the spine pressure or irritate nerves causing abnormal nerve function. An article appearing in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research Vol. 1 No. 4, also demonstrated the positive effects of chiropractic care on 81 children with asthma.
According to Richard Pistolese, research assistant for the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association, “Based upon information currently available, chiropractic care represents a safe non-pharmacological health care approach, that may be associated with a decrease in asthma-related impairment, reduced respiratory effort, and a decrease incidence of asthma attacks.” Pistolese goes further to say, “The correction of vertebral subluxation is a non-invasive procedure, which could reduce or eliminate the need for medication, and potentially ease the severity of the asthmatic condition.”
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