ADD Quality of Life, Sleep & Attention Improve After Chiropractic Care
When he initially went to the chiropractor, his chief complaint was mid and low back pain that had been going on for 5 years. His case history revealed his deficiencies in attention span and organization skills.
According to study authors Marshall Dickholtz, Sr. DC and Evan White, DC, his initial examination found leg length inequality and postural distortion. In fact, postural analysis found the left side of his pelvis measured 9 degrees lower that the right and the left shoulder measured 3 degrees lower than the right. In a person without spinal distortion, both sides of the pelvis and shoulders would be level in respect to each other. He also was carrying his head 3 inches forward of the normal position and his shoulders one and a half inches forward.
It was determined that the top vertebra in his spine, known as the Atlas, was subluxated out of place and the patient was placed on a program of chiropractic care.
Immediately after the first adjustment, his postural abnormalities improved. His forward head carriage was reduced to one and a half inches, and his shoulders were only one half inch forward.
A Rand SF 36 questionnaire was used to monitor the effect of chiropractic care on the man's physical functioning, body pain, general health, vitality, social functioning, and mental health. The questionnaire was administered when he first came to the chiropractor, and again after one, two and ten months of care. Each test showed improvement over the previous one.
The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index was also used to monitor subjective sleep quality, latency, duration, efficiency, disturbance, sleep related medications, and daytime dysfunction. It was given once a month for three months.
Magnetoencephalography, a brain wave scan, was performed before care and the decreased measured activity was consistent with the diagnosis of ADD. Two months after his care program began, visual evoked responses that were abnormal before care began, normalized.
The researchers said, "The patient's mother reported that in general he was doing better and behaving better. He is more cooperative and is better able to follow through and complete tasks. These include chores at home, school work and music related activities. He began taking classes at college."
"The patient reported resolution of his back, neck and head pain as well as improved sleep. He reported that he no longer feels "clumsy" and that he was able to start playing his musical instrument again."