Objective: To report on improvement in headaches and sleep disturbances in an adolescent female undergoing chiropractic care to correct vertebral subluxations.
Clinical Features: A female adolescent with recurring headaches and parasomnia (night terrors) presented for chiropractic care. The headaches and sleep disturbances had a negative affect on her academics, sports, and social life. Upon examination, she had abnormal postural findings indicating cervical, thoracic, and lumbar subluxations.
Intervention and Outcome: The patient was evaluated for postural abnormalities and palpatory muscle hypertonicity, segmental edema, and kinesiopathology during each visit. Postural abnormalities and associated vertebral subluxations were corrected using CBP® global adjustments and Gonstead inter-segmental adjustments for a period of approximately one month. There was a reduction in headache symptoms and complete resolution of parasomnia and night terrors following the initiation of treatment.
Conclusion: Sleep disturbances in children are common and often develop without explanation. To date there are few interventions that help alleviate the negative affects of interrupted sleep on the child’s daily activities. Vertebral subluxation should be considered when a child is suffering from neuromusculoskeletal symptoms and sleep disturbances of otherwise unknown origin. More research is warranted to explore the benefits of chiropractic care in cases of parasomnia and sleep disturbances.
Author Keywords: Parasomnia, sleep disturbances, headache, adolescent, vertebral subluxation, chiropractic
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