Background: A 14-year-old female presented for a concentrated course of Chiropractic care with primary concerns of poor mental health, including severe chronic anxiety and suicide ideation. A historical diagnosis of anxiety at age five and Developmental Apraxia at age six had preceded her present condition, as well as a childhood history of other non-musculoskeletal presentations, including allergies, poor sleep, and digestive issues.
Intervention: The patient commenced a weeklong course of concentrated Chiropractic care, during which she received 104 low-force, specific upper cervical adjustments. These specific chiropractic adjustments were accomplished using the Averio FNT Chiropractic Technique, a specific, sustained contact, low-force Chiropractic technique. The purpose of this course of concentrated chiropractic care was to cause a regenerative event in the patient’s body by reversing vertebral subluxations and allowing for a non-surgical regeneration of the patient’s damaged spinal ligaments and overall improvement of the central nervous system function. It was hypothesised that if the spine and central nervous system could be made healthier, it would likely have an impact on the patient’s presentation of mental illness.
Outcomes: While objective measures indicated significant improvements in the patient’s subluxation status, significant subjective changes were noted following care. The patient reported a complete reversal of suicidal ideations six weeks following the course of Chiropractic care, as well as a significant reduction in chronic severe anxiety, improved social behaviour, and improved sleep and appetite. The patient’s radiographic reassessment six months later showed a complete stabilisation of the ligament damage in the cervical spine and a 121% improvement in the cervical lordosis.
Conclusion: Given the significance of neuropsychological development in the adolescent brain and the increasing awareness of the potential for Chiropractic care to support mental health, this case report provides a rationale for further research into chiropractic and mental health and the benefits of concentrated chiropractic care.
Author keywords: vertebral spinal subluxation; cervical spine; ligament instability; spinal ligament instability; mental illness; anxiety; Chiropractic; Chiropractic adjustment; functional neurology; regenerative event; spinal regeneration; spinal cord irritation; ligament regeneration.
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