Chiropractic: the hand as healing tool
Paraplegics and quadriplegics are especially affected by disorders connected with the spinal column. Chiropractic is a technique that is being used increasingly in the treatment of paraplegics, including at the Swiss Paraplegic Center (SPZ). Using simple tools, principally the hands, chiropractors can achieve some astonishing results.
Chiropractic is a manipulation at the central point of intersection of the nervous system – the spinal column. However, the treatment is not only used to treat back complaints, but organic disorders too. For many complaints have their origin in the blockade of vertebra. Chiropractic comes from the Greek word for hand actions. The therapy itself goes back to an American called David D. Palmer, who in 1895 was the first person to treat a patient’s spinal column using his hands. Together with his son, he founded the first chiropractic school in Davenport, Iowa, USA. Until the manual treatment of functional disorders of the spinal column became established, it had to overcome opposition from conventional medicine. In Switzerland, for example, chiropractic wasn’t covered by health insurance until 1964.
Upset harmony
The path to the chiropractor can be the right way to avoid expensive treatment or even an operation. Dr. Ernst Schroeder, a chiropractor at the Swiss Center for Paraplegics (SPZ), explains the rudiments of this medical “trade” in an interview.
«Paraplegie»: What part of the spinal column do you treat?
Dr. Ernst Schroeder: I treat functionally blocked vertebra. Let me explain that. The human spinal column consists of a series of individual vertebra, pairs of which form a movement segment. The free mobility of this segment can become restricted, or rather blocked. This can be compared to a drawer that gets stuck. The blockage of one movement segment disturbs the harmony of movement in the whole spinal column, rather like a badly tuned instrument in an orchestra.
Do paraplegics and quadriplegics also get functionally blocked vertebra?
Basically, chiropractic cannot do anything against paralysis, any more than other areas of medicine. But blocked vertebra are very common in paraplegia, for a variety of reasons. The accident that causes the paraplegia not only damages the spinal column at the point at which stabilizing surgical intervention becomes necessary, but also in the segments above and below it. Furthermore, the permanent sitting position and reduced mobility along the entire spinal column puts a strain on it that leads to blockages. Any previous disorders of the spinal column can also be exacerbated by a serious accident and manifest themselves acutely.
What are the effects of a blockage?
A blockage means restricted mobility in part of the spinal column. Everyone is familiar with that sudden stabbing pain in the neck, what we call a stiff neck or torticollis. In this case the patient is unable to move their head to one side or bend it forward. A blockage triggers a chain reaction in the nerve and muscle reflexes. Just imagine you’re building a tower with blocks of wood. If one block is placed too far to the right, the next one should be placed a bit too far to the left, otherwise you end up with a crooked tower. In other words, a blocked vertebra is compensated by other vertebra. This chain reaction carries right through the whole spinal column. A blocked neck vertebra like this can trigger sciatica. A blockage also disturbs the nerve flow between the spinal cord and the organs. That means the body is no longer able to manage or control one or more organs correctly. Which explains how chiropractic treatment can influence not only pain syndromes, but also organic damage. In short, the treatment changes the statics of the spinal column, restores its harmony of movement and assures the nerve flow in the body.
Do you also treat small children and babies?
Yes, because small children, and especially babies in the first few weeks of life, respond very well to chiropractic treatment. With infants the problem is normally to do with a disorder of the upper cervical spine. During labor, it’s not uncommon for the child’s head to be pulled very roughly, and the spinal column can also become compressed if the head gets stuck in the birth canal. That can lead to functional blockages of the upper cervical spine. We sometimes even call it a type of birth trauma. The symptoms can be a so-called “crooked neck” or three-month convulsions and sleeplessness.
I remember a particular case of a one-year-old boy who was brought into my practice because his parents had noticed that when he was sitting up, he would often suddenly fall forwards and hit his head on the floor. An examination by the pediatrician and even a special examination by a neurologist had revealed nothing unusual. The parents no longer dared to put the child to sit on the floor – and sitting up and crawling is extremely important for motor development. My examination revealed that the child had suffered a blockage to his upper cervical vertebra (the atlas), which had been caused by a vacuum birth. I carried out a light pressure point treatment to the atlas vertebra. Two weeks later, the parents told me they could see no improvement in their child’s condition. A few days after the second atlas treatment, the parents phoned to tell me that the little boy was jerking much less. After four treatments the child was cured and I was able to stop the treatment.
Do you also have experience with older children?
I do also treat older children. Their typical symptoms tend to be different, such as inflammations of the middle ear, asthma or headaches. Because children respond particularly well to my treatment, it can be used to alleviate many organic disorders.
Is it usual for chiropractors to treat babies and children?
Many of my colleagues treat children. A list of the chiropractors in Switzerland who treat small children and babies can be obtained from the central office of the Swiss Chiropractor Society (Schweizerische Chiropraktorengesellschaft, Sulgenauweg 38, Berne).
How do you treat blocked vertebrae?
Before treating the spinal column, I give the patient a thorough examination. I can often find a blockage just by feeling the spine. The precise nature of the blockage can be established using X-rays with functional photographs (photos taken after particular movements) or by cineradiography of the cervical spine. I make a diagnosis on the basis of these examinations and then start the chiropractic treatment.
The most common form of chiropractic treatment used in Switzerland is classic hand manipulation, which loosens a fused vertebral joint. There are over 100 known techniques. For example, I use an instrument that delivers a high-speed mechanical pulse to the vertebra. Another piece of complementary equipment is the drop mechanism built into in the treatment table. When a certain pressure is applied – which can be precisely calibrated - the mechanism drops down, allowing parts of the surface of the treatment table to be moved downwards by a few centimeters. This movement is then transferred to individual segments of the spinal column. Both forms of therapy have been shown to be beneficial, especially in the treatment of paraplegics and quadriplegics. This is because it avoids rotating the spinal column, and the pulse instrument, which has a very small contact surface, which means I can work closer to the actual position of the lesion.
As well as treatment applied directly to the vertebra, there are also various forms of treatment that can be used for soft muscle tissue.
What concrete results can be achieved in adults from treatment by a chiropractor?
Let me give you an example. I had just started working in Nottwil, when a mother appeared in my surgery with her nineteen year-old daughter. The young woman was suffering severe pains in the small of her back, which occurred intermittently and were accompanied by sciatica. She was no longer able to attend school regularly, as she couldn’t stay sitting down for more than half an hour. After that she had to lie on the floor for up to 25 minutes in order to give her back time to recover.
The two women told me that she was about to undergo a back operation. This operation would fix and tighten the bottom vertebra to the sacrum, thereby correcting a congenital defect and allowing the young woman to lead a pain-free life.
…but they were worried about the risks involved in an operation?
Right, both mother and daughter were understandably extremely worried.
After an in-depth consultation and a radiological examination of the upper cervical spine, it was clear that chiropractic treatment would be worth trying. If no improvement was obtained, then they could still go ahead with the operation. We were lucky and were able to alleviate the young woman’s pain with just a few treatments. She was once again able to attend school as normal. I stopped the treatment after six months. A year later the patient appeared once again in my surgery, this time with a stiff neck. Since my treatment she had been more or less free of back pain. A few years later I heard that my young patient had studied for a profession, got married and even had children.
Not all cases have such a successful outcome. But here in the paraplegic center we have a wide range of treatments and specialists who, thanks to the excellent cooperation between the different departments, assist me in finding the best solution for a patient if my treatment doesn’t have the desired results.
Are the results generally in favor of chiropractic?
Definitely. But despite my long years of experience I am still amazed at the self-healing powers of the human body that can be released by chiropractic treatment. Although there are disappointments for me and for my patients, results on the whole are quite astonishing. I realize more and more that time and patience are an important key to success.
When should I consult a chiropractor?
Chiropractic treatment is indicated for problems in the movement apparatus. The difficulty for patients is that the connection between symptoms and cause is not always easy to identify. It’s a good idea to consult a chiropractor if you are experiencing pains such as whiplash injury, headaches (tension, migraine), attacks of dizziness, stiff neck (torticollis), lumbago, chronic back pain, sciatica, slipped disc (discus hernia), joint problems such as shoulder, elbow or knee problems, organic disorders (especially in babies and small children), for example nose and ear infections, three-month convulsions and asthma.
Outpatient treatments
The Swiss Paraplegic Center offers outpatient treatment for all patients. The chiropractor’s services are recognized by Swiss sickness funds and accident insurance.
From: Paraplegie journal, no. 93, Paramedia