These case studies have been reproduced with kind permission
from the book The Essentials of McTimoney Chiropractic,
Courtney & Andrews, ISDN 0722537476.
For the last almost thirty years McTimoney Chiropractors
have treated thousands of people across the UK using the
chiropractic treatment developed by John McTimoney. John's
philosophy was based on DD Palmer's original discoveries
and Dr Walker's teaching, that the main cause of disease
and pain is the misalignment of bones, chiefly in the spine,
which in turn interrupts the functioning of the nervous
system, and affects our general health.
Today, as chiropractic treatment continues to gain ever-growing
approval from the medical profession, still more and more
people are discovering the many benefits treatment can bring.
Back pain, migraines, sciatica and more severe problem
These are just some of the symptoms regularly seen by McTimoney
chiropractors. The following case histories will demonstrate
the success of the treatment and show some of the many varied
conditions for which treatment can be beneficial.
Back Pain- a Case study
With over 85% of the population likely to experience back
pain at some stage in their lives, it is no surprise that
the popular notion is that chiropractic is for back problems.
The first case history shows the success of the treatment
after a fall, which left the patient in great pain.
An active 76 year-old widow slipped when standing on a
chair trying to open a jammed window in the bathroom. She
fell backwards across the edge of the bath. When she came
for McTimoney treatment, some six months after the accident,
she was in continual, very severe pain and almost unable
to walk. She was considering using a wheelchair. Chiropractic
examination showed a right-hand curve in her thoracic-lumbar
junction, which in six months had become fairly immovable
with adhesions and muscle spasm. Progress was slow at first,
but after two months she was able to move more freely. A
month later this delightful elderly lady, who favourite
activity was ballroom dancing, came in to say she had done
two waltzes and a fox trot. In all over a period of nearly
four months and 23 treatments, she had made a full recovery.
Such simple accidents either in the home or at work can
have devastating effects, leaving people not only in pain,
but unable to work and unsure as to their future. Whilst
it is always best to seek treatment as soon as possible,
both these cases show that treatment is still possible even
after six months.
A 36-year-old mechanic wrenched the middle of his back while
lifting an engine out of a car. He was off work for six
months with excruciating knife-like pain on the left of
his mid-spine.
When he came for McTimoney treatment he had tried all the
conventional treatment routes, and was very distressed that
at his fairly young age he might be an invalid for the rest
of his life, especially as he had three young children to
support. This previously fit man used to work out at a gym
three nights a week; now he had lost three stone in weight
and was emaciated. The weight loss was consistent with the
area of the spine from which the pain came, because the
nerves from that area also serve the stomach. Every meal
he had eaten for the past six months had passed through
his system almost undigested, accounting for the weight
loss. The chiropractic findings included two jammed mid-thoracic
vertebrae and a lot of local muscle spasm. After the first
treatment, he gained 7lbs in weight and the pain was reduced
by half. When he came for the second treatment a week later,
he had gained a stone in weight and was virtually pain free.
After the third treatment he went back to work totally recovered.
Headaches, Migraines and Facial Problems
Millions of pounds each year are spent on painkillers for
headaches, and whilst these may remove the symptoms, they
do not treat the cause. As these case histories show, chiropractic
treatment can be very beneficial in the treatment of headaches
and migraines, the causes of which range from tension and
stress, physical stresses, or visual or dental problems.
One study revealed that of 6,000 long-term headaches, neck
injury, (whiplash, falls etc.) was the most important factor
causing headaches and should be suspected in every non-specific
case of headache. The next case history shows that chiropractic
treatment is not just for adults:
A 12-year-old schoolgirl who usually enjoyed good health
was taken to her doctor with an extremely severe headache
- so bad that her parents feared she had meningitis. Her
doctor diagnosed migraine and gave her medication. Forty-eight
hours later, and after a good sleep, she felt better and
was able to go to school. Three weeks later she became ill
again with the same type of headache. The mediation was
repeated and again she recovered. This pattern was repeated
twice more, so her parents decided to try McTimoney chiropractic.
After two treatments she is headache free.
Facial pain can be excruciating, however, McTimoney chiropractic
can help. Because the bones of the face are adjusted as
necessary in each treatment, it can be extremely effective
in reducing pain as this case study shows.
A 28 year-old woman suffered excruciating facial pain for
three years, after five consecutive nights when she could
neither sleep nor lie horizontally she went to her doctor
who prescribed Ibuprofen and told her to see a dentist.
The dentist diagnosed the problem as trigeminal neuralgia
- an extremely painful form of facial neuralgia, which is
quite difficult to treat. The dentist prescribed Tergatol,
which allowed her to sleep, but produced unwanted serious
side effects. She decided to visit a McTimoney chiropractor.
Since her first treatment, she has only had three mild attacks
in three months - all treatable with over the counter painkillers.
Children and Chiropractic
The gentle nature of McTimoney chiropractic means even young
children and babies can receive treatment. Many McTimoney
chiropractors treat children and believe that treatment
should ideally be given as soon after birth as possible,
to correct any misalignments at the start and lay the foundations
for the development of a healthy spine and nervous system.
Although the bones are not properly formed at birth, stresses
in the soft tissue, perhaps from a difficult birth process,
can develop into spinal problems as the baby grows. For
older children chiropractic can be particularly useful when
problems arise after falls, bumps, or from incorrect posture,
carrying heavy school bags and sitting slumped over desks.
Chiropractic can relieve a surprisingly wide range of childhood
conditions, from colic to rheumatic diseases and even behavioural
difficulties and hyperactivity. The following case studies
describe a wide variety of conditions and how chiropractic
treatment benefited the child.
A remarkable case is that of a boy of 15 whose bone growth
was delayed by two years. He came to the chiropractor with
a fractured right hand; on assessment, the chiropractor
learned that he had been delivered face up, and deduced
that the resulting misalignments of his skull and facial
bones could be affecting his pituitary gland. After six
treatments he had grown two and a half inches, and his face
had noticeably changed shape for the better.
If a happy child below the age of speech suddenly becomes
fractious and difficult, this may be his only way of telling
you that he has pain or headache. A spinal examination may
well be worthwhile, particularly if the child has had a
fall before the change in behaviour. Falls can also lead
to altered behaviour and uncharacteristic aggressiveness
in older children, especially if the neck has been affected.
A seven-year-old girl suffered from stomach-aches and headaches
on waking most weekdays, together with pins and needles
in her hands. She had suffered these symptoms for about
a year. Her mother had recently remarried and had a new
baby, and thought the cause was emotional. On the point
of taking her to the psychiatrist, she decided to see a
McTimoney chiropractor first. The history taking revealed
that at the age of 18 months the girl had fallen, hitting
her head.
Examination showed subluxations of all the neck vertebrae,
and the left jaw-joint was misaligned, as was the right
lachrymal bone at the inner corner of her eye. The girl
had four treatments, and at the final consultation had experienced
only two headaches and one episode of stomach-ache in the
previous two months. For the mother, the realization that
the problem was physical, not emotional, was a great relief.
Information Courtesy of
McTimoney Chiropractic Association
21 High Street
Eynsham
Oxon
OX8 1HE
Tel: 01865 880974
Fax: 01865 880957
Email: admin@mctimoney-chiropractic.org
For Further information visit the website
Website: www.mctimoney-chiropractic.org.uk
