Clinical Rounds
with Dr Neil J Davies D.C.

I am pleased to introduce a new series of podcasts on clinical cases seen in the Kiro Kids clinics in Western Victoria, Australia. These cases are intended to be instructive in widening your perspective of subluxation assessment and diagnosis of medical disorders seen in everyday practice.

 
A recent study, published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR), suggests that chiropractic care may offer significant benefits to children suffering from learning disabilities and dyslexia.

The research was conducted by Swiss chiropractor Yannick Pauli, DC, president of the Swiss Chiropractic Pediatric Association, who specializes in the care of children suffering from learning and behavioral disorders.

"This review critically assessed eight previously published studies involving a total of 160 children," Dr. Pauli explained. "Although the results remain preliminary and more research is needed, the evidence strongly suggests that chiropractic care may help various cognitive abilities that are essential to learning."

Learning disorders and dyslexia affect between three and ten percent of school-aged children in the United Sates. Individuals with these disorders often suffer from low self-esteem, diminished motivation, loss of interest in school and problems in social functioning, and academic difficulties.

Pauli noted that the same areas of neurological dysfunction that can lead to learning disabilities and interfere with learning can also interfere with life skills, sport activities, and family and peer relationships.

"Learning disorders and dyslexia are increasingly recognized as a neurodevelopmental disorder," he stated. "Children suffering from those problems have parts of their brain that are not functioning adequately or are even delayed in their development. Among those dysfunctional areas is a small part located at the back of the brain called the cerebellum. The cerebellum plays a vital role in learning. It helps the brain coordinate and integrate the various sensory information, as well as to increase the processing speed of the brain."

Numerous factors can affect the proper development of the brain, including maternal stress during pregnancy, traumatic birth, poor diet, and sedentary lifestyle.

Pauli stressed that, contrary to popular belief, chiropractic is not restricted to back pain in adults. "The only source of constant stimulation to the brain comes from the spine and the postural muscles constantly adjusting to the force of gravity," he explained. "If the daily physical stresses of life cause misalignments in the spine -- called vertebral subluxations by chiropractors -- the brain is not adequately stimulated. This can cause problems throughout the body."

He added that chiropractic adjustments, even when no back problems are evident, can improve the function of the spine and strongly stimulate nerve pathways to the cerebellum and other parts of the brain. "In the case of children, this may, in turn, help brain functions necessary for learning," he said.

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Chiropractors, like all health professionals, are fallible and their ability to recognise disorders requiring medical attention rests entirely on the ability to perform comprehensive clinical history and a thorough, clinically relevant physical examination.

It has been my experience that chiropractors who routinely perform due diligence in taking the case history and performing physical examinations have a better than average rate of recognition of these disorders, simply because they practice the time honoured steps of their art over and over.

It was with this in mind that we built our range of physical examination teaching products  and I highly recommend any newcomer to Kiro Kids to carefully inspect our range and specials.

We welcome you to our journey of learning
and to the world of Kiro Kids.

Dr Neil J Davies, D.C.
Ballarat, Australia