Asthma has become a significant health concern for a number of Americans in recent years. In fact, over the past 20 years the incidence of asthma has doubled. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimated that in 1998, approximately 17,299,000 individuals in the U.S. suffered from asthma. Of these documented cases, over 99% are children under the age of 18 years old. Asthma accounts for more childhood hospitalizations than any other childhood disease. The direct cost of managing a patient with asthma has been estimated at more than $18,000 per year. Sadly, in some of these cases this disease is fatal. In 1991 alone there were over 5,200 Americans who died from asthma.
Asthma is characterized as a chronic lung disease with variable and recurring symptoms. These symptoms include airflow obstruction, bronchiole inflammation, and overproduction of mucous in the respiratory tree. During an asthmatic episode, inflamed airways react to environmental triggers such as smoke, dust, or pollen. In response to these stimuli, the airways narrow and produce excess mucous which leads to coughing and difficulty breathing. The diameter of the bronchioles and the amount of mucous production is controlled by the Autonomic Nervous System. The Autonomic Nervous System is a division of the Central Nervous System, which consists of the brain and spinal cord. Thus, any dysfunction in the spinal cord, such as a spinal subluxation, will lead to hypersensitivity to these triggers causing an asthmatic episode. A number of recent articles in "The American Chiropractor" and "Today's Chiropractic" have illustrated a strong link between those who suffer from asthma and nerve interference from subluxations.
The International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (www.icpa4kids.org) hasdocumented several studies which discuss the benefits of chiropractic care for children
with asthma. According to ICPA, 76.5% of patients with bronchial asthma said they benefited from chiropractic treatment. They also found that after 60 days of chiropractic care the average number of asthma attacks decreased an average of 44.9% and asthma medication usage decreased 66.5%.
The Michigan Chiropractic Council conducted a similar study in 1996 which also expounded on the advantages of chiropractic care for those with asthma. They concluded that after 30 days of chiropractic care patients averaged only one asthmatic attack, where as prior to the study they were experiencing more than 4 attacks. They also found that medication usage decreased by 70%. Finally, patient satisfaction was rated 8.5 on a scale of 10.
If you or any of your friends or family members are suffering from asthma, call our office today to schedule your new patient consultation, exam (including orthopedic, neurological, and chiropractic tests), Surface EMG, Thermography, and X-rays. For a limited time, we will offer this $315 evaluation for $17. |
