Hunter was two years old when his parents brought him to our office with a history of chronic constipation. He would go 3 to 4 days between bowel movements.
His parents had taken him to the pediatrician and were told to use stool softeners. They looked into a number of different natural remedies, none of which worked. A friend had mentioned that spinal adjustments could help.
General examination revealed a happy and healthy toddler. However, a thorough evaluation of spinal function revealed spinal segmental fixations in the upper back and lower back.
I then discussed the concept of somato-autonomic (SAR) reflexes with the baby’s parents. The general principle of this is that the Central Nervous System communicates to the rest of the body through the spinal cord and spinal nerves. Normal transmission of these communications can be altered when spinal dysfunction is present. The aim is to return the organs of concern to their proper function.
The Solution
Hunter was treated once per week, and his spinal dysfunction improved with each visit. Within six weeks his parents were reporting normal bowel movements.
Scientific experimentation has shown consistent somato-autonomic reflex effects throughout the cardiovascular, digestive, urinary, endocrine, and immune systems. Reviews of modern neurophysiologic studies show that many of the reported effects of spinal adjustments on intestinal disorders – previously dismissed as impossible – in fact may be related to the SAR and deserve further investigation. Results like these are not uncommon in our practice.