• Scroggin K

• Affiliation / Private Practice of Chiropractic
• Affiliation(G) / United States / Georgia / Savannah
• Autism Spectrum Disorder
• Child
• Grostic Technique
• Male
• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Postural Balance

Objective: To report on the outcomes following upper cervical chiropractic care in a child with several neurodevelopmental disorders.

Clinical Features: An 11-year-old patient medically diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, oppositional defiant disorder, bipolar disorder, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder presents with a chief complaint of upper thoracic pain. A chiropractic exam revealed abnormal asymmetrical posture, poor balance, and disorganized ambulation and leg control. He was analyzed for subluxation using a Tytron C-5000 thermography scanner, supine leg length analysis, and upper cervical x-rays, which indicated that he had upper cervical subluxation.

Intervention and Outcomes: The patient underwent eight weeks of care utilizing Grostic upper cervical protocol. His frequency was once per week and was adjusted each visit. He was checked each visit using the Tytron scanner and the supine leg length analysis. He received no other treatment or lifestyle modifications during this time period and after each adjustment, his indicators for subluxation were no longer present. At his 8-week reassessment his abnormal and asymmetrical posture was almost completely symmetrical and his balance had improved. His upper thoracic pain resolved within four weeks.

Conclusions: In this case, a child diagnosed with ASD, ODD, Bipolar disorder, and ADHD that also had posture asymmetry with reduced extremity coordination showed significant improvement in posture and balance control after two months of Grostic upper cervical subluxation based chiropractic care. With the increase in this population of children, it is imperative that more research is conducted to more thoroughly evaluate the role of chiropractic care in the management of children with these disorders.

Author keywords: Autism spectrum disorder, neurodevelopmental disorder, chiropractic, adjustment, posture, balance, Grostic, upper cervical, vertebral subluxation

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