Speech Impairment Treatment with Chiropractic Care in New York City
In 2018 the Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics published a study by By Andrew Dorough DC titled, Early intervention: Improvement in motor developmental speech delay in a 2-year-old male following chiropractic care: a case report.
The objective was to document the improvements in a non-verbal 2-year-old male functioning without the age appropriate receptive language. At the start of his treatment he was unable to pronounce simple vowel sounds.
The 2-year-old boy with apparent motor speech delay reported to the office for chiropractic care. This child was almost completely non-verbal and unable and or unwilling to articulate simple vowel sounds, simple words or word sounds. His expressive vocabulary consisted of 5-8 words that were poorly pronounced and he mainly communicated by crying and or bodily gestures. The child had seen no other professional for this condition nor had he received any treatment by another professional for this condition.
The child received cervical and cranial chiropractic care for 7 visits over 8 weeks using digital vibration with hands (Gonstead technique) and Sigma-Instrument (instrument assisted) technique to correct cervical vertebral and atlanto-occipital segmental dysfunction. Throughout chiropractic care, the child showed steady progress in articulating vowel sounds, word sounds and simple words including pronunciation attempts upon reading words. Parents also report, subjectively, that child has become more “affectionate” and “loving”.
An early intervening course of chiropractic care for the correction of cervical vertebral and atlanto-occipital bone subluxation were associated with improvement in the child’s presenting motor developmental speech delay.
Chiropractic care combined with craniosacral therapy plays an important role in treating children with developmental delays, including speech delays and speech impairments. Numerous studies have revealed proper development and function of the brain relies on proper structure and movement of the spine from an early age. Studies have documented not only that the developing brain relies on healthy structural integrity and joint movement, but that complex neurochemical communication and pathways required for healthy development are tied into spinal biomechanics and their related neurological pathways.
Chiropractic treatment focuses on the structural relationship of the atlas (c-1) and axis (c-2) and the brain-stem. This critical area is important to every function of a person’s body. The Autonomic nervous system is controlled and regulated in the brains-stem. If the top two bones in the neck have misaligned from their bio-mechanical normalcy then this can interfere with normal function of the body including speech development. The upper cervical complex is a unique joint complex protecting very sensitive parts of the nervous system namely the brain stem and the spinal cord with its corresponding nerve roots.
Spinal misalignment can occur due to accidents and injuries and these upper neck misalignments affect the all-important nervous system and cause system dysfunction that can lead to a variety of health problems including speech challenges. Realignment of the joint complex can have far reaching effects in improving speech. Properly correcting this area with gentle chiropractic and craniosacral therapy for pediatrics will have positive effects for improving speech.
A comprehensive, facial, neck, head and intra-oral examination by a trained chiropractor can detect any cranial, spinal or soft tissue compromises, and with proper treatment can be corrected and speech improved. Research demonstrates when a child suffers a misalignment in their upper neck the brain and nervous system is severely affected. Blood and cerebrospinal fluid flow is disrupted, leading to changes in the way the brain is actually functioning.
A gentle Upper Cervical correction of this misalignment changes the way the brain is working and restores proper mental function allowing symptoms to improve naturally and regains the ability to engage in speech. I commonly treat speech delays and impairment with a combination of Chiropractic care and Craniosacral therapy. Reach me if you would like to have a more in depth conversation how both of these treatments may be effective for you and or your child.
Alex was born in March 1972. At the age of 7 he started to experience frequent headaches with all the conventional symptoms of a Migraine headache. His particular headache resulted in him experiencing auras, nausea and sensitivity to light with no particular trigger to the onset of the migraine.
After years of treatments, therapies and medications, his headaches were no better and Alex continued to experience them all throughout childhood and into young adulthood. Some years the headaches would come monthly, some years every two to three months and some years weekly. His headaches were incurable, there was nothing that could alleviate the symptoms and head pain. Until he experienced cranial manual therapy, which resulted in the complete eradication of his life-long Migraine Headaches.
At the age of 16 Alex noticed a mild deformity in the right side of his ribs, a slightly lower right shoulder and the experience of constant lower back pain. Although mild, a diagnosis of Idiopathic Adolescent Scoliosis had been labeled.
At the age of 18 he was involved in a serious car accident that exacerbated his lower back pain. Throughout the years Alex had tried a multitude of conventional treatments but continued to suffer on and off with lower back pain, even throughout Chiropractic school and beyond.
In 2015 and fifteen+ years out of Chiropractic school, Dr. Kaminsky participated in his first and life changing Craniosacral Therapy seminar and he was fascinated, intrigued and hooked. It all made sense, he was immediately astute to its methods and since that first seminar, and as a result of trading sessions of Craniosacral Therapy with his colleagues, his back pain subsided and till this day has never returned.
Dr. Kaminsky decided to enhance his skill-set to better serve his patients. He began reaching out to other craniosacral therapists, cranial osteopaths, and many types of leading practitioners from various fields for advise and consultations He also enrolled in Upledger continuing education seminars with a focus on mostly hands-on manual and alternative therapies.
And, as he gained knowledge with his own health issues, he has learned to help more and more patients achieve great health results.
Dr. Alex Kaminsky is headache free and low back pain free, and has committed himself to a life of learning, teaching and treating patients. His emphasis is on the patient’s stored patterns of the body and each individual healthcare needs.