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Male, Age 11 years, Fibromyalgia, Fatigue, ADHD, Headaches, Sleep Disorder This 11-year-old male suffered with Fibromyalgia, Chronic Fatigue, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder, and Headaches for many years. He experienced constant muscular pain throughout his body and had trouble participating in sports or exercise due to pain and muscle spasms. He couldn't even wear a watch due to pain around his wrists. He frequently took hot baths or used a heating pad to relax his muscles. In addition, he was home-schooled due to frustration and difficulty in school. Headaches occurred twice per week, sometimes severe. His sleep was extremely irregular-- he usually awakened every few hours. Frequently he would be in bed for 13 hours and still wake up fatigued. During this 11-year-old's upper cervical chiropractic exam, an upper neck injury was found. When questioning his mother about the boy's medical history, she recalled that he fell out of a grocery cart at age 3 months. After only 1 month of upper cervical care, all symptoms were greatly improved. He was able to participate in sports without pain; he no longer had muscle spasms; all headaches were gone; school work improved in that he had less frustration and better attention span; he slept through the night and had energy upon awakening; and all fatigue was gone. Male, Age 9 years, Tourette Syndrome, ADHD, Depression, Insomnia, Headaches, Asthma This 9-year-old boy began having health problems soon after his birth (a forceps birth). He also fell down the stairs at age 1. He had many infections including ear infections and pneumonia every year for the first several years of his life. He was diagnosed with asthma at age 2 and prescribed inhalers. The asthma attacks occurred during weather changes, humidity, and physical activity. By age 7, he was diagnosed with ADHD and Tourette Syndrome. The Tourette's tics occurred head to toe and involved his eyes, neck, voice, rolling of his toes, flinching of his side, and lifting of his arms overhead. He was not prescribed Ritalin for ADHD due to an increased risk of tics. In addition, he was diagnosed with insomnia and depression at age 8 and was prescribed 2 different anti-depressant medications. He also experienced neck pain and headaches 3 times per week since age 8. During this boy's upper cervical exam, a neck injury was found, which possibly stemmed from either his birth or fall down the stairs. After his first upper cervical adjustment, his mother reported only 2 days later: 1) his attitude and personality were happier, 2) no headaches, 3) no neck pain, 4) no wheezing, 5) tics were cut in half, 6) slept through the night. One month later, no headaches or neck pain occurred over the month; no asthma or wheezing occurred over the month and no asthma medications were used; all motor tics were completely gone and only an occasional verbal tic occurred; sleeping had been consistently improved; personality and behavior had been consistently improved and anti-depressants had been cut in half; attention in school to school work and interaction with other kids in school was also greatly improved. Six weeks after the first adjustment, all symptoms were absent. All family members remarked that by having his neck injury corrected, the boy had become a completely different, happy, and healthy child. Female, Age 34 years, Agoraphobia (fear of leaving home), Insomnia This 34-year-old female suffered from severe anxiety and fear over leaving her home (agoraphobia) for eighteen months before seeking help from upper cervical care. This anxiety began one week after a downward blow to the head while her head was extended backwards. Initially, the problem began with anxiety over going on trips where packing for travel and traveling on airplanes made her extremely nervous. Gradually the problem worsened to the point that it could take her several hours to leave her house to do a simple errand. She became completely incapable of going out to do anything such as dinner out, errands, shopping, etc. Occasionally she vomited from fear. In addition, she became addicted to alcohol and valium in order to combat the anxiety. She also had insomnia and got up and down out of bed for several hours checking the door, stove, etc. before she finally felt comfortable enough to try to go to sleep. After one adjustment, she reported "feeling completely normal." Her anxiety was completely gone and she returned to a normal life that she had before the blow to the head. She immediately began going out to eat, to do errands, and even went on a vacation- all without any anxiety at all. She also resumed normal sleeping and discontinued drugs and alcohol. TESTIMONIAL "This is the way I used to be -- very outgoing. I love to go out, anywhere and everywhere, with a bold adventurous outlook. I have been told that I am not shy. I have always been able to talk to complete strangers with ease and I am always eager to explore new places. This is the way I started acting-- Trip Anxiety. The thought of going out of town was overwhelming. My sister would completely pack me, and I usually didn't even know what she would pack. That was enough of a problem, but I ran into serious trouble when I gradually found it harder and harder to leave my house. Going to work became increasingly difficult. I would be ready, at the door, and it would take five minutes, then ten, and eventually hours before I could leave. It got to the point where I would try to leave, then return, and try to leave again, sometimes five or six times, before I could actually leave my house to go to work. After work I would go right home. If I needed groceries I would have to stop on the way home from work, and I would bring a list. If I didn't talk myself out of the need to stop while on the way, while in the store I would cross off most of the items and just get what I actually had to have. I began to find it almost impossible even to go to the mailbox after dark. Dinner out was out of the question...it was delivery or take-out or cook at home and movies on pay-per-view or cable, never the theater. I really started to miss hearing those live concerts too. This is what I tried to do to fix the problem-- Medical Doctors of all kinds including traditional western docs and psychiatrists and Alternative Medicine Doctors of of all kinds, to no avail. Acupuncture was the only thing that helped, but it was a short-term band-aid. I became completely dependant on my husband and friends/family to come and get me if I needed to leave the house on a weekend or at night. Nothing was working and the psychiatrists all said I wasn't crazy and that I seemed to have a neurotransmitter problem. I was told to plan outings as exercises, but this seemed to make matters worse. Nothing helped. This is what Dr. Elster did for me-- In my initial meeting with Erin Elster, she explored WHEN I started to have signs of trouble. Through her questioning, and the angle of impact that she suspected my injury had come, I remembered an instance when I had been hit on the head over a year and a half ago. After just a mild bonk on the head with my head cocked to one side at just the wrong angle, I had become dizzy for a second, panicked for a moment, and I remembered that I lost track of time for a few hours that evening. I thought nothing of it the next day. Dr. Elster took x-rays and showed my husband and me how that slight impact had pushed the atlas to one side impairing the ability of some of the nerves to function properly. After she had time to study the x-rays, my husband drove me to her office and Dr. Elster laid me down on her special table and pushed that atlas back into place in one motion. After a few minutes of resting, I went out to breakfast, even choosing a second restaurant and then shopping. I've been running around ever since. Thank you Dr. Elster." Janette, age 34, September 1997 Female, Age 47 years, Sleep Disorder, Fatigue, Depression This 47-year-old female suffered from a sleep disorder since her daughter's birth 12 years prior. She had been unable to get a good night's sleep since and as a result was extremely fatigued. She also described trouble with depression and mood swings because of her extreme lack of sleep. She described most nights with frequent awakening without any consistent sleep hours in a row. During her initial evaluation, an upper neck injury was discovered. It was postulated that going through the birthing process was enough to cause injury in her case since the development of the sleep disorder coincided with her daughter's birth. One week after the initiation of upper cervical care, she began sleeping and reported several nights where she slept between 7 and 10 hours without awakening. This continued consistently and she felt her energy and her happy mood return. Eventually she was able to discontinue all sleep and anti-depression medications. Male, Age 23 years, Bipolar Disorder, Epilepsy, Sleep Disorder, Headaches, Back Pain This 23-year-old male suffered a closed head injury at age 17 in which he landed on his head due to a pole-vaulting accident at a high school track meet. Since the fall, he suffered from bipolar disorder (rapid-cycling mood swings), seizures (2-3 per day), daily headaches, daily neck and back pain, and sleep disorder (he would often be awake for 24-36 straight hours before finally going to sleep and then often would sleep for 24 or more hours). He was taking tegretol for bipolar disorder and pain medication for headaches. During this patient's upper cervical exam, an upper neck injury was found, most likely stemming from the pole-vaulting accident. The injury was compromising this patient's brain and spinal cord function. After five months of upper cervical care, all mood swings, headaches, seizures, pain, and sleep trouble were corrected, and all medications were discontinued. All family members remarked at the enormous change in the patient's mental outlook, personality, and health. Female, Age 19 years, Headaches, Insomnia, Fatigue, Fainting Spells At age 15, this 19-year-old female was struck by several large waves while on vacation with her family. After the waves hit her and knocked her face-down against the ocean floor, she ran out of the water with severe pain in her neck and back. While she appeared to recover, when she returned home at the end of the vacation, she began having fainting spells, where she would wake up in strange locations, not knowing what had happened. One fainting spell occurred while she was driving her car, causing her to run a red light and get hit by a bus traveling the opposite direction. After this incident, she was no longer allowed to drive. In addition to the fainting spells, she also began suffering from headaches, which escalated into a constant, daily occurrence, as well as frequent insomnia, which lead to extreme fatigue. After consulting with several local doctors and undergoing numerous tests, including an MRI, her physicians could not find anything wrong with her and could only conclude that she had migraines and possibly psychological problems. Not accepting this, this patient and her parents searched the internet for additional help and decided to undergo an upper cervical chiropractic evaluation. During her evaluation, an upper neck injury was discovered, which was likely caused by the trauma from the waves. Because this patient had traveled from a distance to undergo the evaluation, her family decided to have her stay in the area for 7 weeks to be treated. After her first upper cervical adjustment, the fainting stopped. By the second week of care, her headaches began to diminish. In addition, she began to sleep better and felt more energetic. At the end of seven weeks, all fainting, headaches, and insomnia were absent. She felt healthy, happy, and energetic. TESTIMONIAL "Dear Dr. Elster, After several weeks back at home, my daughter is still feeling well. She has not had any headaches or fainting and she feels happy and healthy. We had a party the week after she came home and all of her friends and family were excited to see her eyes so bright and full of energy. My wife and I want to thank you so much for what you did for her and for your enthusiasm and encouragement. We can hardly believe the changes in our daughter!" Ton, about his daughter, Sept '02 Male, Age 34 years, Head Injury, Whiplash, Headaches, Sleep Disorder, Fatigue This 34-year-old male suffered a head injury during an auto accident in which he was rear-ended at 50mph. He described severe pain in his neck and back and headaches that originated at the base of his skull and spread to his left eye. His pain was so severe that it prevented him from sleeping, so he suffered from severe fatigue. To maintain some level of function during the day, he relied on multiple caffeinated beverages such as jolt or bull colas and/or coffee. At the time of his initial upper cervical chiropractic evaluation (14 months after the accident), he had been suffering with all of the above symptoms for over a year. He had sought help from numerous practitioners including physicians, neurologists, and therapists, to no avail. He reported receiving some temporary relief from Pilates. During his evaluation, an upper cervical injury was discovered, which had likely been caused by his auto accident. After the first month of care, be began to notice less pain and a slightly better ability to sleep. By the third month of care, he was reporting a larger reduction in pain levels, which was enabling him to resume exercising. After six months, all pain was absent, normal sleep was resumed, and he was able to partcipate in all previous activities and sports, including working full-time. Female, Age 24 years, Chronic Headaches, Neck Pain, Difficulty Sleeping This 24-year-old suffered from daily headaches, neck pain, and difficulty sleeping for the past year. The headaches started at the base of her skull and shot up behind her eyes and down her upper back. The pain was severe enough that she often was kept awake at night, and as a result, she experienced fatigue. After upper cervical care, she was head and neck pain free. Also she slept through the night and reported a large increase in energy level. Female, Age 37 years, Insomnia, Headaches This 37-year-old female presented with insomnia and headaches since an auto accident 2 years ago. When she tried to sleep at night, it usually took her 4-5 hours to fall asleep even though she was exhausted all day. When she tried to take naps, she could never fall asleep. She also had been plagued with headaches since the accident that involved pain near her ears and cheeks and occasionally caused nausea. After 1 month of care, she fell asleep within a half-hour when she went to bed at night and slept through the night. She also took naps but eventually did not find them necessary because she was no longer exhausted and fatigued during the day. In addition, the headaches were gone. Female, Age 31 years, Fatigue, Sleep Disorder This 31-year-old female described such extreme fatigue and trouble sleeping that she required 3 different alarms to get her out of bed each morning for work. This had been going on for years and she could remember having trouble as far back as age 16. During her evaluation, an upper cervical injury was discovered. She reported that she had had a difficult birth requiring forceps and thought that perhaps might have been the original cause of her neck injury. After the first adjustment, she immediately began sleeping better. Several weeks later, she reported being able to wake up before her alarms went off and she felt energetic and well-rested. Male, Age 20 years, Insomnia This bike racer crashed during a race 4 years prior to seeking help from upper cervical care. During the crash, he landed on his head, was knocked unconscious, and dislocated a shoulder. Ever since the accident, he had difficulty sleeping and could lie in bed for hours before falling asleep. He reported that his lack of sleep seemed to inhibit his ability to train because he recovered slowly after workouts and was frequently fatigued. During his initial upper cervical examination, an upper neck injury was found (possibly resulting from the concussion 4 years prior). After one month of upper cervical care, normal sleep resumed. He was able to fall asleep shortly after going to bed and slept soundly through the night. As a result, he was able to train harder and recover faster, thereby vastly improving his cycling performance. He moved up to higher racing categories and decreased his race times. TESTIMONIAL "I started racing bicycles in 1990 and steadily progressed in my skills and fitness until a bad crash in the fall of 1993. I went down on a road ride and dislocated my shoulder. I eventually healed and resumed riding and racing. It did not take long to regain my fitness, however I soon plateaued and was unable to move beyond a certain level. During the next few years I became actively involved in other aspects of the sport including coaching. It was then that I noticed that something was not quite right. I was able to coach a family friend to four Jr. National championships, so I clearly understood training principles and knew what needed to be done to achieve a high level of fitness, but I could not reach that level personally. During this time, I noticed that I gradually had more and more trouble falling asleep at night. I started seeing Dr. Elster in April '97 and within a few weeks I began to sleep better. I can now fall asleep almost immediately. In addition, I have finally started to advance to a higher fitness level because I am able to rest and recover from workouts more effectively. I am currently a category 3 road racer and expert level mountain biker. Both upgrades I have achieved just this year." Robert, age 20, September '97 Male, Age 10 months, Pain, Infections, Sleeping Trouble This 10-month-old baby was sick since birth-- a difficult birth requiring forceps. Since his birth, his mother reported that he did not sleep longer than 45 minutes in a row. He frequently cried-- with a high-pitched scream. He also suffered 5 ear and sinus infections since birth, 2 accompanied by skin rashes, and took five prescriptions of antibiotics. His parents also noticed that he did not like to be left on his stomach, and he appeared to be in pain if he tried to lift his head up. They also noticed that he held his head tilted off to the left. During his upper cervical exam at 10 months, a neck injury was found, most likely stemming from the birth process. At the time of the exam, he also had a sinus infection. After the first adjustment, his mother reported that his mood was much improved. He seemed happier, smiled more, and began to sleep through the night. She also reported that his sinus congestion decreased and that he began to get up on all fours to start crawling. Both parents noticed that his head tilt appeared to be less. One week later, his mother said his sinuses and ears were completely clear and that all signs of infection were gone. She reported continued progress in his mood and sleeping habits. Two weeks later, he was still doing fine. No further adjustments were necessary after the initial adjustment. The content and materials provided in this web site are for informational and educational purposes only and are not intended to supplement or comprise a medical diagnosis or other professional opinion, or to be used in lieu of a consultation with a physician or competent health care professional for medical diagnosis and/or treatment. All content and materials including research papers, case studies and testimonials summarizing patients' responses to care are intended for educational purposes only and do not imply a guarantee of benefit. Individual results may vary, depending upon several factors including age of the patient, severity of the condition, severity of the spinal injury, and duration of time the condition has been present. |
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