Question: My five-year-old grandson fell down a flight of stairs when he was three. Several days later, he started to stutter. A year later, he started having partial seizures. He is currently under the care of a neurologist and tests show the following: he has a slight abnormality on the front left lobe that makes him at risk for seizures. Tests also show a high voltage spike at the center of his head. The spike was confirmed by an EEG as were seizure activities while sleeping. He has also had an MRI and MVP.
Current medications are: Depakote 125 mg (2 each morning, 2@ lunch, 3@ night). Clonidine to help him sleep, one-half of 0.1 mg tablet.
On the advice of friends, my grandson was taken to a well-respected chiropractor in our community. His preliminary test with a heat monitor shows a “hot spot on vertebrae C1 with only 20 percent blood flow usage to the brain at C2.”
We are very concerned about the long-term effects of the medications and we are looking for another option. Of course, we want what is best for our grandson.
Answer
A five-year-old child with seizures and a confirmed brain abnormality should remain under the care of a neurologist.
I would not recommend chiropractic treatment for this child. A chiropractic “heat monitor” applied over the surface of the skin to measure blood flow in the area of the upper neck vertebrae is worthless for evaluating brain function. Chiropractic neck adjustments based on such findings are unwarranted and may be dangerous for a five-year-old child.
Long-term use of medication may be necessary to prevent or control seizures caused by a brain abnormality. There is no condition in which chiropractic treatment would relieve seizures caused by a brain abnormality.
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Dr. Homola is a second-generation chiropractor who has dedicated himself to defining the proper limits on chiropractic and to educating consumers and professionals about the field. His 1963 book Bonesetting, Chiropractic, and Cultism supported the appropriate use of spinal manipulation but renounced chiropractic dogma. His 1999 book Inside Chiropractic: A Patient’s Guide provides an incisive look at chiropractic’s history, benefits, and shortcomings. Now retired after 43 years of practice, he lives in Panama City, Florida.
This page was posted on June 7, 2002.
