A lady came to my office with many symptoms following an auto accident. During the consultation I discovered that her son was also in the vehicle with her during the collision. After her exam and x-rays I recommended that her son be examined as well. She was hesitant at first mainly because he did not have any pain. However, after explaining what I found on her x-rays, she agreed that it would be a good idea to make sure that he was not injured.

Diagnostic Results: The following link is a copy of the stress x-ray digital analysis produced by a 3rd party independent evaluation according to AMA guidelines.

MVA- 7yr old 1st page of ligament injury diagnosis report

Upon finding that the boy in fact did have ligamentous injury and spinal joint dysfunction, I began treating him with conservative chiropractic care for the subluxations or spinal misalignments that were causing the spinal joint dysfunction. Within a few treatments the mother noticed positive behavioral changes. Specifically, he was less irritable and moody and he was able to concentrate and focus more at home and with school work. As she thought back, she reported that his irritability and difficulties were not present before the accident, but that she never thought that those symptoms were the result of spinal joint injury from the accident. The mother fought back tears as she thanked me and thought of those injuries becoming permanent damages for her son.

This specific case illustrates that the nervous system is very complex and can manifest symptoms in many different ways and in differing levels of intensity for different individuals. As I tell my patients, pain is not the only indicator of injury or dysfunction. For this reason, I believe that it is so important to correct spinal subluxations or misalignments to allow for proper joint function and the least amount of nerve system interference. Not only is this one of the most conservative treatment options, but it routinely gets to the root cause of  the problem so that other more invasive and costly treatments can be avoided.

– Matthew C. Ferris is a chiropractic physician and clinical accident director at Health Connections in Fishers, Indiana. Dr. Ferris has a Diplomat with the American Academy of Medical Legal Professionals and has also completed certification in Whiplash and Brain Traumatology from the Spine Research Institute of San Diego.