Tourette’s syndrome is believed to be an inherited condition. However, this is not entirely true. Here are the top two reasons that show why genetics is not linked to Tourette’s in all cases:
In some research, a connection between Tourette’s syndrome and head or neck trauma was discovered. The trauma could be any category of injury that occurred early in life. The event could be as simple as a trip and fall. It could even occur as soon as the time the person was still in the mother’s womb. Tics could take place immediately after the trauma or years later. Are there ways to deal with this condition effectively?
There was a 14-year-old boy with Tourette’s. The Journal of Pediatric, Maternal, and Family Health documented the boy's story. The young boy had missed days of school because of the regularity and severity of his tics. The frequency of his spasms became so violent. It happened as often as 1000 times a day. As a result, he got admitted to a hospital for care and observation. He experienced migraines. He was always exhausted extremely.
His prescription medications, used as a treatment for his tics and migraines, accomplished very little. Finally, the teenage boy began to receive upper cervical care. A misalignment in the bones of his upper neck was identified and needed adjustment.
After only five months of regular care, the frequency of the boy’s tics reduced significantly. Furthermore, he was able to decrease his medication intake while continuing to get upper cervical care from his chiropractor. This procedure restored proper communication between his body and brain. As a result, the boy continued to have relief from his Tourettes’ syndrome.
At Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, NUCCA upper cervical chiropractic employs a precise and gentle technique that revives the body’s healing potential and also restores natural body balance. Our methods are safe for both adults and children. Our reliable and gentle approach enabled our patients to return to their daily lives without the crippling and frustrating interruptions of Tourette’s syndrome.
Tourette’s syndrome is diagnosed three times more often in boys than in girls. Out of every one thousand children, three will have Tourette’s syndrome. It is generally accepted that Tourette’s is a genetic disorder. However, this is not always the case. The following facts point this out:
As more and more research is being done on Tourette’s, another possible reason for its development is coming to the forefront. A connection is being seen between head and neck trauma and the onset of Tourette’s. This is often seen right around the time of birth during the prenatal period and may be due to the birthing process itself and the way the baby’s head is turned for delivery. It can also be due to falls or other injuries causing tics to begin. This can start immediately after the injury or a short time later.
An experience of a 14-year-old boy is giving hope to those who suffer from this condition. He was diagnosed with Tourette’s syndrome. He had a couple of bad days that caused him to miss school. He was brought to the hospital for care because he was having a massive amount of tics. He was having as many as one-thousand violent motor tics on a daily basis. He was prescribed 10 milligrams of Abilify, 1 milligram of pimozide, and some ibuprofen per day. However, it was not the answer he or his parents were looking for. The tics continued.
His parents decided to try an alternate route of care. They brought him in to see an upper cervical chiropractor. It was discovered that he had a misalignment in the top bones of his neck. He was given care over the course of 5 months and 30 visits. He was pleased with the results. His tics had reduced and he was able to get off of his medication due to the fact that his body was now able to better relay messages to the brain.
Others have found similar success when seeking the care of upper cervical chiropractors.
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Tourette Syndrome and Birth TraumaPreviously in this blog we looked at research that linked upper neck injuries with Tourette's syndrome. Today we take a closer look at 3 children who were all diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome and responded wonderfully to upper cervical chiropractic.
First we look at a 9-year-old boy who 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.
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. 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.
Next we look at a 15-year-old male who was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at age 7. He had no family history of Tourette Syndrome. The tics were constantly present and worsened during times of concentration, such as during reading and writing. In addition, he suffered from chronic neck pain for years. He described himself as having constant daily tightness in his neck and shoulders, especially at the base of his skull.
During this boy's upper cervical exam, a neck injury was found. His mother could not recall any accidents he had suffered as a child that could have caused his neck injury other than typical falls and sports injuries of childhood, although the boy was an avid snowboarder and had taken some falls on his head.
After his first upper cervical adjustment, he reported having a tremendous reduction in tics and neck pain. He couldn't believe how much better his neck felt after so many years of discomfort. Within a month, he was free of tics and neck pain and was able to resume concentrating on school subjects that had previously been too difficult. His mother reported tremendous improvement in his ability to concentrate, complete school work, etc. After being adjusted, he said he completed his math homework easily. In addition, he also reported how much of a relief it was to no longer worry about experiencing tics, especially in front of other people.
Lastly, we examine the case of a 7-year-old boy who began experiencing the tics of Tourette Syndrome at age 5. The tics in his face, neck, arms, and feet occurred infrequently in the beginning and gradually increased to 100's of times per day, his mother reported. He was diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome at age 7.
During the boy's upper cervical chiropractic evaluation, an upper neck injury was discovered. His mother reported various traumas before her son was 5, including a breech birth, a fall out of the high chair, and skiing falls, that could have contributed to his upper cervical injury. Within 10 days of his first upper cervical adjustment, his parents and teachers noticed a decrease in the tics. In less than 3 months of treatment, all tics were absent.
The purpose of Upper Cervical Spinal Care is to reverse the trauma-induced upper neck injury; thereby reducing irritation to the injured nerves in the central nervous system. While many TS sufferers recall specific traumas such as head injuries, birth trauma, auto accidents or falls, some do not. In certain pediatric cases, the injury can occur from the normal birthing process. An upper cervical examination is necessary in each individual's case to assess whether an upper cervical injury is present and whether benefit from Upper Cervical can be achieved.
To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Redwood City California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/
Not All Tourette’s Syndrome Is GeneticResearchers generally consider Tourette's syndrome to be a genetic disorder (TS vulnerability is transmitted from one generation to the next), approximately 15% of TS patients do not show genetic susceptibility (no genetic links were found). In addition, individual variations in character, course, and degree of severity of TS cannot be explained by genetic explanations alone.
Consequently, researchers have focused upon stressful events during perinatal or early life that may trigger the onset of TS. Traumatic head injury (during birth, falls, accidents, etc.) has been implicated as a possible trigger of TS. Evidence supports that trauma (in particular mild concussive injury to the head, neck or upper back) increases the risk of TS onset. Following the trauma, tics can be triggered immediately or can take months or years to develop.
New research appearing in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health supports a possible traumatic cause. A 14-year-old male with Tourette’s Syndrome had missed school the previous two days prior to presenting to the clinic due to the severity of his motor tics, migraine headaches and severe “fatigue”.
The patient’s symptoms were so severe it was indicated that he was having 1,000 “violent” motor tics a day that consisted of whipping his head involuntarily in flexion and extension, which also contributed to his fatigue.
The patient’s migraine headaches (which occurred daily) were attributed as resulting from these motor tics. The patient was taking 6 Ibuprofen pills, 10 mgs of Abilify® (aripiprazole), and 1mg of Orap® (Pimozide) per day.
Physical examination which included thermal and infrared thermography and radiological examination demonstrated sites of spinal misalignments likely caused by trauma. Over the course of 30 patient visits in a period of 5 months, dramatic reductions were reported in the amount of tics experienced daily. The total number of tics were reduced from 1,000 a day to 30-35 tics per day. The patient’s dependence on Ibuprofuen was eliminated and his medication dosage (i.e., Abilify and Pimozide) was reduced by his medical provider.
This is not the first time that a person with Tourette's syndrome has received dramatic results with this type of care (see references below). For instance, Dr. Erin Elster reports on 3 boys diagnosed with Tourette's syndrome, Age 9, 15 and 7, who all had tremendous results with upper cervical chiropractic.
Next time we will review these 3 cases and talk more about the type of care they received.
The purpose of Upper Cervical is to reverse the traumatically induced upper neck injury; thereby reducing irritation to the injured nerves in the central nervous system. While many TS sufferers recall specific traumas such as head injuries, birth trauma, auto accidents or falls, some do not. In certain pediatric cases, the injury can occur from the normal birthing process. An upper cervical examination is necessary in each individual's case to assess whether an upper cervical injury is present and whether benefit from Upper Cervical care can be achieved.
To find a Doctor in your area go to www.NUCCA.org or if you are in the Redwood City California area to schedule your NUCCA evaluation, click the button below:
Want to hear from people like you? Check out our reviews here.
Dr. Pete Tsiglieris of Advanced Spinal Care in Redwood City, California is an Upper Cervical Specialist trained by the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association (NUCCA). His upper cervical clinic also serves San Mateo, Palo Alto, Menlo Park, San Carlos, and Sunnyvale. They are uniquely trained to correct problems in the upper cervical spine (upper neck). This vital area is intimately connected to the central nervous system and problems in this area have been shown to be an underlying cause of a variety of different health problems, including migraines and other headaches, carpal tunnel syndrome, neck pain, back pain and shoulder pain and weakness. More information can be found on our website at https://bayareanuccacare.com/
