Multiple Sclerosis (MS) affects more than one million people around the world. The disease affects the brain, brain stem and spinal cord and can vary in severity. The disease is most common in woman between the ages of 20 to 40 with symptoms consisting of visual disturbances, numbness & tingling in the arms and legs, difficulty walking, impaired balance, memory loss, muscle spasms, and muscle weakness. Your central nervous system contains millions of nerve fibers that carry electrical impulses from your brain and brain stem to almost every tissue, organ and cell within your body. The degenerative process of MS is called demyelination. This is the destruction of the fatty substance, or myelin, which coats and protects the nerve fibers. This fatty substance functions much like to the insulation that shields electrical wires. In patients with MS, the body mistakenly destroys the myelin sheath, which becomes inflamed and swollen and detaches from the nerve fibers; then, firm or hardened (sclerosed) patches of scar tissue form over the fibers. Eventually, this damage slows or even blocks the nerve signals from the brain, brain stem and spinal cord that control muscle coordination, strength, sensation and vision. This results in some of the permanent disabilities that may develop in patients with MS.
Some of the newest and most relevant research on upper cervical care has demonstrated the link between MS and injury to the upper cervical spine. Although upper cervical care is not considered a cure for those with MS, research studies have demonstrated the extreme benefits for those suffering with this debilitating neurological disease. A study published in 2005 revealed that 100% of the patients with Multiple Sclerosis had a history of upper cervical injuries whether months old or years old. Another recently published case study has shown that correction of upper neck injuries may reverse the progression of MS. Dr. Erin Elster, an upper cervical chiropractor, performed the research. Through the use of upper cervical care, Elster corrected chronic upper neck injuries in an MS patient, which may have stimulated a reversal of his MS symptoms. These results have been duplicated in upper cervical centers across the country and have shown the same promising results. Elster’s report was published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research. It stated that, “According to medical research, head and neck injuries have long been considered a cause of Multiple Sclerosis. But this is the first research to show that correction of those injuries can have dramatic effects on reversing MS.” In light of these recent reports, it is absolutely essential, if you have MS, that you have your spine and nervous system examined by an upper cervical doctor.