Upper cervical chiropractic care for a 25-year-old woman with myoclonic seizures

Abstract

Objective: The purpose of this case report is to describe the chiropractic management using upper cervical techniques of a 25-year-old woman diagnosed with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME).

Clinical features: A 25-year-old woman had a history of JME, which was diagnosed at the age of 14 years. Her seizure episodes began shortly after trauma to her cervical spine and the onset of menarche.

Intervention and outcome: After case history and physical examination, the patient received high-velocity, low-amplitude chiropractic spinal manipulation to her upper cervical spine using the Blair upper cervical chiropractic technique protocol. There was improvement in her seizure episodes and menstrual cycles following 12 weeks of chiropractic care.

Conclusion: This case study demonstrated improvement in a young woman with a seizure disorder after she received upper cervical chiropractic manipulation. This case suggests the need for more rigorous research to examine how upper cervical chiropractic techniques may provide therapeutic benefit to patients with seizure disorders.

Keywords: Cervical, Atlas; Manipulation, Chiropractic; Menstrual cycle; Myoclonic epilepsy, Juvenile.

Fig 1

Base posterior radiograph. The right and left occipital condyles-lateral mass articulations are outlined to show the center of each joint. A, The right “condyle convergence angle.” B, The left “condyle convergence angle.”

Fig 2

The left Blair protractoview. The most lateral end of the superior articulating surface of the lateral mass is lateral to the most lateral tip of the inferior articulating surface of the occipital condyle. This is determined to be an ASL misalignment of the left occipitoatlantal articulation.

Fig 3

The right Blair protractoview. The most lateral occipital condyle and lateral mass articulation surfaces are under each other. There is no misalignment of the right occipitoatlantal articulation.