Asthma

Children under chiropractic care showed a 96.5% non-occurrence rate of asthma, whereas children under medical care showed a 95% non-occurrence rate of asthma. The authors concluded that the immune systems of children under chiropractic care are better able to cope with allergens which may cause asthmatic conditions.
van Breda WM; van Breda JM. A Comparative Study Of The Health Status Of The Health Status Of Children Raised Under The Health Care Models Of Chiropractic And Allopathic Medicine. J Chiro Res 1989; 5:101-3

Among parents of asthmatic children who had received chiropractic treatment, 92% considered this treatment beneficial. Alternative treatment was more frequent among children from the higher social classes. A tendency was observed towards less satisfaction with medical treatment, information and general guidance concerning the illness among families who sought alternative treatment.
Vange B; Contact between preschool children with chronic diseases and the authorized health services and forms of alternative therapy. Ugeskr Laeger 1989; 151(28):1815-8

76.5% of patients with bronchial asthma said they benefited from chiropractic treatment. Peak flow rate and vital capacity increased after the third treatment.
Hviid C; A Comparison Of The Effects Of Chiropractic Treatment On Respiratory Function In Patients With Respiratory Distress Symptoms And Patients Without. Bull Eur Chiro Union 1978; 26: 17-34

Patients with juvenile onset asthma are most likely obtain a perceived benefit from chiropractic spinal adjustments. Patients reported improvement after an average of five treatments over a one month period of time.
Nilsson N, Christainson B; Prognostic Factors in Bronchial Asthma in Chiropractic Practice. J Aust Chiropr Assoc. 1988; 18(3):85-7

While under chiropractic care 6 of 15 patient's studied elected to voluntarily reduce their daily dose of medication. An additional patient stopped using medication all together. This represents a 46.67% decrease in the need for medication while under chiropractic care. However, the authors failed to recognize less need for medication as an improvement in condition.
Jamison JR, Leskovic K, Lepore S, Hannon P; Asthma In A Chiropractic Clinic: A Pilot Study. J Aust Chiropr Assoc. 1986; 16(4):137-43

Manipulation Helps Patient-Rated Asthma Severity

The purpose of this randomized patient- and observer-blinded cross-over trial was to evaluate the efficacy of chiropractic treatment in the management of chronic asthma when combined with pharmaceutical maintenance therapy. The trial was conducted at the National University Hospital's Out-patient Clinic in Copenhagen, Denmark. Thirty-one patients aged 18-44 years participated, all suffering from chronic asthma controlled by bronchodilators and/or inhaled steroids. Patients, or who had received chiropractic treatment for asthma within the last 5 years, who received oral steroids and immunotherapy, were not eligible. Patients were randomized to receive either active chiropractic spinal manipulative treatment or sham chiropractic spinal manipulative treatment twice weekly for 4 weeks, and then crossed over to the alternative treatment for another 4 weeks. Both phases were preceded and followed by a 2-week period without chiropractic treatment. The main outcome measurements were forced expiratory volume in the first second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), daily use of inhaled bronchodilators, patient-rated asthma severity and non-specific bronchial reactivity (n-BR). Using the cross-over analysis, no clinically important or statistically significant differences were found between the active and sham chiropractic interventions on any of the main or secondary outcome measures. Objective lung function did not change during the study, but over the course of the study, non-specific bronchial hyperreactivity (n-BR) improved by 36% (P = 0.01) and patient-rated asthma severity decreased by 34% (P = 0.0002) compared with the baseline values.

Nielsen NH, Bronfort G, Bendix T, Madsen F, Weeke B. Chronic asthma and chiropractic spinal manipulation: a randomized clinical trial.Clin Exp Allergy 25 (1): 80-88 (1995)

Palmer Upper Cervical Specific Technique Decreases Asthma Severity

Asthma is the most common chronic disease of childhood. Its intrinsic form, with no known etiology, is a particular challenge to the treating physician. A neurological cause may be present in the intrinsic form of asthma. Chiropractic treatment of asthma focuses on correction of spinal subluxation that may restore proper nerve function to the organs of respiration. This case study reports an eighteen year-old subject with a two year history of bronchial asthma. The subject received chiropractic adjustments using the Palmer Upper Cervical Specific technique and was monitored over a five-year period. The result of that care was marked improvements in the subject's health status. The greatest improvements were reported in the weeks immediately following the chiropractic adjustments. This case is interesting in that trauma to the cervical vertebrae coincided with the onset of asthma and chiropractic care focuses on those regions coincided with improvement in that condition.

KILLINGER, L Chiropractic Care in the Treatment of Asthma. PALMER JOURNAL OF RESEARCH. 1995 SEP. 2(3). pp 74-7.