What is Tourette’s Syndrome?
Tourette’s syndrome is a neurological condition that is characterized by repetitive, uncontrollable movements or sounds (known as tics). Often diagnosed between 3 to 9 years of age, Tourette’s syndrome is believed to be caused by dysfunction in the nervous system, but the exact cause is currently unknown.
Signs and Symptoms of Tourette’s Syndrome
Tourette’s syndrome is a unique condition that presents differently for every individual. In most cases, a patient with Tourette’s will express a range of involuntary tics, but the exact kind of tics will vary. Tics can be both motor-based or vocal.
Some common motor-based tics include stomping, eye blinking, grimacing, head jerking, or other involuntary movements in the body. Vocal tics range from controllable grunting, frequent throat clearing, stuttering, blurting out offensive words, repeated yelping, or repeated sniffing.
How the Upper Cervical Spine Affects Tourette’s Syndrome
Tourette's is a complicated neurological disorder and, as such, there is currently no cure. However, there have been promising developments in the use of upper cervical chiropractic care to manage and reduce Tourette’s Syndrome symptoms.
In addition to enclosing and protecting the spinal cord, the upper cervical spine plays a key role in supporting the brainstem, the stalk-like connection between the spinal cord and brain. Because of its proximity to the central nervous system, a vertebral misalignment in the upper cervical spine can lead to disrupted nerve flow along the spinal cord. Left untreated, this disruption can exacerbate the occurrence and severity of tics in a Tourette’s Syndrome patient.
How Our Upper Cervical Treatment for a Tourette’s Syndrome Works
When treating a condition like Tourette’s Syndrome, Dr. Gordon Elder, our in-house chiropractic specialist, employs the Blair Upper Cervical Chiropractic Technique. The Blair chiropractic technique focuses on rebooting the body’s natural healing mechanisms and restoring the health of the upper cervical spine using precise spinal correction techniques.
To begin treating Tourette’s, Dr. Elder utilizes a two-step approach. During your initial appointment, patients will attend a 25–30-minute consultation to establish their medical history and whether a vertebral misalignment could be triggering Tourette’s episodes. After your consultation, Dr. Elder will provide you with a comprehensive treatment plan. You’ll also have the opportunity to ask Dr. Elder any questions about your condition and treatment plan. Note, that the diagnostic process typically involves the use of advanced 3-D imaging techniques to pinpoint the exact location of any misalignments.
When it comes to treatment, Dr. Elder will use the Blair chiropractic adjustment techniques to gently correct the misaligned vertebrae, removing any nerve flow impedances and allowing the body to reboot its natural healing processes.
After the first session, patients are encouraged to return for regular check-ups (for at least 3-5 months) to ensure their adjustment has set. Most patients average between 10 and 15 appointments with Dr. Elder to achieve long-lasting results.
Don’t let Tourette’s Syndrome get in the way of living your life — get in touch today to speak with Dr. Elder about the health of your upper cervical spine. Located in Lubbock, Texas, Dr. Elder also services Amarillo, Midland, Odessa, Abilene, El Paso in Texas, and Hobbs in New Mexico.
Published by Vic Belonogoff: A Blair Chiropractic doctor helped heal vertigo, among other conditions that Vic Belonogoff suffered from, and it gave him his life back. He continues to see an upper cervical chiropractor as a preventative measure. Vic Belonogoff is passionate about upper cervical chiropractic and how much it helps patients.