article archive
April 2007
Research on blood pressure published
in medical journal
A research report by Marshall Dickholtz, Sr., DC, is set
to be published in the March issue of the printed Journal
of Human Hypertension, a part of the Nature Publishing
Group family of journals. An online version appeared on
the JHH website in January.
The paper titled, "Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement
of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot
study," examined subluxations of the Atlas vertebra
associated with relative ischaemia of the brainstem circulation
and increased blood pressure. The results clearly indicated
a link between manual subluxation correction and reduction
of arterial pressure.
The double blind, placebo controlled
research involved 50 patients diagnosed with Stage 1 hypertension
who were not currently taking any blood pressure medication.
The subjects were divided randomly into two groups; one received
upper cervical adjustments while the other received a sham
procedure. Most of the subjects (85%) received only one adjustment.
No antihypertensive medications were given during the study.
After
eight weeks, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were compared
to the baseline figures taken at the start of the project.
Those receiving upper cervical care showed marked improvement,
going from a baseline of 147/92 to 130/82. The results of the
placebo group were far less impressive, only changing from
145/91 to 142/89. The heart rate was not reduced in the upper
cervical group, and no adverse effects were recorded.
"We conclude that restoration of Atlas alignment is
associated with marked and sustained reductions in BP similar
to the use of two‑drug combination therapy," the
researchers stated. The research was led by George M. Bakris,
MD, a noted researcher with the Department of Preventive
Medicine, Rush University Hypertension Center, a large teaching
hospital in Chicago. According to Dr. Dickholtz, this is
the first time that research has been conducted to show that
reducing subluxation at the brain stem level has a direct
and profound impact on the autonomic system.
A founding director
of the National Upper Cervical Chiropractic Association,
Dickholtz is also president of the National Upper Cervical
Chiropractic Research Association and recipient of the Daniel
David Palmer Scientific Award. A true chiropractic pioneer ‑‑ in practice for half a century ‑‑ he
first began exploring the affect of upper cervical adjustments
on blood pressure in 1986. At that time, Bruce Bell, MD,
began referring hypertensive patients to Dickholtz and through
the years sent some 6,000 people to Dickholtz' Chicago office.
Dickholtz'
previous research has focused on a wide array of topics,
including auditory and somatosensory evoked potentials, magnetic
stimulation of the motor cortex of the brain, chronic fatigue
syndrome, headaches, and additional studies on blood pressure.
The
abstract and article for this paper can be found at the JHH
website: www.nature.com/jhh.