by Emily Smith Nguyen, Smith and Prissel Chiropractic
The bones of the skull, spine, and pelvis provide a bony armor for the delicate nervous system that lies within. A chiropractic adjustment is designed to correct subluxation—or misalignment—of these vertebrae, in order to relieve any pressure on the nerves or spinal cord. There are numerous techniques used by chiropractors to correct these subluxations, but all are intended to remove nerve interference and allow the body to make the necessary changes to heal itself. The nervous system is quite complex, but there are certain areas of the spine that are neurologically more likely involved with symptoms of cough. These include Cervical 2-5 (mid-neck) because cervical spinal nerves 3, 4, and 5 control the diaphragm; Thoracic 2-4 (upper back) because thoracic spinal nerves 2, 3, and 4 control the lungs; cranial (skull) bones sphenoid (Trigeminal nerve), temporal/occipital (Glossopharyngeal and Vagus nerves) because of the nerve path; as well as the spinal motor nerves that control the larynx, intercostal muscles, muscles of the abdomen, and muscles of the pelvis. However, chiropractors are trained to detect and correct any areas of dis-ease within the spine, regardless of the type of symptoms presenting. Unfortunately the research available on the effectiveness of chiropractic adjustments for pediatric cough is slim, though clinically chiropractors are frequently and effectively involved in treating children with common disorders, including cough. Effectiveness may include increase rate of healing from cough, decrease in severity of cough, decrease in frequency of cough onset or episodes, and decrease necessity for use of medications for cough, all as a result of receiving chiropractic adjustments. Though chiropractors aren’t in a position to prescribe medications, which are often unnecessary for a cough, they can often provide a vast amount of knowledge about non-pharmaceutical treatment options.