Parkinson’s disease patient makes miraculous improvement

Willman Silvestre, age 66, entered our office on 5/8/23 for treatment of his neck, posture, and low back pain. He came with the diagnosis of Parkinson’s disease as well. Interested Parkinson’s disease research organizations can review his medical records from his doctors including MRI studies on request. This introduction is about revealing a major component of his treatment protocols effecting his ability to move. Mr. Silvestre is not atypical regarding the physical presentation of patients suffering from Parkinson’s disease.

1-extreme Forward Head Posture (FHP) causing him a forward body lean that resulted in loss of balance and coordination.

2-Unable to walk without assistance. Severely restricted movement of entire musculoskeletal system

3-required 3 people to get on the examination table

4-had zero ability to rotate his head right or left. Almost no movement in head extension.

5- forward trunk bend was extremely rigid.

6- hand strength was not strong enough to register on dynamometer. Fine finger movement was very limited

X-ray examination at our office in Bloomfield, NJ, USA, revealed an advanced FHP head position of 71mm. We used a marking system utilized by CBP non profit research, a well published group in chiropractic sciences.

TREATMENT PROTOCOL

We began treatment with mirror image spinal adjustments that were designed to correct vertebral subluxations in his spine that were causing his posture condition. His lumbar and cervical MRI studies revealed multiple disc pathologies. He received 10 non surgical spinal decompressions at levels L3/4 and L4/5 that completely relieved his lumbar and left leg pain. This enabled him to walk better and sit up in a stable manner.

He was fitted with a Cervigard FHP collar, designed to correct both forward head posture and improve cervical lordosis to address his severe forward head posture. His starting FHP X-ray measurement was 71mm from normal alignment and after the Cervigard collar was fitted the correction potential X-ray with the patient wearing the collar reduced the FHP translation from 71mm to 33mm. See measurements on his included X-rays. The measurements were taken from the vertical line off the posterior inferior point of the body of the C7 vertebra then a perpendicular from there to the posterior body of C2. The measurement tool was the annotation software in the digital X-ray system.

The CERVIGARD FHP collar is put on the patient for 20 minutes daily for a minimum of 6 weeks. Thereafter as needed. Start date 5/8/23.

On 7/10/23 his neutral lateral X-ray measured a head neck remodeling improvement of 66mm without the Cervigard collar. The 5 mm delta correction was enough to dramatically change his symptom profile. Typical patient corrections are over 35mm.

The patients family wanted to share with us the improvement in his and their lives in their own words based on the initial weeks of treatment. You can read them later in the case report.

My observations on this case are that his movements are remarkably improved. His ability to move his head in all directions can be seen on the impromptu video we made a few days ago.

Research tells us that FHP and its associated straightening of the cervical lordosis is associated with autonomic nervous system dysfunction as well as sensory motor deficits. Loss of cervical spine lordosis causes an elongation of the spinal cord, a narrowing of the cerebral spinal fluid canal and possible vertebral artery ischemia. Headache, neck pain, arm, hand and finger paresthesia are common findings in patients with significant FHP presentation.

Doctors treating Parkinson patients are missing a major opportunity to improve the quality of life and likely their life span due to restricted movement abilities. Structural correction chiropractic care using spinal biophysics analysis, in conjunction with forward head posture correcting spinal bracing, will be a difference maker for this patient population.

Willman Silvestre statement on his present progress

1-My back pain and neck pain are gone

2- I can move better, backwards, forwards and right and left

3-no longer numbness in left leg or tingling in my arms

4-I can walk much better

5-sleep better, without pillows

6-go to the bathroom better, less constipation

7- talk better, eat better, can drink without spilling liquids on my chest, button my own shirt and dress myself

8-I feel stronger in my body

Mr. Silvestre and his family compiled this list.