Study of Chiropractic and Neuromuscular Reeducation as a Treatment for Autism Symptoms

Southern California University of Health Sciences

Status and phase: Terminated; Phase 1

Conditions: Autism

Treatments: Procedure: SMT and Neuromuscular Reeducation; Procedure: Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT)

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT01996800

SCU-AUT-01

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study explores the effectiveness of chiropractic and neuromuscular reeducation as complementary and alternative medicine treatment approaches for autism. Our investigation maintains the following three hypotheses:

1. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) will reduce the presentation of autistic symptoms in children.
2. Spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) in conjunction with neuromuscular reeducation will reduce the presentation of autistic symptoms in children.
3. The presentation of autistic symptoms in children will significantly differ between the treatment groups of spinal manipulative therapy and spinal manipulative therapy in unification with neuromuscular reeducation.

Full description

We aim to describe and illustrate the roles of spinal manipulative therapy and neuromuscular reeducation in autistic children at a CAM university health center with regard to the following:

1. To measure the safety and efficacy of spinal manipulative therapy for the autism spectrum disorders
2. To measure the safety and efficacy of spinal manipulative therapy and neuromuscular reeducation for the treatment of the autism spectrum disorders
3. To begin to establish or debunk debated SMT treatment for autism
4. To evaluate, gauge, and improve current autism assessment tools by exploring face validity of the measures as indicated by ongoing data collection

Enrollment: 8 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 5 to 15 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Children diagnosed by a physician with an Autism Spectrum Disorder between the ages of 5 and 15
• Children with parents able to bring their child to the university health center two times a week for 12 weeks
• Children assessed to have a level of functioning that is conducive to experiencing and undergoing chiropractic treatment at the university health center.
• Children without the presentation and diagnosis of comorbidity

Exclusion criteria

• Children with comorbidity or multiple diagnoses (mental retardation, chromosomal disorders)
• Children undergoing another treatment for their disorder, other than a form of behavioral therapy (ABA or DTT) by a trained or licensed mental health professional.
• Children taking medication that is not deemed to be stabilized by a primary care physician, including medication dosages that is likely to be shifted and changed during the 12 weeks of treatment in this investigation.
• Children assessed to have severe behavioral impediments not conducive to chiropractic treatment at the university health center.

Trial design

Primary purpose: Treatment

Allocation: Randomized

Interventional model: Factorial Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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8 participants in 2 patient groups

Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT)

Experimental group

Description:

Patients will receive 12 weeks of chiropractic SMT

Treatment:

Procedure: Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT)

SMT and Neuromuscular Reeducation

Active Comparator group

Description:

Spinal manipulation is a therapeutic intervention performed on spinal articulations which are synovial joints. These articulations in the spine that are amenable to spinal manipulative therapy include the z-joints, the atlanto-occipital, atlanto-axial, lumbosacral, sacroiliac, costotransverse and costovertebral joints. A neuromuscular re-education program will consist of repetitive movements, posturing, and stimulation designed to reinforce nerve signals for functional movements. It is theorized that when the nerve signals are "retrained" and appropriate muscle movements are repeated, movement patterns become automatic again. Neuromuscular re-education is usually done along with other types of treatment to promote functional muscle movement.

Treatment:

Procedure: SMT and Neuromuscular Reeducation

Procedure: Spinal Manipulative Therapy (SMT)