Chronic Episodes of Vomiting and Nausea Helped by Chiropractic

On August 26, 2024, the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal & Family Health published the results of a case study documenting the improvement, under chiropractic care, of a young patient who was suffering with Cyclic Vomiting Syndrome (CVS).

According to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, "Cyclic vomiting syndrome, or CVS, is a disorder that causes sudden, repeated attacks—called episodes—of severe nausea and vomiting. Episodes can last from a few hours to several days. Episodes alternate with longer periods of no symptoms."

The authors of this study further explain CVS by stating, "Average age of onset is reported to be between 5.2 and 6.9 years. Episodes can be either cyclic with a constant interval or may be associated with various triggers,5 including stressful events, antibiotic use, and travel. Episodes occur on average eight times per year with each episode lasting an average of 20 hours."

In this case, a 6-year-old boy was brought to the chiropractor by a parent. The boy was suffering with chronic vomiting for the past three years. He had been given a medical diagnosis of CVS. His vomiting seems to have been started 4 to 6 weeks after antibiotic use. It was noted that the boy's problems seemed to be occurring every 30 days like clockwork with each episode lasting for four hours with vomiting every 10-20 minutes. The boy had been to multiple medical specialists, had received numerous tests and procedures, and had been prescribed a variety of medications. With all this care, the boy saw no relief and was still suffering.

A chiropractic examination revealed multiple spinal subluxations. With these findings, a series of specific, age-appropriate chiropractic adjustments were started to address the subluxations.

Two days after the boy received his first chiropractic adjustment, the boy's mother reported that her son had a small episode of vomiting that was milder than those in his past. After that one minor incident, the boy did not have any additional episodes of vomiting and continued to be symptom free as reported in a follow-up examination five months later.

The authors of the study also noted that other similar cases had been reported in scientific literature and they recommended a larger study on CVS. "To date, at least three case studies have illustrated complete resolution of symptoms after a single chiropractic adjustment, which provides a basis for a randomized controlled trial to be performed at a later date."