Healing Through A Chiropractor. Mmmhmm.

[Melissa Palomo]

Ok, I've done a little bit of research and come up empty handed on this. Last year I started seeing a chiropractor - it only lasted a few sessions before I realized we didn't mesh. In addition to chiropractic medicine, he also is into holistic care. I have a wrist issue, not the best posture, celiac disease, and thyroid issues so I figured I would love to see what this guy says and to see if I can start feeling better (primarily with my neck/wrist issues.)

The Dr was reluctant to even take me as a client because I told him that I did not believe he could cure my Celiac disease. He suggested that it would be possible with the right diet to start, and the right supplements, and he said that he had another Celiac patient that had been cured. Of course, my scientific mind said "I'd like to see an "before & after" endoscopy as proof of that." To which he responded "Well if she's feeling better, isn't that enough proof?" Eh, not really. I mean, I would be shocked if I started feeling better eating gluten - but it doesn't mean that it isn't still doing long term damage and perhaps the short term effects are just being masked now?

Anyway - a friend of mine also told me her child no longer suffers the "gluten battle" after being treated by a chiropractor (after a confirmed Celiac diagnosis.) Where is this information coming from? Does anyone have any study references that suggest either side? (I'll sit firmly in the "I can't be cured by a chiropractor" camp for now - but I am always open minded to read scientific studies.) I am of course worried that people are being led off track by people peddling their supplements and making choices that can harm them in the long run - particularly when I see *no* proof otherwise. And if there were real proof, wouldn't people be screaming from the rooftops?

I mean, I know I would be thrilled to eat a cinnabon again so heck yes, if I could find a real & legitimate cure I wouldn't be opposed to it! I'm just skeptical, and I think for good reason.

[celiacandglutenfreehealth]

I would be very cautious before accepting that a chiropractor (or anyone) can "cure" celiac disease. Any medical evidence I have seen states that the only effective treatment is a total gluten-free diet. And any variation to that - even when symptoms don't arise - will contribute to long-term damage to the intestinal villi which are required to function properly for nutrient absorption. I'm afraid Cinnabon is not in your future, until a true medical cure is found

[Melissa Palomo]

Oh I know - as mentioned it's not a belief that I subscribe to and I don't see this chiropractor any longer. I was looking for thoughts & perhaps others that have found evidence whether for or directly against this??

[pricklypear1971]

Well, I'm curious. What would this Chiro do to cure someone?

Btw, no I don't think a cure is possible with what is currently known and available. If he really had a cure I think he'd be rather famous, don't you?

[Cee-CeeC]

I too would be cautious about trusting that a chiropractor can "cure" celiac disease. I know quite a bit about chiropractic as I worked in the marketing department of a chiropractic college for 5 1/2 years, and they are not taught that they can "cure" anything at all.

I go to a chiropractor regularly and have for years and years now because I know it helps keep me healthy -- keeps my seasonal allergies in control for one thing, keeps my immune system healthy so I can usually fight off colds, etc. But even going to her regularly did not keep me from being diagnosed with celiac a couple months ago. But my chiropractor has been a bigger help in helping me understand it, advising me on gluten-free food choices and just providing better info and someone who really takes the time to listen and help than my gastroenterologist has.

[IrishHeart]

Celiac is an autoimmune disease.

Like all other AI diseases, there is no known cure. There is a proven treatment that brings about remission of symptoms which is achieved through strict dietary compliance on a gluten free diet.

That's it.

There is no magic bullet. Chiropractic, reiki, special "gluten ease" enzymes, salt water cleanses, magic potions, supplements and homeopathy--THESE do NOT cure celiac disease. Sorry.

I keep saying this to people who suggest this is possible, but I will say it again:

IF THERE WERE A KNOWN CURE FOR CELIAC DISEASE, IT WOULD BE FRONT PAGE NEWS!!!

... AND THE PERSON WHO DISCOVERED THIS CURE WOULD WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE IN MEDICINE.

Anyone who tells you he can "cure your celiac disease" by selling you supplements or drugs or manipulating your spine....is LYING and stealing your money.

There is NO scientific or medical evidence to support these claims.

None, zip, nada.

[Melissa Palomo]

Well, I'm curious. What would this Chiro do to cure someone?

Btw, no I don't think a cure is possible with what is currently known and available. If he really had a cure I think he'd be rather famous, don't you?

Well - his belief is that if you have Celiac disease, it will right itself after the rest of your body is in order. You take supplements (I forget the names of the two he suggested to me - that I would buy through him, of course!), get adjustments, and get your mind back in a healthy state blah blah blah and the rest of your body will fix itself. Don't get me wrong, I believe that chiropractic care can fix quite a bit (hence why I was going for my neck/wrist!)... I just didn't believe the rest. BUT because I had heard twice in a short time that people had been "fixed" and one from a trustworthy friend, my interest was piqued - not that I believe her son was truly cured of Celiac, but obviously they don't believe he's suffering from noticeable effects anymore and that had me curious as to what it is that makes these folks believe they're cured. Not that any of them have had a followup endoscopy, which I believe would be imperative to check for long term damage IMO.

[Melissa Palomo]

Celiac is an autoimmune disease.

Like all other AI diseases, there is no known cure. There is a proven treatment that brings about remission of symptoms which is achieved through strict dietary compliance on a gluten free diet.

That's it.

There is no magic bullet. Chiropractic, reiki, special "gluten ease" enzymes, salt water cleanses, magic potions, supplements and homeopathy--THESE do NOT cure celiac disease. Sorry.

I keep saying this to people who suggest this is possible, but I will say it again:

IF THERE WERE A KNOWN CURE FOR CELIAC DISEASE, IT WOULD BE FRONT PAGE NEWS!!!

... AND THE PERSON WHO DISCOVERED THIS CURE WOULD WIN THE NOBEL PRIZE IN MEDICINE.

Anyone who tells you he can "cure your celiac disease" by selling you supplements or drugs or manipulating your spine....is LYING and stealing your money.

There is NO scientific or medical evidence to support these claims.

None, zip, nada.

I totally agree - I sit in your camp. BUT I figured I'd ask as perhaps maybe someone had scientific info (even info AGAINST) as it seems to be an idea that's growing in popularity. I do think that this chiropractor firmly believes I can be cured with supplements & adjustments... which is primarily why I quit seeing him. And I do believe that my friend thinks her son is cured. I'll be interested to touch base with her in a few years and see how he is doing.

[pricklypear1971]

I would want to know if the people he cured we're dx'ed by blood work/endoscopy and if the remission was confirmed the same way and if he's monitoring them.

And by cured, do they mean they now eat a gluten filled diet?

It used to be thought that Celiac was a childhood disease that could be cured, or that they outgrew it after being on a gluten-free diet. Those same kids are showing up as adults with Celiac. Again.

[IrishHeart]

I totally agree - I sit in your camp. BUT I figured I'd ask as perhaps maybe someone had scientific info (even info AGAINST) as it seems to be an idea that's growing in popularity. I do think that this chiropractor firmly believes I can be cured with supplements & adjustments... which is primarily why I quit seeing him. And I do believe that my friend thinks her son is cured. I'll be interested to touch base with her in a few years and see how he is doing.

ALL the medical literature says what I told you, hon.

IF her son is a diagnosed celiac--

and he continues to consume gluten?--

there is no doubt he will be have villous atrophy, develop more AI diseases or lymphoma.

She is endangering the welfare of her child and slowly killing him.

From the Univ. of Maryland Center for Celiac Research:

"Untreated celiac disease can be life threatening. Celiacs are more likely to be afflicted with problems relating to malabsorption, including osteoporosis, tooth enamel defects, central and peripheral nervous system disease, pancreatic disease, internal hemorrhaging, organ disorders (gall bladder, liver, and spleen), and gynecological disorders. Untreated celiac disease has also been linked an increased risk of certain types of cancer, especially intestinal lymphoma.

There are no drugs to treat celiac disease and there is no cure. But celiacs can lead normal, healthy lives by following a gluten free diet. This means avoiding all products derived from wheat, rye, and barley.

You will not outgrow the disease since celiac disease is now considered to be an autoimmune disorder like diabetes and rheumatoid arthritis.

Celiac Disease is not a food allergy; rather it is an autoimmune disease. Food allergies, including wheat allergy, are conditions that people can grow out of. This is not the case with celiac disease.

[kareng]

If its a minor child, I would consider caling the Dept of Family Services or whatever it's called where you live. Depends on where you live, but some will prosecute for medical negligence. It is medical negligence in most states if the parent refuses to follow medical advice ( not a chiropractor). Not trying to slam chiros, but as CeeCee said, they are not able to cure things like this. Most of them are honest people.

I am a bit surprised you would even bring this up as you seemed so reasonable & knowledgable in previous posts. For your medical evidence, google Celiac Centers. There are several. Read thier info.

[Melissa Palomo]

Karen I am trying not to read in to what you posted but I'll admit I'm almost a bit offended at the suggestion that this makes me seem unreasonable and stupid - perhaps my post came off as though I was believing that this was true? I thought I made that quite clear - that I sit in the camp that I believe it can't be cured. (Was the "mmmhmm" in my post title not taken as a "rolling of the eyes" style comment like it was intended?)

My curiosity is more on what it is that makes people believe they are cured - that is what i want to read on. And hard facts against it. As I mentioned - without an endoscopy I wouldn't believe it. I was wondering if anyone had any studies handy that proved exactly what my theories were - that perhaps people "feel" cured but an endoscopy showed otherwise.

I thought it to be an interesting topic to think about, I guess it's not interesting to discuss theories at all for some people - for me, it is. And my theory is that perhaps people feel better but are being harmed without realizing it since they're not "proving" that they are cured medically and instead are using anecdotal evidence of "feeling better" and translating that as cured. I was hoping to find information along those lines.

And I think if anyone would say that they wouldn't be happy for a cure one day - that's silly. I am always open to the fact that one day, Celiac *may* find a cure. Call me an optimist. I'm hopeful that one day my husband's type 1 diabetes will be cured, too. And cancer. I'd hope that my optimism that one day things may be different for people with health issues isn't taken as weakness or me being unreasonable. ETA - note I am a total realist and cynic. I don't think we'll ever see a cure, at least not in my lifetime. But it doesn't mean I don't have hope that it could happen still.

[Melissa Palomo]

I would want to know if the people he cured we're dx'ed by blood work/endoscopy and if the remission was confirmed the same way and if he's monitoring them.

And by cured, do they mean they now eat a gluten filled diet?

It used to be thought that Celiac was a childhood disease that could be cured, or that they outgrew it after being on a gluten-free diet. Those same kids are showing up as adults with Celiac. Again.

That's precisely the type of information/studies I was looking for - the claims of those who have been "cured" because as far as I can see - there aren't any. Any obviously I wouldn't expect to see any medical studies showing someone having been officially cured - but I am curious as to the chiropractor claims of being cured - what does that mean to them? For my DR it meant that they felt better. And I told him that feeling better isn't a sign of being cured, it's just a sign of no symptoms.

[Darn210]

From Open Original Shared Link

In some patients, ingestion of small amounts of gluten will not produce overt symptoms. Some patients experience a reduction in response to gluten during their teens

[kareng]

My curiosity is more on what it is that makes people believe they are cured - that is what i want to read on. And hard facts against it. As I mentioned - without an endoscopy I wouldn't believe it. I was wondering if anyone had any studies handy that proved exactly what my theories were - that perhaps people "feel" cured but an endoscopy showed otherwise.

I thought it to be an interesting topic to think about, I guess it's not interesting to discuss theories at all for some people - for me, it is. And my theory is that perhaps people feel better but are being harmed without realizing it since they're not "proving" that they are cured medically and instead are using anecdotal evidence of "feeling better" and translating that as cured. I was hoping to find information along those lines.

.

For proof of the cure, the chiros who say they are curing people should be asked to prove it. I agree, a cure would be great but if there was one, don't you think we would all hear about it? Its hard to give you studies that have never been done by reputable medical facilities. I'm sure you can get the " studies" these websites publish themselves. Keeping us "sick" doesn't make money for the medical community or the pharmaceuticals. They could make lots of money on a true cure.

We get a lot of people on here who are new & have no guidance except the Internet. Suggesting that there are Chiropracters or magic pills that would cure them, and asking about them, will get a lot of us emphatically posting against this.

Research a little to find out about how you can have damage & not feel it. It will eventually catch up with these " cured" people.

Open Original Shared Link

"The gluten-free diet is a lifetime requirement. Eating any gluten, no matter how small an amount, can damage your intestine. This is true for anyone with the disease, including people who do not have noticeable symptoms"

[IrishHeart]

And my theory is that perhaps people feel better but are being harmed without realizing it since they're not "proving" that they are cured medically and instead are using anecdotal evidence of "feeling better" and translating that as cured. I was hoping to find information along those lines.

I think this is what you will find. Anecdotal evidence of people who say they "feel better ON gluten" and come to find out, months or even years later, they have developed villous atrophy or other AI diseases as a result of continuous gluten ingestion.

I met a guy at the local gluten-free cafe --and my cousin's wife has a similar story--and he told me that as a child, his parents had him on a gluten-free diet upon the advice of a pediatrician who at least HEARD of celiac in the 1950's (he had read a medical journal article)

He had "failure to thrive" and followed this diet until his teens. Then, he went off it, felt fine for years....until he didn't. He became very ill in college. Total villous atrophy.

Both of these "banana babies" --as they are called--developed other AI diseases and experienced major health crises. Of course, they are both gluten-free now and see the error is going back on the gluten-free diet. BUT THAT WAS THE ADVICE BACK THEN. "YOUR KID WILL OUTGROW IT".

That is simply not the case!

And there is a whole generation of people with various AI diseases and cancer --or they are dead from complications.

For the record, I would love to see ALL AI diseases "cured" --as my family is rife with them (Crohn's, MS, Diabetes, Thyroid, arthritis, asthma, cancer, etc.)

But for right now, there are no cures, only treatments to put them in remission.

I have been researching this thing for a few years now and I have never been able to find any articles that suggest otherwise.

My chiropractor says any DC who claims he/she can "cure" an AI disease is "full of it".

If he could work that magic, don't you think he would have cured ME by now?? and his Mom with MS? (and himself, since he too was just DXed with MS).??

Supplements and probiotics can help people heal a leaky gut and help them feel better, but this is NOT a cure for celiac disease.

I tried that route for 2 years (when I did not know it was celiac slowly killing me), but was told by a ND, acupuncturists, various alternative practitioners and an "integrative medical doctor" that I could restore my "leaky gut" and fix my gut dysbiosis by taking various supplements and homeopathic remedies and doing a "rotation diet". I was so desperate and wanted the pain to stop, so I tried it. And no GI doctor or neurologist or rheumatologist or PCP doc was helping me get well. And since one was a "real doctor" too, I believed them.

Thousands of dollars spent and 2 years later? I was so desperately ill, having lost 90 lbs, my hair, my brain function, in chronic pain and thinking death would be easier. If I had not figured it out myself, my GI doc now, says I would be dead.

They were wrong.

These things do not cure celiac.

[IrishHeart]

That's precisely the type of information/studies I was looking for - the claims of those who have been "cured" because as far as I can see - there aren't any.

Hon, I honestly do not think anyone (on this particular forum) will have any such claims/evidence for you. IMHO

[Darn210]

OK . . . so here is a little information. It's not about Chiropractors, but about silent Celiac.

The first link is the article from this website which discusses kids that were diagnosed, seemed to recover well enough to reintroduce gluten (you know, because they "outgrew" it) and the results of testing these same individuals as gluten-eating adults.

The second link is the actual study that the first link refers to. You would have to pay to see the whole thing, but you can get a feel for what they did in the abstract.

https://www.celiac.com/articles/21482/1/Latent-Celiac-Disease-Afflicts-Many-Who-Tolerate-Gluten/Page1.html

Open Original Shared Link

My personal take on the article . . . first of all, they don't use the term "cured", they used the term "latency". This can all come back at anytime. If you were once diagnosed and the celiac disease has gone into remission/latency, you need constant follow-ups in order to determine if the disease is in latent mode or in silent mode. The majority of the individuals in this study were in silent mode . . . happily eating gluten and doing unknown, yet preventable damage, unknowingly putting their longterm health/life at risk.

Now, I didn't pay to read the whole study, but I've got a couple of questions . . . Are they going to continue to follow all those test subjects to determine if any of them make it their entire life without a relapse to active Celiac? Do any of them have any other autoimmune diseases?

[IrishHeart]

Just to add to the information that Darn has graciously supplied, I read this by Dr. Jay Marks:

"What is latent and silent celiac disease?

The terms latent and silent celiac disease are used to refer to individuals who have inherited the genes that predispose them to celiac disease but have not developed the symptoms or signs of celiac disease.

Latent celiac disease refers specifically to individuals who have abnormal antibody blood tests for celiac disease but who have normal small intestine and no signs or symptoms of celiac disease. For example:

Some individuals may have had a childhood onset of celiac disease and the disease may have been successfully treated with a gluten-free diet. The individuals' intestines may have resumed a normal appearance and function, and they may have no signs or symptoms of celiac disease.

Some individuals with celiac disease in childhood abandon the gluten free diet as adults, yet they remain free of the signs or symptoms of celiac disease.

In both of the above instances, the celiac disease is latent, and the individuals can develop signs and symptoms of celiac disease later in life.

Silent celiac disease refers to individuals who have abnormal antibody blood tests for celiac disease as well as loss of villi in the small intestine but have no symptoms or signs of celiac disease, even on a diet that contains gluten.

Like individuals with latent celiac disease, these people can develop signs or symptoms of celiac disease later in life."

It is my take on it then, that the bottom line still remains....the symptoms of the disease can go into remission, but there is no cure and NO guarantee that various other health problems will not arise.

[Melissa Palomo]

OK . . . so here is a little information. It's not about Chiropractors, but about silent Celiac.

The first link is the article from this website which discusses kids that were diagnosed, seemed to recover well enough to reintroduce gluten (you know, because they "outgrew" it) and the results of testing these same individuals as gluten-eating adults.

The second link is the actual study that the first link refers to. You would have to pay to see the whole thing, but you can get a feel for what they did in the abstract.

https://www.celiac.com/articles/21482/1/Latent-Celiac-Disease-Afflicts-Many-Who-Tolerate-Gluten/Page1.html

Open Original Shared Link

My personal take on the article . . . first of all, they don't use the term "cured", they used the term "latency". This can all come back at anytime. If you were once diagnosed and the celiac disease has gone into remission/latency, you need constant follow-ups in order to determine if the disease is in latent mode or in silent mode. The majority of the individuals in this study were in silent mode . . . happily eating gluten and doing unknown, yet preventable damage, unknowingly putting their longterm health/life at risk.

Now, I didn't pay to read the whole study, but I've got a couple of questions . . . Are they going to continue to follow all those test subjects to determine if any of them make it their entire life without a relapse to active Celiac? Do any of them have any other autoimmune diseases?

REALLY interesting and thank you for sharing what you found! This is exactly the kind of information I was interested in - clearly just using the wrong search terminology!