Chiropractic Care of a Down’s Syndrome Patient with Vertebral Subluxation and Strabismus

Objective: The chiropractic care of a pediatric patient with Down’s syndrome and bilateral convergent strabismus is described. The purpose of this case report is to demonstrate the effects of vertebral subluxation reduction on aberrant ocular presentation and to propose vertebral subluxation mechanisms responsible for these effects. Clinical Features: The patient is a 4-year old male with Down’s syndrome who was born with convergent strabismus of approximately 15 degrees bilaterally. After surgical intervention, the left eye was corrected to its neutral position. The patient presented with an internally rotated right eye of approximately 15 degrees and no other health concerns in the interest of checking for vertebral subluxation. Intervention and Outcomes: The patient received a series of contact specific, highvelocity, low-amplitude adjustments to the first cervical vertebra utilizing Gonstead’s cervical chair method. After 2 months of care, both eyes abducted 15 degrees, which meant that the right eye corrected and was now in a central position, whereas the surgically repaired left eye was now divergent 15 degrees. Conclusion: The results suggest that chiropractic care, specifically atlas subluxation reduction, might be responsible for the correction of convergent strabismus, without surgical alteration, in this case.