What is this man up to? Since when does a chiropractor become the center of attention?
Our story begins in 1982 with a Brooklyn, New York chiropractor, Dr. Carl A. Ferreri. While studying CAT scans of dyslexics, he noted the anterior and posterior lobes of their brains were larger than normal. Dr. Ferreri believed this was due to a tilted sphenoid bone (a compound bone between the temporal and zygomatic bone, whose lesser wings are in the roof of mouth). The misalignments of the sphenoid and temporal bones, he believed, caused unequal pressure on the brain. Dr. Ferreri believed this condition to be partially responsible for dyslexia (a group of conditions dealing with the inability of the individual to properly process language, written or spoken).
Dr. Ferreri reasoned that if misaligned cranial bones were at the root of dyslexia, then perhaps a manipulative technique could benefit such patients.
Dr. Ferreri developed a treatment technique which he called neural organization technique (NOT). He sought to integrate the accumulated knowledge of SOT (Sacro-occipital Technique) AK (Applied Kinesiology) and cranial principles.
NOT, broadly speaking, "is a therapeutic method to establish and maintain health in the body through the neural mechanisms designed to do just that," says Dr. Ferreri. As such, NOT is not restricted to the treatment of dyslexia. "I believe there is no condition we can't treat ... because everything is under the direct influence and control of the nervous system," concludes Dr. Ferreri.
However, the cranial techniques he has developed to treat dsylexia are at the crux of the controversy.
In 1986 Dr. Ferreri apporached Dr. Simkovich to ask if he were interested in practicing (NOT).
"In my own mind I couldn't see the correlation with what we could do for dyslexic kids," said a skeptical Dr. Simkovich.
But Dr. Simkovich came to Brooklyn to view Ferreri's work with dyslexics and was so impressed that he became a convert. Dr. Ferreri certified Dr. Simkovich in NOT that same year.
Today, Dr. Simkovich is one of only 55 chiropractors in the United States certified by Dr. Ferreri to use (NOT). He sees NOT as a way of looking at the neurological reflexes of the body. Dr. Simkovich looks at the brain as a computer. The nervous system, which passes through the spine, is the electrical wiring. As Dr. Simkovich says, "We are checking the reflex system of the whole nervous system ... to get someone as neurologically perfect as they can be."
"Learning disabilities were origianally thought of as a learning problem," says Simkovich. "But we are finding that the housing of the brain is not what it should be." Simkovich says all dyslexics have sphenoid bones that are tilted high on the right. A cranial adustment of these bones is done. He also works on the roof of the patients' mouth (where he can manipulate the lesser wings of the sphenoid) and on the muscles that control the jaw.
The idea of cranial bones being moveable is questioned by some. Dr. Simkovich states that the sphenoid bones do move with manipulation; indeed, the simple physical process of respiration moves the sphenoid bones.
Aside from treating those with learning disabilities, Dr. Simkovich uses NOT as a treatment for allergies. He states that a high percentage of learning disabled children have allergies.
"Allergies are caused by an insufficiency in the immune system to a specific antigen," says Dr. Simkovich. "Therefore, to treat allergies, we actually are treating the limbic (immune) system."
The allergy work proved so effective that the director of the allergy diagnostic laboratory in Mt. Lebanon, Roger Jorgenson approached Dr. Simkivich, and now the laboratory does all of his testing for him.
It must be stated that NOT is not in the curriculum at accredited chiropractic colleges, or in any post-graduate programs. Dr. Ferreri has not yet sought accreditation for his program. Dr. Simkovich hopes a national training and certification center could be set up to assure that only qualified people perform the work.
Dr. Simkovich realizes this treatment is controversial, but he says his work is proving the effectiveness of the treatments, and he is anxious to relate the success stories of his dyslexic patients. Dr. Simkovich says, "The scientific community wants to see formal studies done, and I would too. I don't need it to prove that what I do works ..."
Recently Dr. Simkovich received media attention from another "controversial" practice. The Pittsburgh Press (Sunday, Nov. 4, 1990) reported that Dr. Simkovich has been doing chiropractic adjustments for five or six members of the Pittsburgh Steelers professional football team. Says, Dr. Simkovich, "The Steelers have made quite a point of not letting a chiropractor on the field or in the locker room ... they know some of their players go to chiropractors."
Dr. Simkovich told "DC" about two Steelers' patients he recently treated: One player complained of balancing problems; another had trouble "tracking" the ball. Dr. Simkovich relates that both athletes were pleased with the results of the treatments.
To be or N.O.T. to be takes on a new meaning for chiropractic. NOT is sure to be scrutinized closely by a skeptical medical community, particularly vis-a-vis cranial manipulations for treatment of dyslexia.
Steve Kelly
Assistant Editor