This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

All of us in the MS community hang on to each new development and watch eagerly when a potential treatment emerges, so I want to attempt to shed some light on the nature of Rosa’s study and share a concern. Yes, Dr. Rosa offered to include me in his study and he has kindly spent many hours educating me about aberrant CSF flow and its possible affect in neuro-degenerative disease.

My background: I am an RN with advanced degrees, a health educator and an MS patient who has had two angioplasties (three azygous stenoses and one in each IJV.) Like some MS patients, my veins restenosed soon after the procedures. Both were done by well-known interventional radiologists. Neither IR has followed up with me; consequently they have no idea how I have done since the procedures.

I became interested in Dr. Rosa’s study because of my known spinal and CNS deterioration. I have a damaged neck from encounters with diving boards, toboggans, ski hills, ice, various sports, an abusive father, stairwells and whiplash from a low-impact rear-end auto accident. Those injuries have left me with an aberrant (Dr. Rosa refers to it as “turbulent”) csf flow pattern in multiple critical places in my brain and cervical spine. I have leakage, lesions, erosion of bone, bone spurs, pooling of csf…you get the picture. I know this ONLY because Dr. Rosa took an interest in my case and was able to identify problems that no neurologist, interventional radiologist or neurosurgeon had found to date. You also need to know that I have been treated by several qualified upper cervical chiropractors since my whiplash, but my improvements were small and temporary.

There is a growing awareness of Dr. Rosa’s work which has been quietly progressing for many years without publicity and fanfare. He is a forensic specialist with over 25 years of specialty training, observation and research while working with some of the top specialists in the field of head and neck trauma. More recently he has partnered with Dr. Raymond Damadian (inventor of the original MRI) to develop “proprietary protocol using an Atlas Orthogonal (AO) instrument and the FONAR UPRIGHT® Multi-Position™ MRI” http://www.fonar.com/pdf/PCP41_damadian.pdf for diagnostics and validation of the effects of AO adjustment with pre and post csf flow upright studies. The images are being used for the first time in Rosa’s research and his corrections, patient placement and vectors are modified based on the advanced imaging. He is, therefore, only using the AO instrument, but not the AO technique for the clinical trials. While Dr. Rosa is an Atlas Orthogonal Chiropractor, he is the only chiropractor in the world using the advanced patented process of Image Guided atlas corrections for neuro-degenerative brain disease. Treatment by anyone else is simply not available right now until the study is complete, data analyzed, and other AO chiropractors are trained. Yes, even the most seasoned board certified specialists will require training. Dr. Rosa’s study should be published in a peer reviewed journal by the end of the year. The outcomes are looking positive for patients with MS and other neuro-degenerative brain disease.

It may be of interest to some that Rosa is also in the developmental stage of creating a 3 D imaging sequence which should enable 3D imaging at the cranio-cervical junction and have the ability to digitize and measure the mal-rotations and misalignments of C1-2.

In the meantime, I have a concern that patients are going to seek AO treatment and AO docs are going to respond thinking they can do what Rosa does. In my opinion, it would be irresponsible of any AO doc who has not been educated and trained in Dr. Rosa’s unique method and the mechanics of aberrant csf flow, to claim they can offer the same quality of evaluation and treatment.

Two years ago I was part of the CCSVI patient-driven advocacy for treatment when venous angioplasty first came on the scene and interventional radiologists were encouraged to include it in their practices. In hindsight, perhaps we should have let the doctors set the time table to incorporate careful research and adequate follow-up. Attempting to duplicate Rosa’s process with another upper cervical or AO chiropractor is a waste of patient’s time and money right now. The patented MRI’s are essential, learning to read them is new for most chiropractors and the skill to know what to do with the information requires advanced training.

Dr. Rosa is methodical, precise and unwilling to compromise quality in his investigation. In the near future, when his study is complete, other Atlas Orthogonal chiropractors will be trained to do the adjustments using Guided Imagery. But until that expertise exists, we will have to be patient and wait. My highest hope is that in time there will be close collaboration and sharing of information between interested medical disciplines and some of us with neurodegenerative diseases will have the answers we have been seeking for so long.

What Tamarack has written is very important. I also had angioplasty which resulted in the death of my jugulars.Had had 3 jugular vein bypasses that worked for about a month and the blood stopped flowing. Where my angioplasties were done I never received any follow up from them. Not even an email. So why did my improvements, both with angioplasty and vein bypasses stop? And my condition declined with every procedure. I knew something else was going on and because of Dr Flanagan who contacted Dr Rosa about my case I am in his study. While Dr. Rosa is an Atlas Orthogonist Chiropractor, he is the only atlas doctor in the world using Image guided atlas corrections(Upright MRI). He presently posses a patented advanced imaging method which is at the root of his corrections and good observational outcomes.
While he does not claim to be better than any other atlas doctor, he is the only atlas doctor using Upright MRI CSF flow studies presently, pre and post atlas correction. The facility I had him perform my procedure, is presently the only Upright Imaging facility in the world doing his work. His work was mentioned in a recent publication titled " The possible role of cranio-cervical trauma and abnormal CSF hydrodynamics in the genesis of Multiple Sclerosis" Damadian et al.
Dr Rosa has been working exclusively with Dr. Damadian and Fonar in further diagnosing neuro-degenerative brain diseases as well as validating pre and post CSF flow changes after Atlas Orthogonal adjusting in patients with MS, Parkinson's etc.
So if a patient is looking for the outcome that had been observed in my case or many of the other cases that Dr Rosa has been involved in, they can only expect this type of outcome with his Upright MRI Image guided cine CSF flow studies. Merely going to any atlas Dr, does not insure nor mean that they can do what Dr Rosa is presently doing with diagnosis, treatment and outcomes.
Dr Rosa is continuing to collect data from the research studies he has been performing that came before my treatment and is continuing to do more patient research studies in the future as we speak. And as of this past study I have been involved in, the outcomes are looking extremely positive for treatment of patients with not just MS but other neuro-degenerative brain diseases including Parkinson's and according to Dr. Rosa, the follow up outcome studies have been extremely positive.

tamarack, would you mind sharing some of your improvements in symptoms? i know everyone will be different depending how far our disabilities have progressed, what all we got going on with the spine, age etc.

you sound like your spine has had a beating. just curious how long dr. rosa has been treating you and benefits you've noticed.

thanks.

According to my AO chiro, Dr. Craig Wehrenberg, who is taking the X-rays for this study for those patients who don't already have such X-rays, the adjustments performed in the study are based only on the X-ray images, not on the Fonar Upright MRI images which are being used only for research purposes to compare CSF flow before and after the adjustment. Any AO chiro anywhere can perform any future needed adjustments assuming, for the study participants, the AO chiro has a CD of the X-ray images. And any AO chiro anywhere can take the proper X-rays as well as give proper adjustments.

edits

Dear Poet,

Thank you for your post. It illustrates my concern that other AO docs will think they can do the same thing Dr. Rosa does. I spoke with Dr. Rosa who communicated with Dr. Craig. Here is his response, “Dr Craig is a great AO doc, unfortunately he was unaware that MRI image guided atlas corrections were being used for the study in conjunction with the x-rays. Once Dr Craig learned of this, he agreed that any AO doc claiming to do this would be inaccurate.”

I would add that there are differences in skill levels of chiropractors just as there are in all professions. Dr. Rosa will be carefully selecting those he chooses to train in his technique.

I asked Dr Rosa how long will it take him to train somebody. He said, first that person will have to trained to read the Fonar MRI scans.That is when I understood the complexity, after all, my general doctor cannot do that.
I wish the study was done and there were trained Chiros available to do this. To have this treatment available to MS patients would be wonderful.

[quote="dania"]I asked Dr Rosa how long will it take him to train somebody. He said, first that person will have to trained to read the Fonar MRI scans.That is when I understood the complexity, after all, my general doctor cannot do that.
I wish the study was done and there were trained Chiros available to do this. To have this treatment available to MS patients would be wonderful.[/quote

Like you I've tried almost everything to stop this stupid MS... I think no one can say anything when we are just trying.

I know Docs needs to learn before they do anything to us but if we all do that no one learns....don't you all think so?

mtf, I understand your frustration. and I know you will try just about anything to get better as it is a crappy way to exist. I do not think anyone here is saying anything more than if you get this treatment NOT using the FONAR MRI images by Dr Rosa to locate the best position to deliver the adjustment, your results "MIGHT" not be as good.

Thank you very much for talking to Dr. Rosa. I'm so glad he and Dr. Craig spoke today. It's unfortunate Dr. Rosa didn't inform Dr. Craig about all the protocols which caused all the confusion. Having accurate information is extremely important for patients! But all is well now. I wonder how much more accurate and expensive Fonar Upright MRIs are compared to X-rays.

In the mean time, it's perfectly fine for patients to continue to use their current AO chiros. I'll continue to use Dr. Craig because, as Dr. Rosa said to Tamarack and I agree, Dr. Craig is a great AO doc.

Thank you for the clarification, Poet.

Speaking of clarifications, I probably should not have used the word technique in my last post. Dr. Rosa uses the AO technique in which he was trained. However, the addition of the method of Image Guided upright MRI is new. Dr. Rosa conceived of the idea, did the developmental work, and has applied for a patent.

Tamarack

Gee, I can't help but feel that patients are having to step through minefields again.

I stated on another thread that Any qualified atlas orthogonal practitioner to do with Dr. Rosa is doing. Let me say that I stand corrected. I spoke with my chiropractor today (Dr. Scott Bender), who works closely with Dr. Rosa and who is part of working with Dr. Rosa's ongoing study. I was told that, indeed, the MRIs Dr. Rosa is taking are integral to his treatment methodology, and are used to compute the vectors and measurements necessary for this unique AO treatment modality.

Just wanted to clear that up.

_________________
Marc
www.wheelchairkamikaze.com

Marc,
Thank you for following through and checking that out. Dr. Rosa’s work is significant and may eventually make a contribution to a collaborative effort among specialists interested in neurodegenerative diseases.

Tamarack

So, I notice I am improving, little by little every day. I am stronger, able to pee, TOLERATE HEAT SOooooooooooooo MUCH BETTER, etc,etc,etc. Julie, who comes to help me 3 times a week for my shower is so surprised and sees that I am continually improving. I no longer want to die. That cloud that has been hanging over my body is gone. And I know it is not just that I am better but that this treatment changes something just like my angioplasty did. I just hope it will not be too much longer for Dr Rosa to start training Chiros to perform this treatment.

what a wonderful idea ... being able to actually see problems before ,during and after treatment. The Upright MRI and training to use and understand this technology ..... is certainly cause for great hope .

It is and HAS ALWAYS BEEN , MrSuccess' strong belief - BASED ON THE TOTALITY OF THE MS research he has read - that TRAUMA has a strong link to MS.

The human brain is the only organ that cannot be transplanted. It is a very delicate and fragile marvel. To deprive it of blood flow into it ..... is disasterous.

We now know what happens when blood flow OUT of the brain is impeded.

TRAUMA >>>>> INFLAMATION >>>>> IMMUNE SYSTEM REACTS >>>>> MS

In an average of 6% of post TRAUMA situations.



MrSuccess