The Winsor Autopsies

The Winsor Autopsies

Are Your Nerves Killing You?

                Henry Winsor, a medical doctor in Haverford, Pennsylvania was inspired by chiropractic and osteopathic claims that there was a relationship between the shape of the spine and the health of the internal organs.  “How can that be?” he wondered.  He planned a unique experiment – he would dissect human and animal cadavers and observe the alignment of the vertebrae and any diseased organs that their nerves connect to.

As Dr. Winsor Wrote:

                The object of these [dissections] was to determine whether any connection existed between minor curvatures of the spine, on the one hand, and diseased organs on the other; or whether the two were entirely independent of each other.

                The University of Pennsylvania gave Dr. Winsor permission to carry out his experiments.  In a series of three studies he dissected a total of seventy-five human and twenty-two cat cadavers.  The following are Dr. Winsor’s results:

There was nearly a 100% correlation between “minor curvatures” of the spine and diseases of the internal organs.  Let us examine some of these disease categories:

  • Heart Disease

All twenty cases with heart and pericardium conditions had the upper five thoracic vertebrae (T1-5) misaligned.

  • Lung Disease

All twenty-six cases of lung disease had spinal misalignments in the upper thoracic.

  • Stomach Disease

All nine cases of stomach disease had spinal misalignment in the mid-thoracic (T5-9) area.

  • Liver Disease

All thirteen cases of liver disease had misalignments in the mid-thoracic (T5-9).

  • Gallstones

All five cases with gallstone disease had spinal misalignments in the mid-thoracic.

  • Pancreas

All three cases with pancreas disease had spinal misalignments in the mid-thoracic (T5-9).

  • Spleen

All eleven cases with spleen disease had spinal misalignments in the mid-thoracic (T5-9).

  • Kidney

All seventeen cases with kidney disease were out of alignment in the lower thoracic (T10-12) area.

  • Prostate and Bladder Disease

All eight cases with prostate and bladder disease had the lumbar (L1-3) vertebrae misaligned.

  • Uterus

The two cases with uterine conditions had the second lumbar (L2) misaligned.

Published Research

                Dr. Winsor’s results were published in The Medical Times and can be found in any medical library.

The Chiropractic Approach

                Did Dr. Winsor’s study conclusively prove that an unhealthy spine can cause organ disease?  No, it did not.  In this study a correlation was shown:  diseased organs were found when spinal vertebrae were out of position.  From a scientific perspective that doesn’t probe that out-of-place vertebrae caused the organs to become diseased.  However years of chiropractic success with patients with all kinds of organ disease does lend credence to the chiropractic premise that an unhealthy spine can damage spinal nerves and organs.

In Conclusion

                Among the many things contributing to your health: the quality of the air, food and water you take in; how you handle emotional stress; your inherited weaknesses and strengths; your use of drugs; exercise; and relaxation – a healthy spine is absolutely essential.

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