September 11, 2019
Recent history has shown a renewed and revealing look at concussion. From movies that flagged public interest in the phenomena, to new research flagging concussions as a public health priority, it is now understood to be a potentially significant “mild traumatic brain injury” rather than simply a knock to the head. While prevention and early intervention are becoming increasingly popular topics for consideration, the question of chiropractic’s role in concussion management is less well researched. Thus, a new case series published in the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic is a worthy consideration in the world of post-concussion care. The study in […]
September 4, 2019
Dr. Michael Hall (a chiropractor, and the man behind “Brain DC”) caught up with the Australian Spinal Research Foundation to talk about spinal and motor tone in children; its role, its importance in cognitive development, the existing measurement tools and where we need to go in terms of research. So for this week’s blog, clear yourself some time, grab yourself a cuppa and hit ‘play.’
August 30, 2019
What exactly does chiropractic do if it isn’t a ‘treatment’ per se? It’s a question often asked, and there are countless potential answers. While we cannot claim to treat all and sundry, and we tend to rest our claims on removing interference from the nervous system and letting the body do the rest, research is beginning to illustrate the reaches of the removal of vertebral subluxations. We have seen impacts on cortical drive to the muscles, on the structure and function of the brain, and much more. But a trip through the archives of Complementary Therapies in Medicine brought up […]
August 22, 2019
What happens when surgery fails to solve the problem it was prescribed for? For many people, the answers to this question aren’t encouraging. But for a 65-year old female (and the topic of a recent case report), a failed surgical intervention was thankfully not the last resort in her quest for answers when it came to trigeminal neuralgia. Trigeminal neuralgia isn’t a common ailment, affecting only “4-5 people per 100,000 people in the general adult population, with the incidence rising to 20 per 100,000 after the age of 60 [1]. It is a “severe, recurrent stabbing pain that primarily affects […]
August 13, 2019
It might seem that Heart Rate Variability (HRV) a bit of a hot topic in chiropractic circles right now, as practitioners and researchers alike begin to understand the many potential applications of this tool. We know that it is non-invasive in its nature, and an easy way to measure autonomic function and adaptability. But it isn’t just chiropractic science that is harnessing the insight HRV has on offer. A recent study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics has shown that HRV indices are significantly associated with neck pain. It is a noteworthy study, given there is only […]
August 7, 2019
Recent findings in the field of neurobiology have elucidated that nervous system development and brain growth may be linked with movement and sensory input. The findings suggest that “mobility restrictions or insufficient sensory stimuli impact the production of new brain cells and brain development… “ and that “By testing whether early deficits in sensory experience similarly restrict human brain growth, our findings offer a novel approach to combatting such deficits to maintain normal brain development[1].” Below, we explore the potential relevance of these new findings to the location and correction of vertebral subluxation in the pediatric population. These two recent […]
August 1, 2019
Dr. Amy Haas* is a chiropractor with a CV full of medical, biochemistry and enzymology qualifications. She is passionate about chiropractic, the brain, and adaptation. So what happens with a brain like hers gets put through the paces of concussion, brain trauma, and post-concussive syndrome? The result is an insightful look into how science, research, and the lived experience of recovery under chiropractic care combine. This first-hand account will take you deeper into an understanding of how our patients may be impacted by concussions. We caught up with Dr. Amy to talk about her experience of brain trauma and the […]
July 25, 2019
A recent case report published in the Journal of Medical Cases covered the improvement in vagal function, measured in Heart Rate Variability, in a post-cancer patient. While it is a single case, which means more research is required before we can generalize, it is an intriguing look into what may happen in terms of restoring adaptability in people who have just faced a major stressor like chemotherapy. We interviewed Dr. Otto Janke to talk about the case and the potential mechanisms behind the improvement in HRV under chiropractic care. See our interview below, and if you want to read the […]
July 16, 2019
It would be a rare chiropractor who hasn’t witnessed an apparent correlation between chiropractic care and improvements in the frequency or severity of headaches and migraines. It may happen in one patient or several, but is there a connection, and if so what are the mechanisms behind it? While it is true that headaches and migraines can have a myriad of triggers and causes, it is also apparent from a range of recent case reports that chiropractic may have something to offer. In the past year, the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research have carried four separate case reports involving improvements […]
July 11, 2019
Few things are as natural as breastfeeding. Paradoxically, few things can be as challenging and frustrating on a deeply personal level as struggling to breastfeed a baby that won’t latch properly. While the World Health Organization recommends that mothers exclusively breastfeed for the first six months of life, and increasingly health organizations rally to support mothers along this line, sometimes the challenges are too great and as that baby can’t tell us what’s wrong, we remain in the dark as to why. Breastfeeding is no small task. It is baby’s first act of multitasking – sucking, swallowing and breathing. We […]
July 4, 2019
You’ve most likely read the line before: “We can’t generalize based on these findings, but…” It’s a common limitation of case reports. They are valid and valuable contributions to the evidence bank, but always carry a disclaimer that further research is necessary. A recent case report and literature review listed 18 separate cases in which an improvement in behavior was reported in a patient with ADHD under chiropractic care. We aren’t claiming that chiropractic is a cure – that would be far too simplistic for a complicated condition. But perhaps there is something to see here; something that may occur […]
June 25, 2019
Carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful condition affecting the wrist and bringing numbness, pins and needles, pain and weakness, is said to result from compression of the median nerve in the carpal tunnel of the hand [1]. While risk factors include pregnancy, gestational diabetes or pre-existing nerve conduction issues, and women between ages 40-60 are most at risk, it can affect anyone. But is there more to carpal tunnel than the wrist alone? It appears the issue may not be as cut and dried as commonly thought, and that there may be a role for chiropractic in the management of Carpal […]
June 17, 2019
As the Government of Victoria, Australia, winds up its review of chiropractic spinal manipulation of children under 12, the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic (based in the United States) has published a narrative review of the European Medical Literature on an issue often debated within pediatrics. It is the issue of spinal manipulation and infantile colic. The review provides a thorough look at the documented, peer-reviewed and indexed evidence surrounding the condition and the effectiveness of chiropractic care in its management. This is perhaps a complicated undertaking, given the unclear etiology behind what is termed “infantile colic.” Even now in 2019, […]
June 12, 2019
Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) have long been an area of frustration for sufferers and clinicians alike. Being that they are not caused by abnormal brain electrical discharges like their epileptic counterpart, the condition exists in the “Somatoform disorder” category that is both ‘neglected and misdiagnosed [1]’ in many a case. A recent case report and literature review published in the journal Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research has shed light on the resolution of a patients symptoms while under chiropractic care. It’s a fascinating read, on a much neglected topic. The Epilepsy Foundation (based in America) has noted that, “Psychogenic Non-Epileptic Seizures are an […]
June 4, 2019
A recent systematic review published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics has taken aim at an issue that is potentially close to many a chiropractors heart: the effectiveness of spinal manipulative in increasing muscle strength in healthy people. Following a spate of chiropractic-based studies showing increased muscle strength (or rather cortical drive to the muscles) post-adjustment, the results may not be all that surprising: they suggest that spinal manipulative therapy is superior to no intervention or sham manipulation when it comes to “augmenting the percentage change in isometric strength gain [1].” The systemic review took in 909 identified […]
May 28, 2019
The vertebral subluxation is central to the theory and practice of chiropractic. While it is often a hotly debated concept, it is nonetheless something many of us deal with almost daily. Dr. David Russell recently had a paper published in the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic regarding this very topic. We caught up with him to discuss it. While the video is a little longer than usual, we think you’ll find it full of valuable information and insights. The full paper can be found here, at the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic (a new, open-access journal lead by Dr. Dana Lawrence). Make […]
May 21, 2019
The Webster Technique has long been associated with chiropractic care during pregnancy. Combining sacral analysis and diversified adjustment, the aim of this technique is to “reduce the effects of sacral subluxation / SI joint dysfunction,” and in doing so, to facilitate “neuro-biomechanical function in the pelvis [1]”. A recent case series, published in the journal Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health, has covered five cases in which breech presentations resolved under chiropractic care [2]. Among the plethora of medical reasons a caesarean section birth might be performed, breech presentations are among the most persuasive. Following a study published in the Lancet […]
May 14, 2019
A recent study appearing in the Journal Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics has examined the evidence for a correlation between lumbar proprioception and clinical low back pain. It was a systematic review that searched 6 major databases and returned 5 studies (with a total of 204 patients) eligible for inclusion. At the end of the process, researchers have been able to claim that there is a relationship between pain intensity and proprioception, albeit a complex one. The nature of pain perception is complex and subjective. Research has revealed sex, age and ethnicity all impact on pain perception [1]. Other factors that […]