Depression affects more than 280 million people worldwide each year, making it one of the leading causes of disability. While medication and psychotherapy remain mainstays of treatment, growing evidence highlights the role of the nervous system (particularly the vagus nerve) in regulating emotional and mental health and resilience. Recently, we covered one such study, in which chiropractic care was found to have broad impacts on anxiety, depression, sleep, pain and the default mode network.
That groundbreaking study put neuroscience behind what we have been seeing in case report data and anecdotal evidence for years: not only does chiropractic have impacts beyond pain and symptoms, not only does it change the structure and function of the brain, it can make people feel better. As neuroscientist and researcher Dr Heidi Haavik recently put it in one of our podcast episodes, chiropractic can touch a person’s soul.
But what does that look like in practice? A recent case report published through the ASRF Case Report Project, in the Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal, tells that story.
A 44-year-old Amish farrier presented to the Averio Health Institute with chronic major depressive symptoms. Though he initially attended to support his wife, he soon began care himself after learning how chiropractic might influence brain function. His history included multiple head injuries, chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivity, and a diagnosis of Lyme disease. Despite previous medical and nutritional interventions, his depression and pain persisted.
Comprehensive testing revealed severe cervical spine misalignment and ligament instability, particularly between C3 and C4, as well as poor vagal function indicators, toxicity, and dehydration. These findings were significant, as upper cervical subluxations can affect autonomic and emotional regulation via the brainstem and vagus nerve. His care journey then began.
The patient underwent concentrated chiropractic care using the Averio Functional Neurological Technique (Averio FNT) – a low-force, sustained-contact method aimed at correcting the subluxation. Over two weeklong care programs, spaced four months apart, he received over 90 gentle adjustments along with supportive therapies including nutrition, contrast therapy, and photobiomodulation.
After the first week, structural scans showed a 323% improvement in cervical curvature and a 77% improvement in head-to-shoulder alignment. His posture improved so significantly that his height increased by three-quarters of an inch. He reported feeling mentally clearer, sleeping better, and experiencing less pain.
By the second program, radiographs revealed the reversal of ligament instability at multiple levels, with cervical motion returning to within normal limits. His lumbar curve also normalized by over 100%. Subjectively, he reported that his depressive thoughts had reduced to less than 10% of his day and that he “did not feel depressed anymore.”
Why this matters
While this case cannot prove causation, although other studies to point to stronger claims, it provides compelling evidence of the body’s capacity to heal when nervous system interference is reduced. Objective improvements in structural integrity were paralleled by subjective gains in mood, sleep, and energy – suggesting a whole-person restoration rather than a symptom-based response.
Major Depressive Disorder is complex and deeply personal. This case highlights the need for ongoing research into how chiropractic care may support neurological and emotional recovery. It also reminds us that nervous system health and mental health are deeply interconnected. For individuals struggling with mood disorders, care that supports the body’s communication networks – from the spine to the brain – may open new possibilities for healing.
References:
Haavik, H., Niazi, I.K., Amjad, I., Kumari, N., Ghani, U., Ashfaque, M., Rashid, U., Navid, M.S., Kamavuako, E.N., Pujari, A.N., et al. Neuroplastic Responses to Chiropractic Care: Broad Impacts on Pain, Mood, Sleep, and Quality of Life. Brain Sci. 2024, 14, 1124.
Staff Writer, “New Chiropractic paper shows brain changes and impacts on pain, mood, sleep and quality of life.” https://spinalresearch.com.au/new-chiropractic-paper-shows-brain-changes-and-impacts-on-pain-mood-sleep-and-quality-of-life/
Kotlerman S, Martin A, Clark J, Dhaliwal A, Postlethwaite R, McIvor C. Reversal of cervical spinal ligament instabilities and severe abnormal cervical spine alignment in concurrence with improved sleep, pain, and mental and emotional function in a 44-year-old male with chronic Major Depression Symptoms: A case report. Asia-Pac Chiropr J. 2025;6.2. www.apcj.net/Papers-Issue-6-2/#KotlermanDepression
Australian Spinal Research Foundation (2025). Where Neuroscience and Chiropractic Philosophy Connect: the default mode network. https://open.spotify.com/episode/3JjEk2txmUeMg6UIHF1FoW?si=h-Kxq8VKSHyKcQZpYvPiqA
