Chiropractic adjustments have a positive impact on various aspects of central and autonomic nervous system function, in particular, a single session of chiropractic adjustments has been shown to alter pre-frontal cortex (PFC). However, how chiropractic adjustments impact PFC activity under stress has not been explored. This proposed pilot study aims to evaluate the feasibility of conducting a randomised controlled trial using mobile functional near-infrared spectroscopy to understand the effects of chiropractic adjustments on PFC activity during a stressful activity. This study will help us to refine the study protocol and understand how chiropractic adjustments influences acute stress and PFC activity.

Grant Value: $9,931
Chief Investigator: Dr Nitika Kumari – New Zealand College of Chiropractic
Status: Completed

Clinical Applications:

Both groups demonstrated significant increases in subjective stress during MAST. However, following intervention, the chiropractic group exhibited a significantly attenuated stress response compared to controls (MAST 5-min: 4.33 ± 0.58 vs. 5.08 ± 1.21, p < 0.05; linear mixed model adjusting for baseline). The chiropractic group also maintained lower stress scores at 10-min post-MAST. fNIRS analysis revealed increased activation in dorsolateral and orbitofrontal PFC regions in the control group after the acute stress challenge, while the chiropractic group showed stable or reduced PFC activation post-intervention, consistent with enhanced neural efficiency and resilience. In the control group, subjective stress correlated strongly with prefrontal activation (r = 0.76, p < 0.01), whereas this relationship was absent in the chiropractic group, indicating a decoupling of perceived stress and neural response after intervention.

Researcher update:

  • April 2026
    Manuscript is in the process of being drafted ready for submission.
  • August 2025
    The data analysis is now complete, and a poster has been accepted for presentation at the Society for Neuroscience Conference in San Diego (15–19 November). Now in the process of preparing the manuscript for publication, with an expected completion of date of early 2026.
  • July 2024
    Data collection took a little longer than expected but has now been completed and is now being analysed.  Estimated completion data for the project is mid 2025.
  • July 2023
    Data collection has commenced and should be completed by the end of the year.