The science of pain and inflammation is one in which there will always be more work to be done. While chiropractic care has become quite renowned for its benefits to musculoskeletal issues such as back and neck pain, research has been branching out into other areas for quite some time now. We now have a…
Breast cancer is a life-interrupting event. This much is an obvious statement. However, a lesser-known fact is that the treatments for breast cancer involve an after-effect of chronic or persistent pain in 60% of cases. Thus, treating the cancer is concern number one. But after the fact, solving the problem of musculoskeletal pain becomes a…
The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association has carried a noteworthy case series covering three instances of benign joint hypermobility syndrome [BJHS] in female patients in their twenties [1]. It proves an interesting read, as BJHS is a relatively common heritable connective tissue disorder that appears to affect more women than men. Being that many…
For a long time, chiropractors have suggested that chiropractic care may be of benefit right across the age spectrum. The belief has been that, while early intervention is certainly preferable, it is never too late to reap some benefit under chiropractic care. A recent case report seems to have put this idea to the test,…
Among the myriad of concerns pertaining to an ageing population is the issue of neurogenerative disorders like Parkinson’s Disease. It is currently estimated that more than 82,000 people are living with Parkinson’s in Australia alone. That number increases exponentially when you include other countries with similar life expectancies and quality health care systems. This represents…
Dr Bruce Steinberg was the lead author on a recent case series covering five cases of anxiety that improved concomitant with chiropractic care. He sat down with us to talk about it this week, and in true Steinberg style, he managed to pack a lot of gems into a short interview. So here’s the scoop…
While postural assessments are part of the everyday experience of the working chiropractor, posture is central to functional movement and much more. As the population adapts to changing worlds of work and technology, we have witnessed a significant increase in postural concerns such as forward head posture or cervical kyphosis. Another postural concern is flat…
Its old news that chronic low back pain affects a lot of people and that this number increases with age. It is also an old chiropractic adage that says “the aim of chiropractic is to add years to life and life to years.” But beyond the rhetoric, is there any truth to the saying? A…
Measuring cortisol levels in saliva has long been used as a measure for adrenal function (which is an indicator of long term stress on the endocrine system). A recent case report published in the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic has followed an interesting case – when a patient presented with neck pain and headaches but left…
In recent years, a number of chiropractic-related research studies have indicated that chiropractic care can improve various musculoskeletal conditions just as back and neck pain, and improve joint position sense. The latter is an interesting one: technically, joint position sense is an indicator of proprioception or an accurate sense of where our bodies are in…
The Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies recently carried a study examining spinal mobility and the accuracy of the patient’s movement perception following HVLA (high-velocity, low-amplitude) manipulation to the area where the thoracic spine and the lumbar spine meet (thoracolumbar junction). While the study was looking at osteopathic techniques, it is highly applicable to chiropractic…
New Zealand Chiropractic researcher and PhD Candidate, Tanja Glucina, caught up with the Australian Spinal Research Foundation this week to discuss her recent paper – the first piece of research to come out of her PhD investigation. The paper, titled “Moving towards a contemporary chiropractic professional identity,” covers some important territory when it comes to…
For quite some time now, research has been revealing that chiropractic care (sometimes referred to as spinal manipulative therapy) can do something other than assist with back and neck pain. We’ve been thrilled and delighted as we’ve seen research emerge indicating that chiropractic care could increase strength in leg muscles, decrease fatigue, change the structure…
Arguably, one of the most underappreciated senses is that of smell. Olfactory function (our ability to smell) also impacts our ability to taste. While this may not seem like such a big deal, it also impacts our ability to detect when food has gone bad, when we have been handed a bad burrito, or when…
In 2017, a piece of chiropractic research put to bed an oft-repeated misconception regarding chiropractic care and stroke. The study in question found no evidence for causation. That is, there was no convincing evidence to support the notion that chiropractic care could cause stroke. Earlier this year, Dr Kelly Holt and colleagues produced research indicating…
Recent research efforts have served up significant findings in terms of the effect of the nervous system on our skeletal muscles. However, less research has gone the other way: i.e. How does our posture, and specifically head and upper neck posture, effect our nervous system and sensorimotor function? The Journal of Gait and Posture has…
In the last article, we talked about depression as an inflammatory issue (as recent research has revealed). But obviously, it’s not that simple a story. Depression, anxiety, and indeed mental-emotional wellbeing is an issue spanning mindset, environmental triggers, personal resilience and much more. But what does the research say about psychological ramifications for the endocrine…
Since the inception of the profession itself, chiropractors have claimed to be doctors of the Central Nervous System, masters of connecting the brain and body and removing interferences so that health can be expressed to a higher level. This is all well and good, but in a world where research is currency, how do we…
