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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
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.…
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…
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 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…
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…
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,…
The Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics carried a paper titled “Maternal Report of Outcomes of Chiropractic Care for Infants,” in its most recent edition. The study took in a sample of more than 2000 mothers, and is the first known large survey of “baseline and follow-up characteristics of infant patients presented to chiropractic practices”.…
Here in the world of chiropractic, the spine and spinal cord have always held our attention. The steady advancement of research shows us that when we adjust the spine, we change the structure and function of the brain. We may see cortical drive to the muscles and reaction times improve. We may also restore joint…
In recent years, our understanding of concussion has grown significantly, with the American Centers of Disease Control and Prevention now labelling the mild traumatic brain injury as a public health issue [1]. Research has linked recurrent concussions with potential neurodegenerative problems in older adulthood [2]. For athletes who may be at risk of concussion, it…
The Journal of Chiropractic Humanities latest release has carried all ten of Simon Senzon’s papers on the Chiropractic Vertebral Subluxation and is now available online (open access). The papers, which present a comprehensive overview of and insight into the Chiropractic Vertebral Subluxation from 1897 onwards, delves into a range of issues. It looks at early…
As our understanding of stress, subluxation, and the effect of chiropractic on the brain grows, it’s a curious thing that research has yet to definitively prove the effect of chiropractic care on mental health (including depression and anxiety). So far, we have seen two clinical trials on the matter, one examining blood pressure and anxiety…
With each passing year, and with each new chiropractic-based study released, we are gaining a little more understanding as to how chiropractic might influence the brain. While there’s a lot of work yet to do, the evidence we have is pointing to a world of possibilities when it comes to neuroplasticity and human performance. Still, there…
Dr Monique Andrews is a chiropractor, neuroscientist and educator who we recently had the pleasure of interviewing. Taking on the topic of chiropractic and consciousness, Dr Mo brings unique a unique perspective by pairing chiropractic research with basic science knowledge and her lived experience as a practicing Buddhist. Thanks Dr Mo for showing us how…
