Fibromyalgia is widely viewed as a pain syndrome with an unknown cause. To some practitioners, it is a bona fide medical condition. To others, it’s merely psychosomatic. Sufferers will tell you a common truth though: it can be debilitating, distressing, and it’s very, very real. Sadly, the issue of how to treat this pain syndrome…
A randomized controlled trial recently published in the Journal Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics has taken on the task of comparing two different cervical manipulation techniques for mechanical neck pain [1]. While HVLA (high-velocity, low-amplitude) cervical manipulation has previously been shown to be effective for neck pain, the jury has still been out as to which…
Among the increasingly common mental health challenges facing the western world population are panic and anxiety disorders. However, there is a growing body of evidence showing that these so-called ‘mental’ health issues are not purely mental – that nutrition and other areas of health are in fact linked to our mental and emotional state. Imagine…
Chiropractic sits at an interesting junction in terms of research. We do indeed possess a strong evidence base when it comes to randomized control trials, especially those related to conditions like low back pain. But the evidence in the bank doesn’t yet cover every aspect of what we do. Furthering research is an expensive and…
Few professions, and few patient populations within that profession, experience the unflinching scrutiny that seems fixed over the area of paediatric chiropractic care. Still, despite the ill-informed and ever-loud shouts of “There’s no evidence for that,” the knowledge bank keeps growing – and it’s full of good news. We now know that, when compared with…
Interview/Commentary: Spinal Research caught up with Dr Wayne Todd, author of the book and practitioner training program “SD Protocol” to talk about a topic that masquerades as a good many conditions, and how that can possibly link to the subluxation. As far as symptom clusters goes, Oestrogen Dominance is a bit of a chameleon. It can…
In modern medical history, a veritable epidemic of hypertensive diagnoses have been handed down with the age-old wisdom that a low-sodium diet should help the cause. However, a study spanning 16 years and looking at some 2,600 hypertensive men and women has found something that will confound that logic: consuming less sodium isn’t associated with…
Spondylolisthesis is a condition that will be all too familiar to chiropractors. Occurring due to overuse, injury or congenital defect (among other factors), the condition ranges in its presentation from asymptomatic to painful and debilitating. Most often, it occurs in the lumbar and sacral areas of the spine (usually at L5-S1) when the lumbar spine…
Thanks to advancements in many health-related fields, we are staying alive longer. But as life expectancies in developed countries reach new heights, an increasing number of people are asking important questions with regard to maintaining health and quality of life as they age. Indicative of this trend is the growing amount of money the Baby…
(And why do we even care? A commentary on the transformative power of the chiropractic lexicon) Urban Legend has it that the Sami people of Norway and Sweden have around one hundred and fifty different words for ice, and about three hundred for snow, compared to the mere fifty-five we have in English. From my…
The launch of the 2017-2022 Research Agenda represents a bold step for us here at the Australian Spinal Research Foundation. For the first time in our 40-year history, we will be commissioning research to fit our research agenda – exploring the vertebral subluxation in order to better serve our profession. Also for the first time…
Perhaps it was the birth of the smart-phone and hand-held device that triggered the onslaught of teens suffering from the effects of forward head posture and protracted shoulders. Or perhaps there were other factors at play. Either way, protracted shoulders and forward head posture are two significant postural concerns affecting the younger generations, and epidemiological…
Procedure selection is an important part of every chiropractic adjustment. Knowing which procedure will stabilise or mobilise more is a significant consideration, depending on the patient’s needs. But until now, no 3-dimensional angular kinematic analysis had been done for spinal manipulation applied to HVLA for the lumbar spine – only to the cervical spine. A…
For a long time, the science told us that there was no connection between the brain and the immune system. The brain was supposedly a privileged organ, whose cells did not need immune protection. All that changed in very recent history, due to a discovery that happened almost by accident. There was in fact a…
Parkinson’s Disease is one of those complex syndromes for which a definite cause has not yet been pinpointed. With the average age of diagnosis standing at 65 years, Parkinson’s Disease is a key concern for an aging population. Still, at this point in time, there is very little we know about what causes it. Theories…
Many an expectant mother has battled to keep her stress levels down, all with the goal of a healthy, relaxed pregnancy. But it isn’t always possible. Still, questions remain – what are the negative effects of excessive stress on mother and baby? A study emerging from the University of Zurich has shone a little light…
Studies dating back more than a decade have revealed that fear of pain is a prognostic factor in chronic pain. That is, fear of pain and severity of pain are very much linked. This can create avoidance behaviour that, though helpful in the short term, can “become a maladaptive response leading to increased fear, limitation…
At the recent Dynamic Growth Congress, we asked some leading voices in chiropractic why it is important to invest in quality research into the vertebral subluxation. Listen to Dr Patrick Sim, one of the key drivers behind the Australian Chiropractic College, talk about the significant crossroads chiropractic is at, and the role of research and…
