February 25, 2020
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 we are walking into a room filled with dangerous gas or even smoke. Loss of the sense of smell (anosmia) happens for a variety of reasons, some of them short term (such as a cold or flu) and others involved with longer-term issues like age, […]
February 21, 2020
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 that chiropractic care after stroke could increase strength in weak plantar flexor muscles (affected by the stroke) in patients. This gives rise to a viable line of questioning regarding whether chiropractic care might actually assist stroke recovery. Only time will tell what arises there, but […]
February 11, 2020
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 accepted a study for publication, which gives some indications on the latter, which are truly noteworthy. In fact, they just might send you to your local chiropractor to get that forward head posture sorted out! The study, submitted in 2019, took in 160 participants, 50% […]
February 3, 2020
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 system and the possible role for chiropractic? Today we take a look. A 2008 study titled, “Depression comorbidity and the TNF Alpha system” provided some foundational understanding on how depression and elevated tumour necrosis factors (TNF) often exist side-by-side. Essentially, this pointed to elevated inflammatory […]
January 23, 2020
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 back up our claims that chiropractic may indeed help the body immunologically? Better still, how do we help our practice members to understand it? Psychoneuroimmunology is a word with enough syllables to make someone switch right off, but in fact it is something that impacts […]
January 16, 2020
A recent study appearing in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics has examined spinal manipulative therapy and tactile allodynia (or hypersensitivity to touch). The results present a possibility laden with meaning for chiropractic: that “manually assisted lumbar spinal manipulation therapy modulates systemic oxidative stress, which possibly contributes to the analgesia and recovery of peripheral nerve functionality [1].” The study in question was a rat model (which is a common biological model for human-related studies). The study, which had all its animal ethics approved by the University Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, used 30 adult male rats. They […]
December 6, 2019
A recent study appearing in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics has examined spinal manipulative therapy and tactile allodynia (or hypersensitivity to touch). The results present a possibility laden with meaning for chiropractic: that “manually assisted lumbar spinal manipulation therapy modulates systemic oxidative stress, which possibility contributes to the analgesia and recovery of peripheral nerve functionality [1].” The study in question was a rat model (which is a common biological model for human-related studies). The study, which had all its animal ethics approved by the University Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, used 30 adult male rats. They […]
November 26, 2019
While heart rate variability has been stealing its share of headlines in terms of new research, another solid performer has been quietly waiting on the side lines: pulse pressure. This indicator of cardiovascular health is simply the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure and represents a measure of autonomic nervous system function. It is easily measured in everyday clinical practice and requires no major capital investment. But how does chiropractic care impact on this measurement? A recent observational study published in the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association took 130 patients undergoing upper cervical chiropractic care and put it […]
November 19, 2019
At the Australian Spinal Research Foundation, we exist to fund, facilitate and disseminate chiropractic research – specifically research into the vertebral subluxation. We caught up with Dr Adrian Wenban who had recently applied to have his study funded through the ASRF. The study, titled “Effects of Cervical Chiropractic Adjustments on Heart Rate Variability, Quality of Life, and Tumor Markers of Colon Cancer Patients”, is an exciting area of investigation. Our President surprised him by letting him know that his project has been funded in full, thanks to a collaboration between the United Chiropractic Association and the ASRF. Watch our video […]
November 8, 2019
This week, we thought we’d throw you something different. For an organisation that funds and disseminates research, there’s no greater treat than breaking the good news. We caught up with Tanja Glucina (Chiropractor and PhD candidate) for what she thought was a run-of-the-mill interview. Check out her reaction and hang around to hear about the fascinating topic she is investigating. It’s a great time to be supporting chiropractic research!
November 4, 2019
At this year’s Spinal Research Gathering we had the good fortune of interviewing Dr Phillip Ebrall, a reputable veteran in the world of chiropractic and research, on the topic of case reports. As an academic with one PhD completed, one in progress and one in planning, his perspective on chiropractic research is a notable one that throws new light on the importance of case reports in research. We hope this interview will highlight the importance of case reports and the ease with which they can be created. Enjoy! Thank you Dr Ebrall for taking the time to step in […]
October 25, 2019
A new study published in the Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association has presented some interesting considerations for both healthy, young patients and researchers. It looked at the topic of postural influences on neck proprioception and head/neck stabilisation and found “a significant effect of both posture and vision for both vertical and horizontal head movements during the head-still task [1].” Proprioception, or the sense of where we are in space, is a sixth sense of sorts. Generally speaking, it is known to “play a major role in the control of posture and gait in humans,” and “when neuromuscular function at the […]
October 18, 2019
A new study emerging from the New Zealand College of Chiropractic has examined the effect of chiropractic spinal manipulation on central processing of tonic pain. Published in the journal ‘Scientific Reports’, the study is the latest in a long line of research examining the effect of chiropractic on the brain. We caught up with one of the study’s authors, Dr Imran Khan Niazi to talk about it. The study of pain is a complex area, with pain sensitivity and pain habituation all coming into play when it comes to our experience of it. We know that chiropractic aims to remove […]
October 11, 2019
We often hear about cases of increased thoracic kyphosis – that of forward head posture due to lifestyle or other factors. But straight back syndrome (SBS) is somewhat lesser known. A thoracic deformity characterized by “loss of the normal upper thoracic spinal kyphosis”, this condition can lead to reduced antero-posterior chest diameter, compression or displacement of the heart, cardiac murmurs, chest pain and tracheal compression [1]. It is an uncommon diagnosis, so there isn’t a wealth of chiropractic literature on it, but two case studies have revealed positive results when chiropractic is introduced into the mix. Differential diagnosis of SBS is thought […]
October 3, 2019
Chronic neck pain, headaches, involuntary neck muscle contractions, and a tremor on the right side: these were the presenting symptoms of the subject of a recent case report carried in the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic. But behind the symptoms was a condition not unfamiliar to many chiropractors: a diagnosis of cervical scoliosis and cervical dystonia (or spasmodic torticollis). What sets this case report apart is not necessarily the way the individual responded when subluxations were corrected, but the length of time the patient remained stable while under maintenance care. The case report, authored by Jason Haas, Paul Oakley and Deed […]
September 23, 2019
A 2014 study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics posed an interesting question: how does chiropractic compare to medical treatments on 1-year changes in self-reported function, health and satisfaction with care measures? It was a representative sample of American Medicare beneficiaries, but it’s a study worth a second look as it examines a common comparison – chiropractic versus medical care. At first look, it’s an “apples and oranges” comparison. Chiropractic has been said to be a ‘care’ not a ‘treatment.’ We check for subluxations and adjust them, thus removing interference from the central nervous system. The body […]
September 11, 2019
Recent history has shown a renewed and revealing look at concussion. From movies that flagged public interest in the phenomena, to new research flagging concussions as a public health priority, it is now understood to be a potentially significant “mild traumatic brain injury” rather than simply a knock to the head. While prevention and early intervention are becoming increasingly popular topics for consideration, the question of chiropractic’s role in concussion management is less well researched. Thus, a new case series published in the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic is a worthy consideration in the world of post-concussion care. The study in […]
September 4, 2019
Dr. Michael Hall (a chiropractor, and the man behind “Brain DC”) caught up with the Australian Spinal Research Foundation to talk about spinal and motor tone in children; its role, its importance in cognitive development, the existing measurement tools and where we need to go in terms of research. So for this week’s blog, clear yourself some time, grab yourself a cuppa and hit ‘play.’