July 10, 2018
There are many important, continuing conversations that occur around the role and effectiveness of chiropractic care at various points in the lifespan. The common ones include non-musculoskeletal conditions, older adults, and paediatric and infant care. But nestled in among these cohorts is another one that doesn’t get too much of a loud shout: chiropractic care for fit, healthy people including athletes. Occasionally chiropractic gets a shout out from the pit crew of a big name athlete: Usain Bolt, Tiger Woods and the legendary Michael Jordan are all names synonymous with sporting prowess, who have also been said to benefit from […]
July 4, 2018
Quality of life in older adulthood is becoming a big issue as the Baby Boomer generation, and those that follow, reap the longevity benefits of advancements in healthcare. We don’t just want to live long, we want to live well. It has often been said “The aim of chiropractic is to add years to life and life to years.” What does the research say about that? We are a long way from knowing if the first part of that phrase is correct, but the second part we can begin to road test by measuring quality of life. If you are […]
June 28, 2018
A recent comparative study has examined the effects of adding chiropractic care to usual medical care for low back pain in US service members. The result is the least shocking thing any chiropractor could read: adding chiropractic care to usual medical care yields better results and decreases pain and disability at the six week mark. Whilst it might be an unsurprising outcome for chiropractors, it does give us data to rest on when urging public policy-makers to see chiropractors as part of the solution for low back pain. With the US opioid crisis showing no signs of slowing, and with […]
June 19, 2018
As the prevalence of autism continues to rise, more than doubling between 2002-2012*, so too does the number of parents turning to complementary and alternative therapies for their affected children. Whilst the diagnosis of autism, or an autism spectrum disorder, can be daunting and life-altering, there is increasing data that suggests some improvement can be gained. Featuring on this list, due to a number of case reports and a solid systemic review, is chiropractic care. The Most Recent Case Report A recent case report published in the Journal of Pediatric, Maternal and Family Health, covered the case of a 3-year […]
June 14, 2018
Over the last decade, we have witnessed the emergence of research indicating that chiropractic care can have an influence on the way the brain drives muscles. Among those were studies showing changes in the H-reflex and V-waves following chiropractic care, as well as studies showing changes to cortical drive to upper and lower limbs. Such research is slowly but surely painting a picture of the neural plastic changes that can occur under care, and allowing us to move the conversation away from lower back pain and musculoskeletal issues alone. The latest issue to attract the microscope of Dr Heidi Haavik […]
June 5, 2018
A complication-free pregnancy is a beautiful thing. Waiting to welcome a healthy new life into the world is a time of happy anticipation, aches, pains, morning sickness and a whole lot of love. However, the moment a medical complication enters the equation, it can become quite stressful. Among the many complications that can occur during pregnancy is that of placental insufficiency. It is an uncommon but serious condition that occurs when the placenta doesn’t develop properly, thus limiting fetal access to oxygen and nutrients. It can be triggered by a variety of conditions including hypertension, diabetes and blood clotting disorders […]
May 28, 2018
Dr Angela Todd is tireless in her efforts to serve the chiropractic profession. 2015 and 2016 saw her author noteworthy papers on adverse events due to chiropractic and other manual therapies for infants and children, and forces of commonly used chiropractic techniques for that cohort. She is the CEO of 20 chiropractic clinics, has been a PhD candidate, is a member of the Australiasian College of Chiropractors and the College of Chiropractic Paediatrics, and holds a Diplomate in Chiropractic Neuro-Developmental Paedatrics. We caught up with her to talk about technique selection, force measures, and the role of chiropractic care in […]
May 23, 2018
As research mounts up, it is becoming increasingly clear that neck pain has impacts far beyond pain and stiffness. A recent piece of research, partially funded by the Australian Spinal Research Foundation, has become the first to reveal that people with subclinical neck pain have slower visual and multisensory response times, and the differences caused by subclinical neck pain don’t improve on their own. The research emerging up until this point has offered clear indications that neck pain has impacts on multiple areas of brain function and proprioception. Among the already-available research is work indicating: Proprioceptive differences in upper limbs […]
May 15, 2018
A new case series published in the Chiropractic Journal of Australia has shown sustained improvement in heart rate variability in six individuals. The retrospective case series, which used the Australian Spinal Research Foundation’s conceptual definition of the Vertebral Subluxation, is an excellent example of one way we can objectively measure the impact of chiropractic care beyond short-term pain management alone. We caught up with Dr Amy Haas to chat about it. Dr Haas’s recent case series, co-authored with our own Dr Dave Russell, chronicled six patients at varying ages and stages of life. All underwent chiropractic care focused on the […]
May 8, 2018
As a Foundation, we have always celebrated research that advances the cause and understanding of chiropractic. The last twelve months have seen us undertake a massive drive toward defining and researching the cornerstone of our profession: the vertebral subluxation. It gives us great pleasure to read our definition of the vertebral subluxation referenced in a number of case reports recently published. Among these studies was a piece by Dr’s David Russell and Tanja Glucina. The case report followed a 38 year-old female patient who suffered from Crohn’s disease, and was dealing with a number of lifestyle restrictions and quality of […]
April 24, 2018
Motor developmental delays in infants and young children are often the domain of dedicated therapists such as speech, physical and occupational therapists. However, chiropractic care for infants and children does appear to be gaining acceptance as research and public awareness increase. Research focused on adults has revealed significant impacts on sensorimotor integration, but similar research involving children is emerging much more slowly. This makes a recent case-study involving a 15 month-old male with developmental delays a significant one. An added perk of the study was that the subluxation definition used by the authors was the Australian Spinal Research Foundation’s definition, […]
April 19, 2018
For almost as long as our profession has existed, debate has raged over the terminology central to our cause: the vertebral subluxation. What does it mean? Can it be measured? Is it reliable? Should we call it something else? That debate is one step closer to finished after the latest piece of research from the Centre for Chiropractic Research in New Zealand revealed some big news: we can reliably detect vertebral subluxations. This study is a landmark study, as it answers (in part) the lack of consensus around the nature, reliability, and neurological manifestations of the subluxation. This is exciting […]
April 4, 2018
In the history of the Foundation, we have had more than a few highpoints. Among these highlights are many quality research papers giving key insight into the mechanisms and impacts of chiropractic care. Yet something has been missing – a definition of the vertebral subluxation that is philosophically congruent, usable in practice and testable in research. It was this glaring lack that inspired the research agenda that now drives us. It is an exciting time in our history, and we are thrilled that we can share part one of this agenda – a conceptual definition of the vertebral subluxation for […]
