Forward head posture, or Cervical Forward Flexion, has emerged as a significant postural concern over recent years with many people attributing the increase (at least in part) to the uptick in smart phone and device usage, and the subsequent hours spent looking down. However, the increases appear to hark back as early as 2002-2009 during…
The Australian Spinal Research Foundation has announced the appointment of the new President of the Foundation following the completion of Dr Craig Foote’s service on the board. Dr Craig shepherded the foundation through an incredible season of change and his are indeed big shoes to fill. We caught up with long-time board member and new…
The Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal has carried an intriguing dual case report in which lumbosacral transitional vertebra are discussed as a potential contributing factor to scoliosis. Scoliosis, or abnormal curvature of the spine, is thought to affect 2-3% of the population and the age of onset ranges from 10-15 years of age. While the severity…
In last weeks’ interview, we caught up with Professor Suzanne Snodgrass from the University of Newcastle. She was talking about a recent study, funded by the Australian Spinal Research Foundation, in which three-dimensional head and neck movements in people with neck pain were examined. The study involved chiropractic care and exercise as the interventions in…
A new study undertaken by the University of Newcastle and funded by the Australian Spinal Research Foundation has been published. The study reveals insights into the impacts of neck pain on movement, offering important insights for clinicians. We caught up with Professor Suzanne Snodgrass to talk about it. The full study, including a full statistical…
Imagine itching constantly for no reason. Imagine consulting several physicians trying a litany of creams, diets and antihistamines only to continue to suffer from discomfort, sleep deprivation and continue scratching until you bled. This is chronic, severe pruritis and it is the primary complaint that a 36-year old male presented with when he sought help…
Opioid overuse (or the misuse of certain strong painkillers and other drugs) has long been a public health concern. In fact, in 2018, it was reported that 128 people died every day in the United States because of opioid misuse. Misuse, addiction, healthcare and other associated issues present a massive cost not only in the…
When you think of the term “autoimmune conditions”, there is most likely a long list of ailments that springs to mind. Rarely, though, would the term “Myasthenia Gravis” make that list. Affecting about 20 people per 100,000 worldwide, the condition occurs when the body’s own antibodies attack the neural receptors on muscle cells. Thus, a…
A recent study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine has taken on a type of headache thought to affect only 1-1.6% of the population. Rare though it may be, Primary Headache Associated with Sexual Activity (PHASA) is recognised by the International Classification of Headache Disorders and remains poorly understood. There are a few pharmacological…
Not so long ago, the rumour mill was alive with talk that chiropractic care was bad news for stroke potential. A few short years on and not only has that rumour been put to rest, but we are beginning to see evidence that chiropractic care may even be good for stroke recovery! Not only have…
It has often been said, both in chiropractic circles and others, that communication is a powerful thing. But exactly how powerful is it when it comes to pain and therapeutic interventions? A recent study published in the International Journal of Osteopathic Medicine put this question to the test, looking at high-velocity, low-amplitude manipulations and how…
While studies and statistics on musculoskeletal pain in adulthood abound, data on schoolchildren seems somewhat scarcer. With an increasingly sedentary population, and with extended time sitting being noted as a public health concern, it warrants collecting data on this particular group. Recently, some researchers undertook this task and analyzed pain distribution on 1,000 Danish Schoolchildren…
Research into pain and the effect it has on the brain has been greatly informative over recent years, and has deepened our understanding of how chronic pain works. While we have gained greater insight into the role the nervous system plays in pain perception, gaps still remain in other areas of understanding. Such gaps include…
Imagine waking up from an arthroscopic shoulder surgery only to discover that you can no longer speak. Dysfunction of the vocal cords has been described as a side effect of endotracheal intubation during surgery, but it is certainly not a particularly common side-effect. In general, the practice is thought of as safe but complications have…
Regardless of your preferences in health care, pain management is a complicated topic that researchers remain invested in. Issues like sensitivity to pain, learned responses to pain and of course misuse of pain medication in many cases make it an important and complicated topic. That’s what makes the following study a particularly poignant one: it…
As our understanding of chiropractic care increases, it seems that this same knowledge bank continues to illuminate the ways in which the brain and muscles respond when we check and adjust vertebral subluxations. But can chiropractic care possibly have a positive effect on a person if their muscle control issues stem from something pathological: something,…
A recent piece published in the European Journal of Integrative Medicine has taken a novel look at the potential offerings when it comes to manual therapy modalities and the workforce. Specifically, the study looked at how manual therapy (including spinal manipulation) might impact upon absenteeism and presenteeism in the workforce. While chiropractic research is commonly…
A new study has been released by the British Medical Journal, feeding into the seemingly endless quest for an answer on effective treatments for colic. In what is perhaps a telling move, the study was a systematic review of systematic reviews and national guidelines to “assess the effectiveness of four common treatment approaches.” Yes, you…
