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 […]
April 2, 2019
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 are new frontiers yet to be explored. One of these is the area of vagal stimulation. Recent research indicates that decreased neuro-inflammation is associated with higher vagus nerve activity [1]. While we are still waiting for dedicated chiropractic studies illustrating the impact of chiropractic on […]
October 8, 2018
An Interview with Dr Michael Hall Chiropractic, stress and mental illness. Does it link? Has it ever linked? It is a topic modern research hasn’t devoted much to in terms of resources and thought, but history and basic science tell us an interesting story. “Much of the very early work in chiropractic was done in the Sanatorium –said Dr Michael Hall in a recent interview with Spinal Research [1, 2]. “Most of our greatest work was done on mental health patients. In my world, I am seeing a big circle and we are coming right back around. In the middle, […]
September 24, 2018
Chiropractors and posture – they are a seamless fit. From the very first visit in clinic, posture is assessed. As subluxations are checked and corrected, posture can improve over time. But is posture just a symptom, or is it stressor that can kick off a physiological stress response impacting both brain and body? We’ve taken a quick look at the research to see what the deal is. In 2015, the Journal of Health Psychology published a randomized trial regarding posture and stress [1]. The hypothesis of whether or not muscular states were related to stress had been supported by research […]
September 17, 2018
In the second instalment of our series on stress, we caught up with Dr. Wayne Todd; author of the book and practitioner training program The SD Protocol which targets sympathetic dominance. To Dr. Wayne, the connection between chiropractic and stress is so deeply entrenched as to be inseparable, but it’s how we as practitioners deal with this that has the potential to break the cycle of repetitive subluxations and help the patient regain control of their health. Stress And Subluxation Long before the lightbulb moment that saw him put together the protocol, Dr. Wayne was a busy chiropractor spending long […]
September 11, 2018
What is chiropractic about? Explanations and theories abound. There are those who claim our only concrete offering sits firmly in the domain of back and neck pain, yet other research indicates impacts on brain function, cerebellar function, muscle drive, and much more. Over the course of this series, we will be taking a walk through a topic that is often thought to be simple yet, on a neurological and physiological level, is quite complex. Though checking and adjusting subluxations is what we as chiropractors do, there is one thing that has profound if not primary impacts on those very subluxations. […]
August 24, 2017
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 look like many things with adrenal exhaustion, anxiety, depression, gut problems, and the obvious menstrual and fertility problems as common candidates for confusion. As chiropractors, our eyes can be firmly on the state of the spine (i.e. subluxation) and not on symptoms. But Dr Wayne […]
July 6, 2017
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 on the matter, revealing changes in amniotic fluid corticotropin-releasing hormones and giving us a glimpse at the effects on fetal development. The study looked at 34 healthy women in their second trimester of pregnancy who were undergoing amniocentesis. The study examined amniotic fluid corticotropin-releasing hormone […]
June 29, 2017
This is the ‘bonus’ article from Spinal Research’s recent interview with Dr Michael Hall. Dr Hall, the man behind the new education program Brain DC, discussed the right to left orientation in brain development. Inside this line of discussion is a little gem – some information on posture, happiness and the effect of chiropractic, and how we can better engage the brain in both. As chiropractors, we frequently analyse posture. We also deal with patients who suffer from low mood or a variety of depressive disorders. But are the two connected? Hall argues that they are. We know that the […]
March 21, 2017
It’s hard not to jump in and tell someone when they’re doing something wrong. But it appears there is a difference between explaining an error and just being down right rude. In a recent study1, researchers have found that putting people down actually impairs their cognitive abilities and in fact, makes their performance worse. The researchers of University of Florida specifically targeted the neonatal emergency wards in hospitals to see how families of patients criticising medical staff impacted their performance. With thousands of patients dying in hospitals every year due to preventable errors, a team of American researchers at the […]
February 21, 2017
In our last article we discussed the nature of adrenal exhaustion and the different stages leading up to it. Fortunately this state can be reversed once adrenal health is regulated and normalised. It is estimated that up to 80 per cent of people in the world suffer from adrenal fatigue. What we want to be careful about is failing to recognise the symptoms in the early stages. Body aches, trouble concentrating, racing thoughts, irritability and moodiness, tired all the time, overwhelmed, hormonal imbalance and cravings for stimulants to help increase our energy levels are all symptoms of adrenal exhaustion and […]
February 16, 2017
Unless you’ve been sequestered to mars over the last five years, you’ve heard about it. Adrenal Exhaustion. It’s the by-product of our busy, non stop, super-productive, incredibly overwhelming lives. Like most big issues facing our time, it’s the light bulb’s fault. Before we had 24 hour availability to light, we used to go to bed early, get up early and pretty much eat our veggies and keep a circadian rhythm in tune with the cows. Not so much now. In fact, not very much at all now. Our lives are driven by our mental ability to keep pushing ourselves forward, irrespective of […]
November 10, 2016
According to the Australian Psychological Society1 (APS) survey of 2014, two in five Australians rated their work lives as a source of stress. Job stress is the biggest cause of absenteeism at work. Professor Dollard, a stress expert and director of the Centre for Applied Psychological Research at the University of South Australia said, “The surge in the number of employees taking time off for mental health disorders and filing stress claims is one of the greatest workplace crises facing the nation.” There’s no doubt the lives we lead now are significantly different to the lives of 50 years ago. […]
September 22, 2016
Story at a Glance. Once you are asleep your body experiences sleep paralysis. Scientist believe that as you fall asleep your waking brain battles with your asleep brain and fights the paralysis, causing your muscles to jerk. People who drink too much alcohol or coffee and who are stressed or very tired tend to jerk more as they fall asleep. It’s an interesting question. Most of us, actually up to 70% of us have experienced twitching or sudden jerking movement as we’re falling asleep. Sometimes that happens as a result of dreaming we are falling, or tripping over, and other […]
September 6, 2016
Interest in the role stress plays with the dynamics of health has resulted in a proliferation of strategies designed to minimise or “manage” stress. [1] To many people, the very term “stress” elicits a negative response. Yet, the notion that stress is an enemy we must resist or manage betrays a widespread misunderstanding of the nature of stress and how it affects our lives. Indeed, it is adaptation to changes in the environment that differentiates the living from the non-living. Hans Selye Hans Selye pioneered investigations of the biological effects of stress in 1936 with the publication of his […]
August 9, 2016
Story at a glance Denmark rated happiest place to live by UN World Happiness report after rating highest in seven categories. They have strong economic growth that is harnessed by paying high taxes that are used to support the general community at large. They have a national word Hygge that means self-care, cosiness and enjoying life, which underpins their social fabric. No small task to be the happiest place on earth but the Danes seemed to have romped it in, coming first on the UN World Happiness Report for 2016. So what’s so special about Denmark that has all […]
July 6, 2016
Anger is a part of life, just like stress, disappointment, failure, and the plethora of positive emotions that exist at the other end of the scale. However, anger is often an emotion we don’t know how to handle well. What’s the best course of action? Fight anger with anger? Vent? Suppress? Reappraise? Neuroscience has a little something to say on the matter. According to Time Magazine, some typical responses to anger or negative emotion are actually both unhelpful and unhealthy. “Suppressing anger is rarely a good idea,” says Barker [1]. “You can bottle up your feelings and not look angry. […]