March 7, 2019
A long awaited study on the effect of chiropractic care for stroke patients has been released, with the journal ‘Scientific Reports’ carrying Dr Kelly Holts latest offering. The study examined whether or not chiropractic care “could increase strength in weak plantar flexor muscles in chronic stroke patients [1].” Results are in and they are encouraging. The topic of chiropractic and stroke risk has long been the topic of hot debate, but by and large, the focus of those conversations has been on the risk of stroke for chiropractic patients. While research found no evidence for causation when it comes to […]
February 15, 2019
In 2006, three researchers undertook a study looking at the effect of chiropractic adjustments on movement time [1]. They were looking specifically at Fitt’s Law – a model of human movement based on pointing and manipulation tasks involving computers. The group was small, with just ten participants. But a significant change was noted in the treatment group (who received high-velocity, low-amplitude adjustments to areas of “joint dysfunction.”) There was a significant improvement in movement time with chiropractic care, which suggested that, “spinal adjustments may influence motor behaviour.” It was a pilot study, and it was small, but the results were […]
February 8, 2019
In the last three weeks, we have covered many aspects of chiropractic’s interaction with consciousness, all involving the brain. The brain and consciousness have some level of interaction, and chiropractic could impact that interaction via neurological pathways (as has been reviewed in the previous articles) as well as via other mechanisms, which is the focus of today’s discussion. Chiropractic potentially impacts systems and functions that, in turn, could impact consciousness, such as the autonomic nervous system, glucose metabolism, the endocrine system, and our mental and emotional perception of our environment. These all impact our experience of life (i.e. consciousness) in […]
January 24, 2019
It seems that the musculoskeletal/pain association is a hard one to shift when it comes to chiropractic, yet research is painting an interesting picture when it comes to how chiropractic can influence neurology. This month’s topic on the blog delves into something that has its roots in both research and philosophy, yet is in some ways an undiscovered frontier – can chiropractic influence consciousness? The unlikely starting point: chronic lower back pain, and subclinical neck pain. For the Foundation, the topic first arose when Nimrod Weiner presented on it at “The Gathering” in September. It was a highlight in a […]
December 13, 2018
It’s a postural phenomenon once driven by age, now arguably driven also by technology. The head drops forward, and the thoracic kyphosis increases beyond normal physiological parameters. Other postural adjustments take place in order to keep the head upright – with the lumbar and cervical curves often implicated. The results can range from low back pain, increased load on the cervical spine, decreased rib excursion, tidal volume and much more. We know the presentation. We know the associated symptoms. But what do we do to restore proper posture and put right the altered thoracic curve? While the answers to this […]
November 7, 2018
In part one of our posture series, we covered the links between posture and the cardiopulmonary system, including lung function, tidal volumes and cervical/thoracic kyphosis. Today, we arrive at another important issue: how does posture affect the flow of cerebrospinal fluid, and potentially link to neuro-degenerative diseases? Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is the great liquid cushion that surrounds the brain and spinal cord, protecting it both structurally and immunologically. It’s a feat of nature that “maintains the electrolytic environment of the central nervous system (CNS), influences systemic acid-base balance, serves as a medium for the supply of nutrients to neuronal and […]
October 24, 2018
With an aging population now a reality in many Western nations, how well we age is becoming as much of a focus as longevity itself. A new study emerging from the Manchester Metropolitan University, published in the Journal of Physiology, is throwing new light on this topic and it is news that nervous system and health enthusiasts will welcome. It appears that the muscle loss many have accepted as “inevitable” in old age is actually a nerve issue. The study took 143 men, aged either 18-40 or 65-90 years old and living independently, and used MRI and EMG data to […]
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 15, 2018
[The following is an interview with Dr David Fletcher in which he discusses his approach to objectively measuring the subluxation and communicating findings to patients. It is not a paid advertisement or product endorsement.] Recently, we reported on a case series published in the Chiropractic Journal of Australia that covered sustained improvements in heart rate variability in six individual cases. It followed the publication of another study emerging from the New Zealand College of Chiropractic that found we can indeed reliably detect subluxations, and that the inter-examiner confidence is high. They are important findings, and they feed into an essential […]
August 8, 2018
[The following is an interview with Dr David Fletcher in which he discusses his approach to objectively measuring the subluxation and communicating findings to patients. It is not a paid advertisement or product endorsement.] Communicating chiropractic is an important art. We know what we do works. How do we get this message to the ears of the people who could benefit so greatly from the adjustment? One strategy that is becoming more and more prevalent in literature is HRV, or heart rate variability. It’s a topic that is gaining momentum, with case reports showing sustained improvements under chiropractic care and […]
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 […]
