RESEARCH CONFIRMS CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS WORK Researchers in Italy have concluded that chiropractic adjustments effectively quell low-back pain and sciatica. As part of the assessment, 102 people with pain of at least moderate intensity, or radiating character, or both, underwent either chiropractic manipulative therapy or sham “simulated” manipulations. According to the report, “manipulations or simulated manipulations were done 5 days per week by experienced chiropractors, with a number of sessions which depended on pain relief or up to a maximum of 20, using a rapid thrust technique. Patients were assessed at admission and at 15, 30, 45, 90 and 180 days.” Patients receiving genuine chiropractic adjustments enjoyed significant improvement beyond patients undergoing simulated adjustments. Spine Journal – March 2006;6:131-7. http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/15299430

CHIROPRACTIC MOST COMMON HOLISTIC OPTION FOR HEADACHE Chiropractic is the most common “alternative” care option for patients with chronic tension-type headache, according to a study of 110 patients. Findings showed that “chronic tension-type headache patients prefer complementary and alternative practitioner-administered physical treatments to self-treatments, the most frequently used being chiropractic (21.9%), acupuncture (17.8%), and massage (17.8%).” According to the report, “the most common source of recommendation of complementary and alternative medicine was a friend or relative.” Headache – April 2006;46:622-631. http://www.headachejournal.org/

REVIEW STUDY FINDS FUTURE LOOKS GOOD FOR CHIROPRACTIC A new analysis reviews the history of chiropractic — as well as its current state and projected future. The researchers explain that “spinal manipulation has been used for its therapeutic effects for at least 2500 years. Chiropractic as we know it today began a century ago in a simplistic manner but has developed into to a well-established profession with 33 colleges throughout the world. During the initial, bumpy years, many people thought it had little more value than a placebo. Nevertheless, there have always been satisfied recipients of chiropractic care during the years, and the profession slowly gained prominence-mostly by word of mouth.” “More recently, personal opinions based on isolated incidents have given way to the results of numerous clinical and basic science studies, primarily regarding low-back pain. As of 2002, 43 randomized trials of spinal manipulation for low-back pain had been published with 30 showing more improvement than with the comparison treatment, and none showing it to be less effective. Other studies have shown that chiropractic care compared with medical care is safer, costs no more and often costs much less, and has consistently greater patient satisfaction for treatment of similar conditions. Consequently, there is now better public and professional opinion of chiropractic with coverage by insurance companies and government agencies. That trend is likely to continue.” Clinical Orthopaedics & Related Research – March 2006;444:243-9. http://www.corronline.com/

SMT FOR OCCUPATIONAL LBP A new report supports the use of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) for patients with occupational low back pain (LBP). As part of the experiment, 107 patients received thrust manipulation, 36 received nonthrust manipulation and 72 received no manipulation. Findings showed that “patients receiving manipulation (thrust or nonthrust) experienced greater reductions in pain and disability with treatment. Patients receiving thrust manipulation had fewer sessions, a shorter length of stay, and lower costs in physical therapy than patients receiving nonthrust manipulation.” The Spine Journal – May-June 2006;6:289-95. http://www.sciencedirect.com/

ADJUSTMENTS INFLUENCE REACTION TIME Another study indicates that chiropractic adjustments affect the nervous system, and may boost cognitive function. Chiropractic adjustments appear to speed motor reaction time, or what researchers term “movement time.” According to the article, “movement time was measured as participants moved a cursor onto a target appearing on a computer screen. A range of target widths and target distances were used to vary the index of difficulty.” A group of 5 patients completed the test before and after receiving chiropractic adjustments aimed at removing vertebral subluxation. Another 5 patients served as a control group. “All participants in the experimental group had significantly improved movement times following spinal adjustments compared with only 1 participant in the control group. The average improvement in movement time for the experimental group was 183 ms, a 9.2% improvement, whereas the average improvement in movement time for the control group was 29 ms, a 1.7% improvement.” “The results of this study demonstrated a significant improvement in movement time with chiropractic care,” conclude the study’s authors. “These results suggest that spinal adjustments may influence motor behavior” JMPT – May 2006;29:257-66. http://www.mosby.com/jmpt

CHIROPRACTIC MAY ALLEVIATE DEPRESSION “It has been long speculated that chiropractic interventions may affect mental health problems. One such intervention, an Orthospinology technique to correct the occipitoatlantoaxial subluxation complex using the Grostic procedure, has been anecdotally noted to improve depressive symptoms,” note researchers. To test this hypothesis, the investigators followed 15 adults who were both clinically depressed and had an upper cervical subluxation. They underwent chiropractic care using the Grostic procedure. “These participants were administered the Beck Depression Inventory II prior to a Grostic correction of the upper cervical complex, as well as post-procedurally.” Results revealed a marked reduction in depression scores following the intervention. JVSR – November 7, 2005:1-4. http://www.jvsr.com/a

STUDY SHOWS ADJUSTMENTS INFLUENCE THE NERVOUS SYSTEM Heart rate variability (HRV) is an indicator of parasympathetic nervous system activity. Now a new study shows that chiropractic adjustments influence HRV. According to the paper, a total of 96 chiropractors “in private practice were provided with an HRV device to perform analysis before and after chiropractic adjustments on 10 subjects. At each site, 8 subjects were monitored before and after a single chiropractic adjustment, and 2 additional patients were followed for a 4-week period with 2 HRV recordings per week.” Findings showed that chiropractic care appeared to alter HRV. JMPT – May 2006;29:267-4. http://www.mosby.com/jmpt

CHIROPRACTIC CARE MAY ALLEVIATE TINNITUS The study followed a male patient who had presented to a chiropractic office “with left shoulder and arm pain that had persisted for 6 months. The patient was able to relieve the pain by holding his arms over and behind his head. He also complained of slight weakness in both arms with abduction to 90 degrees or greater when lifting free weights.” Further questioning revealed that the patient also suffered from tinnitus. “He described the tinnitus as a continuous, high-pitched ringing tone in his ears, which had also persisted for 6 months. The tinnitus was aggravated by extreme right or left cervical rotation.” The patient received chiropractic adjustments to correct vertebral subluxations detected in the upper cervical spine. Following the first treatment the patient’s tinnitus disappeared entirely for 2 days, when it returned but “its intensity was greatly diminished.” Following a 4-month course of chiropractic care the patient reported that aside from mild, infrequent, episodes, his tinnitus had disappeared. At one-year follow-up the patient confirmed that the results had persisted. Alternative Therapies in Health & Medicine – May 2006;12:14-17. http://www.alternative-therapies.com/

COLLEGE ATHLETES LIKELY TO USE CHIROPRACTIC College athletes are likely to use chiropractic, say researchers in Hawaii who studied 122 female athletes and 187 male athletes representing 20 sports. Chiropractic was the second most common type of complimentary and alternative medicine used, following massage therapy. In particular, during the past 12 months, 38% of the subjects used massage, 29% used chiropractic, 14% used Lomilomi and 12% used acupuncture. Women were more likely than men to use CAM. “CAM usage overall did not differ significantly by sport, year in college, nor ethnicity. Hawaiian, Samoan, and Tongan subjects were more likely to use the Hawaiian-originated forms of CAM.” Clinical Journal of Sports Medicine – May 2006;16:232-7. http://www.cjsportmed.com/

CHIROPRACTIC CARE WARDS OFF FOOT PAIN Chiropractic adjustments to the food and ankle joints may stave off recalcitrant foot pain following plantar fasciotomy surgery. “The study design was a retrospective review of outcomes of 15 patients seen in a multidisciplinary office setting. All patients had undergone plantar fasciotomy within the 9 months before their admission and had developed lateral foot pain after the operation. Each patient had exhibited suboptimal improvement with at least a 4- to 6-week trial of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, shoe padding and rest as prescribed by the attending podiatric surgeon.” “Manual therapy consisted of either grade III or grade IV joint mobilization and/or high-velocity, low-amplitude chiropractic manipulation to the affected joints in the foot and ankle, and home-based exercise.” “Of the patients with pain in the calcaneocuboid and/or fifth tarsometatarsal articulation, 11 noted significant improvement, 3 experienced moderate improvement, and 1 reported no change. Patients who complied with home care instructions responded better to therapy in most instances.” “These preliminary findings suggest that joint mobilization and manipulation are safe conservative procedures to use in the treatment of patients with lateral column foot pain in status post plantar fasciotomy.” JMPT – June 2006;29:398-402. http://www.mosby.com/jmpt

ADJUSTMENTS INFLUENCE BLOOD PRESSURE Chiropractic adjustments may affect blood pressure, according to a new report. Researchers compared 35 chiropractic patients with an equal number of matched controls. Before and after receiving a chiropractic adjustment, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were recorded in both arms of the experimental subjects. The study found that “chiropractic treatment appears to have an effect on the difference in systolic blood pressure between the arms, which is not shown in the control group or the diastolic treatment group values.” JMPT – January 2006;29:46-50. http://www.mosby.com/jmpt

CHIROPRACTIC ADJUSTMENTS RESTORE IMPAIRED HEARING The first chiropractic adjustment preformed in 1895 was reported to cure a patient’s deafness. Now a new study indicates that chiropractic adjustments may indeed restore hearing. Investigators looked at 9 men and 6 women with impaired hearing, which was greater on the right. Hearing tests were conducted before and after the individuals received their first chiropractic adjustments. Findings showed that “At 40dB using the Ventry & Weinstein criteria, 6 had hearing restored, 7 improved and 2 had no change. At 25dB using the Speech-frequency criteria, none were restored, 11 improved, 4 had no change and 3 missed a tone.” The study’s authors conclude that “a percentage of patients presenting to the chiropractor have a mild to moderate hearing loss, most notably in the right ear. The clinical progress documented in this report suggests that manipulation delivered to the neuromusculoskeletal system may create central plastic changes in the auditory system.” Chiropractic & Osteopathy – January 2006;14:2. http://www.chiroandosteo.com/