Chiropractic Literature


Now that some of the basics of anatomy regarding your spinal system are understood, it will be easier to understand how chiropractic care might change and improve neurological function with a myriad of health benefits as a byproduct.


A 2015 study in the Journal of Experimental Brain Research showed that a single chiropractic treatment improved cortical drive (measured via SEMG on the maximum voluntary contraction of planar flexors) and reduced muscle fatigue compared to the control group.10


A 2016 study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed improvement in sensorimotor function and multiple sensory integration in elderly adults (through testing static posture, ankle joint position sense, sound- induced flash illusion and choice stepping time) following three chiropractic adjustments.15 the central nervous system.16


Sensorimotor function is a function of


A 2016 study also published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed very interesting findings in a cohort of women, some who were in their second trimester of pregnancy and some who were not pregnant. The women who received chiropractic care while pregnant showed an increase in elevator hiatal area indicating relaxation of the pelvic floor which was confirmed with trans-perineal ultrasound.


This


relaxation of the pelvic floor muscles did not occur in the non-pregnant cohort which indicates that chiropractic care is not only changing how the brain regulates muscles, but that the change is intelligent to specific life stages.17


This critical understanding


of chiropractic care which works with the body towards normal function, differs greatly from pharmacology which is often dose dependent towards a particular outcome regardless of whether that outcome is helpful or harmful to the body.


A 2016 study published in the Journal of Neural Plasticity showed that a single chiropractic adjustment improved somatosensory processing at the cortical level, specifically within the prefrontal cortex as verified on 62-lead brain EEG.19


This study


shows untapped potential for chiropractic care in the management and reversal of mental health problems as the prefrontal cortex is one of the primary centers of the brain responsible for emotional regulation, decision making, social cognition, and psychopathology.20


A 2018 study published in the Journal of Electromyography and Kinesiology showed that a single chiropractic treatment reduces the cortical silent period and increases the threshold for motoneurons excitability in the low limb muscles.11


What this means


in lay terms is that a single chiropractic adjustment is showing a positive effect on the brain’s ability to regulate leg muscle function.


A 2024 study published in the Journal of Brain Science showed that changes in brain waves following chiropractic care lead to improved overall quality of life, including significant improvement in sleep as well as reduction in anxiety, depression, fatigue and pain.25


A 2024 study published in the medical journal Cureus discusses the “multifaceted influence of chiropractic care on processes of the neuroendocrine-immune system and integrated physiology” including functional improvements in blood pressure, heart rate variability, and sleep following chiropractic care to the spinal system.26


In conclusion, there is good published scientific evidence that chiropractic adjustments positively affect the function of the nervous system through treatment of the spinal system. Hopefully, this data can become regular discussion points within chiropractic offices so that someday in the near future, the spine to nerve connection can become a basic understanding for the general public, medical providers, politicians, and regulatory figures.


See page 24 for citations for this article.


Additionally, this non-chiropractic study published in the medical journal Clinical Neurophysiology in 2020 reports that the ability to modulate motoneuron excitability is “profoundly important for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of neurological disorders”.13


A 2019 meta-analysis published in the journal Headaches found that multiple studies indicated that chiropractic treatments reduced migraine days as well as reducing pain and intensity.18


A 2020 study published in the journal ACTA Biomedica indicates that chiropractic care and adjustments help with the regulation of the autonomic nervous system at both a peripheral and central nervous system level and could be considered an “effective therapy for major depression.”21


Several studies published in 2019 and 2020 in the journals Brain Science and Scientific Reports indicate that a single session of chiropractic care increased the amplitude of the N30 SEP peak (i.e. brain function) as well as the patient’s functional connectivity between different parts of the brain in chronic stroke patients as verified by brain EEG.22,23


Additionally, increases in muscle strength


were noted in connection with increases in the V-wave and H-reflex, further indicators of chiropractic care changing central nervous system function and regulation.24


A 2021 study published in the European Journal of Pain discussed that neck and back pain are the primary cases of disability world- wide, accounting for more than 10% of the total years lived with disability. The study goes into reviewing the mechanisms of chiropractic care and the likelihood of chiropractic inhibiting pain through changing function in the spinal cord.14


Ple x u s April/May 20 2 5


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