The Science Behind Chiropactic

by Michelle Greenspan

Doctor of Chiropractic, Certified Chiropractic Extremity Practitioner,
Certified Independent Chiropractic Forensic Medical Examiner

If you have never been to a chiropractor before, you may be wondering if chiropractic really works and what is the science behind it. On a monthly basis, I will share with you current scientific studies related to the science, art and philosophy of chiropractic.  

Chiropractic Treatment Improves
Movement Time and Proprioception

For this month's topic I would like to submit to you two studies. The first study demonstrates chiropractics effect on athletic ability. The second study establishes chiropractic's effect on movement time.

Much recent research has demonstrated that low back pain can be related to perceptual and behavioral changes in people ranging from reduced proprioception to changes in muscle recruitment patterns and even altered kinematics. These two studies help supply evidence of the relationship of chiropractic adjustments to changes in motor behavior.

It is becoming very common for athletes to use chiropractic care for treatment of musculoskeletal injuries. In addition, athletes have reported enhanced athletic performance following spinal and/or extremity adjusting (manipulation). Many professional and amateur sports teams have chiropractors on their staff. Even Lance Armstrong, regularly used a chiropractor during his Tour de France competitions.

Previously, when I competed on a national level in powerlifting, chiropractic adjustments helped my athletic performance significantly.

If you are an athlete or even "weekend warriors", chiropractic can provide a valuable service by structurally treating mechanical dysfunction, that can manifest in a number of ways.

In service,
Michelle G. Greenspan, D.C.

Study #1
Chiropractic Effects On Athletic Ability.
Lauro A. Mouch B. Chiropractic: The Journal of Chiropractic Research and Clinical Investigation. 1991; 6:84-87.

Fifty athletes were tested. They were divided into two groups. One group received chiropractic adjustments, the other served as controls.

Eleven tests were used to measure aspects of athletic ability including: agility, balance, kinesthetic perception, power, and reaction time.

After 6 weeks, the control group exhibited minor improvement in eight of the 11 tests while the chiropractic group improved significantly in all 11 tests.

In a hand reaction test measuring the speed of reaction with the hand in response to a visual stimulus, the control group exhibited less than a 1% response while the chiropractic group exhibited more than an 18% response after 6 weeks. After 12 weeks the chiropractic group exhibited more than 30% improvement.

Study #2
The Effect of Chiropractic Adjustments on Movement Time: A Pilot Study Using Fitts Law
(Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics) Volume 29, Issue 4, Pages 257-266 (May 2006)
Dean L. Smith, DC, PhDa, Marvin J. Dainoff, PhDb, Jane P. Smith, DCc

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of chiropractic adjustments on movement time using Fitts Law.

METHODS: This was a prospective, randomized controlled trial. Ten patients from a private chiropractic practice participated. Participants in the treatment group received high-velocity, low-amplitude chiropractic adjustments to areas of joint dysfunction (chiropractic subluxation). A nonintervention group was used to control for improvement resulting from time and practice effects.
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.

RESULTS: 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 difference (improvement) scores after the intervention were significantly greater for the chiropractic group compared with the control group as measured by a 2-tailed independent samples t test (P < .05).

CONCLUSION: The results of this study demonstrated a significant improvement in movement time with chiropractic care. These results suggest that spinal adjustments may influence motor behavior.