Examinations of 160 students revealed that the average student’s backpack weighs the equivalent of 18% of their body weight, which is above the 10- 15% recommended by experts to reduce the risk for backpack-related musculoskeletal pain. Additionally, researchers observed that while wearing a backpack, students adopted a more forward head posture, which can increase the…

Among a group of 43 patients with cervical radiculopathy, those treated with thoracic spinal manipulation experienced improvements in pain, function, cervical range of motion, and deep neck flexor endurance that were not experienced by participants who received a sham treatment. Doctors of chiropractic often utilize spinal manipulation in the management of patients with cervical radiculopathy.…

Examinations of 73 children and adolescents with a history of concussion found that 90% had impairments in at least three of five assessment categories: posture, myofascial impairment, joint mobility, muscle strength, and joint proprioception. The study findings reveal a high prevalence of cervical spine impairments in children and teens with a history of mild-traumatic brain…

In this study, researchers observed that after inducing neck pain, participants experienced a reduction in mid-back stability. The findings suggest that pain in one area of the spine can affect stability in other spinal regions, which may increase the risk for the development of pain in those areas as well. This underscores the importance of…

A review of data from eight random controlled trials found that a single application of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) can improve lower limb neurodynamics (length of mobility of various components of the nervous system) and the range of motion of the legs. The authors of the review recommend future research using standardized neurodynamic tests to…

In a study that involved 29 patients with chronic low back pain, researchers observed that participants treated with six sessions of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) not only experienced improvements related to low back pain and disability but also in pressure point thresholds in both the lower back and lower extremities up to a week after…

Examinations of 31 patients with self-reported sinus headaches and 30 patients without a history of headaches revealed that neck pain and cervical musculoskeletal dysfunction were common among those with sinus headaches and may be a contributing factor to headaches attributed to sinusitis. The researchers recommend further studies to understand these associations. Chiropractors often treat patients…

Among a group of 236 patients with dizziness, researchers found that 59% also suffered from neck pain. Furthermore, those with neck pain reported a lower quality of life and worse dizziness symptoms. The findings suggest that dizziness may be a symptom associated with cervical dysfunction. Doctors of chiropractic are trained to assess patients with both…

Among a group of 702 intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, 97% reported experiencing one or more work-related musculoskeletal disorder during the previous year, with back pain (80.1%), neck pain (78.6%), and shoulder pain (70.4%) being the most common complaints. Workplace Health & Safety, December 2018

A recent article published in the American Family Physician notes that spinal manipulative therapy can provide short-term improvement in patients with acute or chronic low back pain and is comparable to other standard treatments. For patients with neck pain, the current research shows cervical manipulation/mobilization provides better short-term pain relief and improved function when compared…