Newsletter Articles
January 2025

• Multiple Problems After Failed Back Surgery Helped by Chiropractic
• Chiropractic Helps Athletic Performance
• Study Shows Chiropractic Has Positive Effect on Brain Function
• Chiropractic Helped Low Back Pain and Increased Lung Function

Multiple Problems After Failed Back Surgery Helped by Chiropractic

On January 1, 2025, the first-quarter issue of the Asian Pacific Chiropractic Journal published the results of a case study showing chiropractic helping a patient who was suffering with a variety of pain issues in her lower back, legs, shoulders and neck. The patient had undergone unsuccessful spinal surgery in their lower back five years previously.

Failed back surgery is a common problem in healthcare. A report published by the National Library of Medicine's National Center for Biotechnology Information states that "Failed back surgery syndrome is reported to affect between 10 to 40% of patients following back surgery."

The authors of this study also highlight the issue of failed back surgery by quoting the editors of the Department of Orthopedic Surgery at Georgetown Medical Center in Washington, DC, "The world of spinal medicine, unfortunately, is producing patients with failed back surgery syndrome at an alarming rate. There is growing frustration over the lack of progress in the surgical treatment of degenerative disc disease. Despite a steady stream of technological innovations over the past 15 years, from pedical screws to fusion cages to artificial discs, there is little evidence that patient outcomes have improved."

In this case, a 52-year-old woman who had undergone spinal laminectomy surgery at the lower spine five years previously, sought chiropractic care for relief from her variety of symptoms. At that time, she was suffering with pain in her left hip, buttock, groin, leg, calf and ankle that had been present for five months. Additionally, the woman was suffering with painful plantar fasciitis and frozen shoulders for the prior three years.

The woman stated that sitting for too long made her pain unbearable. She rated her back, hip, leg and foot pain as a 10 out of 10 and said that she suffered with these problems for "7 days out of the week." Prior to her problems, the woman was very active but was now unable to participate in many of the activities she enjoyed.

After a detailed chiropractic and orthopedic examination, specific forms of chiropractic care were started. The study recorded that within a four week period and after five chiropractic visits, the woman reported that all of her symptoms had been resolved and she only had some minor residual stiffness. A follow-up two years later showed that none of her symptoms had returned, and she was once again able to engage in the life and family activities she enjoyed.

The authors of this study highlight the importance of chiropractic care being tried before irreversible spinal surgery is considered. "Most importantly, this case report demonstrates the continued ineffectiveness and overuse of spine surgery. More people need to understand the risks and costs before embarking on a path to potential failed back surgery. People also need to know there is a better solution, chiropractic care, that is getting the recognition it has long deserved. Around the world there are millions people who are now addicted to strong medications for their chronic back pain from failed back surgeries."

Chiropractic Helps Athletic Performance

The online publication ResearchGate published a research excerpt of a book in November 2024, reviewing research showing chiropractic helping athletic performance. The research article is inside a book with the title "Complementary Medicine from Ancient times to the Present." The research chapter dealing with chiropractic is titled, "The Role of Chiropractic Applications in Enhancing Athletic Performance."

The authors begin by explaining that multiple factors influence athletic performance. "The enhancement of athlete performance necessitates the incorporation of a multifaceted approach, encompassing physical, nutritional, training and psychological strategies." They continue by explaining the role chiropractic plays in athletic performance, "The impact of chiropractic interventions on athletic performance has been explored through a range of avenues. Spinal manipulations have been demonstrated to enhance pain management by facilitating increased joint mobility and reducing pressure on nerve roots."

In this chapter of the book, the authors discuss the findings from the scientific research they have reviewed. They note that there is a volume of evidence showing that chiropractic care is beneficial for athletic performance not only in the area of injury prevention and recovery, but also in improvement in overall performance, function, and well-being.

The authors describe how chiropractic helps performance by explaining, "Chiropractic treatment aims to promote optimal function of the nervous system through manual intervention to correct misalignments (subluxations) and joint dysfunction in the spine. Underlying this approach is the belief that the health of the nervous system has a critical impact on overall well-being and function."

Based on their findings, the authors make the recommendation that chiropractic should be included for athletic enhancement and performance. "Chiropractic is one of the most important strategies for optimizing athletic performance. This treatment method aims to improve the overall performance of athletes by improving spinal alignment and nervous system function."

In the conclusion the authors wrote, "The effects of chiropractic on improving athletic performance have been clearly demonstrated in an extensive literature review. Chiropractic is considered to be an effective method of optimizing athletic performance and accelerating the healing process following injury."

Study Shows Chiropractic Has Positive Effect on Brain Function

The Journal Brain Science published a study on November 7, 2024, that documented the positive changes in brain function due to chiropractic care. The changes were measured by scientific technology measuring various aspects of brain function before and after chiropractic care.

The researchers involved in this study, who were primarily from New Zealand, were looking for possible mechanisms to explain how chiropractic care could have such a wide positive effect on people's health. They explained, "…the results from this study, exploring the impact of chiropractic care on subjective, behavioural, and brain network functional connectivity, help to explain the mechanisms of the wide-ranging clinical improvements observed following chiropractic care."

This study was conducted on 76 individuals who were all suffering from chronic lower back pain. The participants were randomly placed into two groups with 38 people in each group. One group was the control group while the other group received regular chiropractic care for four weeks. All participants were tested at the beginning of the study before any care was rendered. All the participants, including the group that did not receive chiropractic care, were tested again after their initial visit. Everyone was then again tested four weeks later.

To determine if there were changes in brain function, the tests that were performed included resting electroencephalography (EEG), somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs), clinical health assessments using continual reading on a Fitbit, and Patient-reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS-29). The results of these tests were reviewed for functional changes as well as for which parts of the brain were being affected by chiropractic care.

The results of this study documented that the participants who received chiropractic care showed improvements in all areas of brain functions that were tested. These improvements have positive effects on life situations such as sleep, anxiety, depression, fatigue, memory and pain.

Chiropractic care achieves the results in this study through the correction of vertebral subluxations. "Chiropractic care is based on the premise that correcting vertebral subluxations improves central neural function, improving human performance and clinical outcomes," states the study authors. They also explain, "Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to influence various aspects of neurophysiology, including somatosensory processing, sensorimotor integration, and motor control all crucial for executing motor tasks accurately and recovering from central nervous system injuries."

Chiropractic Helped Low Back Pain and Increased Lung Function

The first-quarter issue of the Asian Pacific Chiropractic Journal published on January 1, 2025, documented the improvement of both chronic lower back pain and lung function in a patient undergoing chiropractic care. This study begins by noting just how prevalent lower back pain is. "Chronic lower back pain (CLBP) is a pervasive condition that affects a significant portion of the global population, with studies estimating that up to 80% of adults experience lower back pain at some point in their lives."

The authors of this study also point out that there is a direct correlation between lower back pain and poor posture. Poor posture can be both the result of long-term back pain, as well as a contributing factor causing back pain. They also note that abnormal spinal postures "can significantly impact the mechanics of breathing."

In this case, a 37-year-old man whose primary occupation involved working at a desk, went to the chiropractor to see if he could get help for his chronic lower back problem. The man stated that he had been suffering with lower back pain for the previous five years. He described the pain as dull and intermittent and would get significantly worse if he sat for prolonged periods of time.

A chiropractic examination was performed which showed spinal misalignments and postural irregularities. The postural issues prompted testing the patient's lung functions using spirometry. Spirometry is a pulmonary function test that measures lung function by assessing the amount and speed of air that can be inhaled and exhaled. The results of the spirometry test show deficiencies in the man's lung functions.

Specific forms of chiropractic care were started, and the man was seen twice weekly for 12 weeks. At that point, a re-evaluation was performed to check on the man's progress. At that time, he reported that he had not had any back pain for three weeks and was no longer having the pain he had for the previous five years. The evaluation also showed that his posture had significantly improved compared to when he first started chiropractic care.

A follow-up spirometry test was also performed. The results of his second spirometry showed considerable improvements in all parameters, indicating his breathing and lungs had returned to completely functioning normally.

In the discussion section of this case report, the authors stated, "The findings of this case study are consistent with existing literature that elucidates the positive effects of chiropractic care on both structural alignment and respiratory function."