 Traumatic brain injury is a change in typical brain function that affects neurologic function after some sort of external force to the head (1). Annually there is around 170,000 children and adolescents, who have sports and recreation-related traumatic brain injuries (2). Have you or a loved one experience a traumatic brain injury or participating in sports or activities that may increase the risk of injury? This is an important article that can make the world of difference to you.
“More than 450,000 Australians have a brain injury, and almost 3 out of 4 people with brain injury are under 65 in Australia” (3,4) There is now a greater awareness of potential short and long term sequelae of athletes who suffer brain injuries, such as increased propensity to reinjure, cognitive slowing, early onset Alzheimer’s, second impact syndrome etc (5-8). With youth sport participation continuing to grow, the incidence of brain injury is proportionally increasing as well (2). Although symptoms can vary depending on the area of the brain that is injured, visual symptoms are common following, even mild traumatic brain injuries, as many areas of the brain is involved with processing vision and control of the eyes (9). Visual symptoms can include oculomotor dysfunction including disorders of convergence and accommodation, poorer fixation, slower or less accurate saccades, poorer pursuit movements, and modification of the vestibulo-ocular reflex (10). Can chiropractic be a part of the recovery management of post traumatic brain injuries? In a recent research literature, 40 young adults with persistent post concussion syndrome following mild traumatic brain injury, took part in a single-blind, randomised controlled intervention study. They were randomly allocated to either chiropractic care or active control intervention. The change in computerised eye-tracker assessment outcomes following intervention were looked at. The computerised eye tracker assessment included egocentric localisation, fixation stability, pursuit, saccades, stroop, and the vestibulo-ocular reflex. These markers were used to assess oculomotor function, visual attention/processing, and selective attention. It was found that the participants who received chiropractic care had significantly improved static and dynamic gaze stability and performance in the Stroop test, compared with a control intervention (11). The results suggests that chiropractic can help with management by alleviating certain visual and cognitive symptoms. Though it’s a small sample size and larger studies would be helpful in further substantiating these findings, the results so far are quite positive. So if you want to find out if chiropractic care may help assist traumatic brain injury recovery for you or your loved ones, have a chat with one of our chiropractors to see how they can assist. “It’s important to get your body as healthy as possible for the best recovery from any injury” 1. Cassidy JD, Carroll LJ, Peloso PM, et al. Incidence, risk factors and prevention of mild traumatic brain injury: results of the WHO Collaborating Centre Task Force on Mild Traumatic Brain Injury. J Rehabil Med. 2004:(43 suppl):28-60. https://doi.org/10.1080/16501960410023732. 2. Gilchrist, J., Thomas, K.E., Xu, L., McGuire, L.C. and Coronado, V.G., 2011. Nonfatal sports and recreation related traumatic brain injuries among children and adolescents treated in emergency departments in the United States, 2001–2009. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep, 60(39), pp.1337-1342. 3.Australian Institute of Health and Welfare, 2023. 4.Australia Institute of Health and Welfare, 2007. 5. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 1997. Sports-related recurrent brain injuries--United States. MMWR: Morbidity and mortality weekly report, 46(10), pp.224-227. 6. McCrory, P.R. and Berkovic, S.F., 1998. Second impact syndrome. Neurology, 50(3), pp.677-683. 7. Jordan, B.D., Relkin, N.R., Ravdin, L.D., Jacobs, A.R., Bennett, A. and Gandy, S., 1997. Apolipoprotein E∈ 4 associated with chronic traumatic brain injury in boxing. Jama, 278(2), pp.136-140. 8. De Beaumont, L., Lassonde, M., Leclerc, S. and Théoret, H., 2007. Long-term and cumulative effects of sports concussion on motor cortex inhibition. Neurosurgery, 61(2), pp.329-337. 9. Merezhinskaya, N., Mallia, R.K., Park, D., Bryden, D.W., Mathur, K. and Barker, F.M., 2019. Visual deficits and dysfunctions associated with traumatic brain injury: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Optometry and Vision Science, 96(8), pp.542-555. 10. Cade, A. and Turnbull, P.R., 2022. Clinical testing of mild traumatic brain injury using computerised eye-tracking tests. Clinical and experimental optometry, 105(7), pp.680-686. 11. Cade, A.E. and Turnbull, P.R., 2024. Effect of Chiropractic Intervention on Oculomotor and Attentional Visual Outcomes in Young Adults With Long-Term Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: A Randomized Controlled Trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 47(1-4), pp.1-11.
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 Breathe Better, Feel Better: Why Deep Breathing Works
We breathe all day, every day—but most of us don’t breathe deeply. Deep, slow breathing (called diaphragmatic or belly breathing) is a simple, powerful tool to help you feel better—physically, mentally, and emotionally. It takes just a few minutes and can be done anytime, anywhere! Why Deep Breathing Matters When we breathe deeply, we activate the “rest and digest” part of our nervous system. This calms the body, reduces stress, and improves oxygen flow to the brain, muscles, and organs. Top Benefits of Deep Breathing Reduces stress and anxiety Improves posture Supports digestion Boosts energy Lowers blood pressure Cleanses the body Enhances immunity Improves sleep Why Sighing? Have you ever let out a big sigh and feel better? That’s your body doing a full reset. Sighing (a double inhale, followed by a long exhale) helps reopen tiny air sacs in the lungs, resets your nervous system, and reduces tension. According to researchers at Stanford, we sigh every few minutes to keep our lungs working properly and maintain emotional balance. It’s like a natural reboot button for your body and mind. Don’t hold it in—let it out. How Chiropractic Can Help You Breathe Easier Your spine, rib cage, and nervous system all play a crucial role in how well you breathe. Misalignments (also called subluxations) in the spine, particularly in the thoracic (mid-back) and cervical (neck) regions, can restrict movement in the rib cage or diaphragm. This can reduce lung expansion, making it harder to take full, deep breaths. Chiropractic adjustments help restore mobility and alignment in the spine and rib joints, improving chest expansion and allowing your lungs to function more efficiently. Better posture also supports healthy breathing by opening up space in your chest and abdomen. Patients often report being able to breathe deeper and feel more relaxed after chiropractic care. 3 Simple Breathing Exercises Your breath is available to you all the time and its free, so here are 3 Simple Breathing exercises to add to your daily routine - try one or more exercise every day for at least 5 minutes in the morning and or evening for the next 7 days. Watch how easy it is to change your body’s response to life's daily stressors. Best times: right after waking, before sleep, during stressful moments. 1. Belly Breathing Sit or lie comfortably. Place one hand on your belly, one on your chest. Inhale slowly through your nose so your belly rises. Exhale gently through your mouth. Repeat 5–10 times. 2. Pause Breathing Inhale deeply through your nose (belly expands). Hold for 2–3 seconds. Exhale slowly for 6 seconds through the nose. Repeat 5–10 times. 3. 2–4 or 3–6 Breathing Inhale for 2–3 seconds. Exhale for twice as long (4–6 seconds). Repeat 5–10 times. If stressed or anxious: These 3 breathing exercises can be done any time and are fantastic at quickly resetting your nervous system out of the sympathetic (stressed) nervous system into the parasympathetic (chilled out) nervous system. Add a sigh on the exhale to see how this further relaxes your body and nervous system. Start Small, Breathe Daily Deep breathing is like training a muscle—it gets easier with practice. Start with just 1–2 minutes a day and build from there. And if you’re dealing with tension, posture issues, or breathing difficulties—chiropractic care can help. Book a visit to see how we can support your breathing and whole-body health. References
 Perhaps what you feel and hear is the “crack” of the spine, then you’d notice that you can move better, feel taller, posture is improving, and the back/neck pain is gone. They’re all great things but is that all an adjustment can do!?
A new publication released 2024, an Integrative Review of many studies explored how Chiropractic care influences health and wellness of the nervous system, endocrine system and immune function1. Chiropractic care is more than just for your back and neck. Research suggests that Chiropractic care:
Chiropractic care can help back pain, neck pain, and other joints and muscle issues. However, Chiropractic care as it is truly intended from the beginning is that it can influence so much more. Everything is connected at the end of the day; all functions of your body are connected through that nervous system of which an adjustment influences. Consider Chiropractic if you want to thrive. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, in pain or not. If you’re interested in living life to the full for as long as you can, spending quality time with your loved ones, then book an appointment with us and we’d love to guide you to be that better version of yourself. References:
 Some people are worried about seeing a chiropractor because they think that chiropractic adjustments might be harmful or dangerous. However, the research relating to chiropractic care shows us that it is remarkably safe1, especially compared to a lot of other healthcare interventions and it’s effective2 and it’s associated with high levels of patient satisfaction.3
Virtually all forms of healthcare are associated with some risk.5 With the sort of manual or ‘hands-on’ procedures that chiropractors use in everyday practice, it’s logical that there is at least some risk that on rare occasions some people may suffer from an adverse event after seeing their chiropractor. A number of researchers have reviewed all the published literature relating to the safety of chiropractic care.6-8 According to these reviews, serious adverse events are very rare and most of the time the scientists weren’t sure if the chiropractic care actually caused the event or not.6-8 “Chiropractic care has an enviable safety record compared to most other healthcare interventions.1,4. “ What is more common with chiropractic care is that some people can feel a bit stiff and sore after they’ve been adjusted, but this usually goes away by itself.1, 6, 7 So, according to the best reviews of all the science literature on this topic, we know that being seriously hurt from seeing your chiropractor is extremely rare.4, 8, 9 In fact, the statistics tell us that you are about 10 times more likely to be seriously injured driving to and from your chiropractor’s office than you are from being seriously injured while seeing your chiropractor.10 Stroke Research Study Despite all of these studies showing how rare adverse events are with chiropractic care, there are still some people who are worried a chiropractic adjustment could cause a stroke. This has also been studied very carefully.8, 11 In two separate studies researchers looked at extremely large patient databases from insurance plans in Canada and America and compared over 2600 patients who had actually suffered from a stroke involving arteries in their neck and they compared them to people who hadn’t had a stroke.8, 11 They looked to see whether the people who had suffered a stroke were more likely to have seen a chiropractor or a medical doctor before suffering from the stroke. What they found was that people who had suffered from one of these strokes were no more likely to have seen a chiropractor than a medical doctor before the stroke occurred. In some groups, they were actually more likely to have visited a medical doctor than a chiropractor before the stroke. What does this mean? These studies suggest that patients who suffer from a stroke after seeing a chiropractor probably went to see the chiropractor because they had neck pain or headaches that had been caused by the early stages of the blood vessel damage that ultimately caused the stroke. So, the stroke had already started before they went to see the chiropractor. It also means that there is no greater risk of suffering from a stroke if you choose to visit a chiropractor compared to the risks of visiting a medical doctor. So, if you or someone you know is worried about seeing a chiropractor, you can rest assured that chiropractic care is associated with very low risk of causing serious harm.6, 7 The risks are so rare that they cannot accurately be estimated,5, 11 and of the risk estimates that have been made, most suggest that serious adverse events associated with chiropractic care happen perhaps every several hundred thousand visits.5, 6 Like any healthcare intervention, some adverse events do of course occur with chiropractic care5, 6 and these adverse events are generally minor and go away by themselves5, 6 and don’t take away from the high levels of patient satisfaction associated with chiropractic care.3 So, despite what some people think, chiropractic has an enviable safety record and you can rest assured that if you go see your chiropractor, you’re in safe hands. If you have any further questions make sure to talk to one of our Drs (DC) at Sprouting Health Chiropractic and Kinesiology. References
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June 2025
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