 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:
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 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
 Getting older can bring some challenges including stiffness, slower movements and greater risks of falling. For many older adults, maintaining mobility and balance isn’t just a comfort factor but assists in staying independent, strong and safe.
As we age, several physiological changes can affect our movements, including:
Gentle spinal and joint adjustments can help restore range of motion in stiff or arthritic areas. Improved joint mechanics support more efficient, pain-free movement. A randomized clinical trial published in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies (2019) found that spinal manipulative therapy combined with exercise significantly improved mobility and decreased pain in older adults with chronic low back pain [1]. Manual therapy can also stimulate sensory receptors in the joints and spine, improving how the brain perceives body position—crucial for balance and coordination. In a 2016 study published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic adjustments improved sensorimotor function and joint position sense in older adults, potentially reducing fall risk [2]. Another study by Holt et al. (2016) found that chiropractic adjustments positively influenced reaction time and muscle control, both essential for balance [3]. Fear of falling can limit physical activity, which accelerates loss of strength and stability. Chiropractic care supports safer movement patterns and empowers seniors to stay active. A 2018 cohort study in Pain Medicine found that older adults who visited a chiropractor were 49% less likely to fill an opioid prescription, suggesting that chiropractic may help reduce reliance on risky medications often used for pain [4]. Additionally, improved spinal alignment and proprioception contribute to better gait and posture, which are strongly associated with fall prevention. If you know an older person struggling with some of these issues, why not send them in to see if we can help them reach their optimal health. References
 Research shows that chiropractic care is a great option to help you feel your best without breaking the bank. (1, 2)
Cost can be a big factor when we make decisions about our healthcare. Researchers have been looking at the most cost-effective healthcare options for people with back and neck pain. For patients with neck or back pain, chiropractic care is a very cost-effective option and costs less in the long term than medical care or physical therapy.(1-3) Researchers reviewed 9 years of claims data from an insurance scheme in North Carolina that included about 660,000 people and over 6 million back and neck pain claims. (1, 2) They considered the patient’s age, gender, and health history and then looked at how much each claim cost based on whether the care provider was a medical doctor, physical therapist, or a chiropractor. They also looked at the cost of the claim if they offered the patients advice, hoping they’d get better by themselves and not need any healthcare. In these studies, they found that the claims for the patients a chiropractor saw cost significantly less than those managed by another healthcare provider. In fact, by the final year of this 9-year study, the cost of a claim was 2 to 5 times more expensive when a chiropractor was not one of the care providers. And the claims managed by a chiropractor cost even less than the claims for patients who were given advice alone because it would appear that those people ended up taking more time off work than those who saw a chiropractor. References
 Last Week we spoke about how people go to see a chiropractor for many different reasons. (1) Some go because they’re in pain, some go because they want to perform better on the sporting field, and some want to sleep better. But did you know that almost 50% of chiropractic patients go to their chiropractor because they simply want to maintain their health and well-being?
Maintenance care is when patients go to a chiropractor even when they are not in pain or discomfort. The idea with maintenance care is that regular adjustments will help maintain your spine and nervous system function at its optimal level and help you to be your best and to prevent new episodes of pain from developing. (2) The Study The research tells us that chiropractic maintenance care makes perfect sense. A study published by researchers from Sweden in 2018 (2) showed the benefits of maintenance care in a group of people who suffered from low back pain. In this study, the researchers followed 328 patients with low back pain who went to 40 different Swedish chiropractic clinics. If the patients responded well when they were first adjusted they joined the study and received chiropractic maintenance care over the next year or symptom-guided care. The maintenance care patients were seen every 1 to 3 months with the intention being that they were checked before substantial pain reoccurred. Patients in the control group were told to call if and when pain recurred. They were then adjusted until they got better, and they were told to call again if the pain returned. What the researchers were most interested in was the number of days of bothersome back pain suffered by each group throughout the 1-year trial period. What they found was that the maintenance care group experienced 13 fewer days of pain over the course of the study on average compared to the symptom-guided group. The amazing thing from this study was that the maintenance care group needed less than 2 extra visits to their chiropractor over the course of a year to have 13 fewer days of pain. This suggests that patients who have had low back pain, and who respond well to care, should see their chiropractor regularly, irrespective of whether their symptoms have returned or not. This study did have some limitations of course. One limitation was that chiropractors were told not to schedule their maintenance care patients more frequently than once a month. So some patients in this group may have benefited even more if the chiropractors had been able to schedule their visits more frequently if they thought that was a good idea. This study shows that it’s important to keep your spine working well, even if you don’t have pain or symptoms. So, if you want to function at your optimal potential consider chiropractic maintenance care because the research suggests your spine will love you for it! References
 People go to see a chiropractor for many different reasons. (1) Some go because they’re in pain, some go because they want to perform better on the sporting field, and some want to sleep better.
But did you know that almost 50% of chiropractic patients go to their chiropractor because they simply want to maintain their health and well-being? Maintenance care is when patients go to a chiropractor even when they are not in pain or discomfort. The idea with maintenance care is that regular adjustments will help maintain your spine and nervous system function at its optimal level and help you to be your best and to prevent new episodes of pain from developing. (2) What does the research say about maintenance care? It makes sense to look after your health, so you don’t get sick, right? And that often you get sick because you have been pushing yourself too hard and you’ve become run down? The research tells us that your spine can get run down too, long before you feel pain. We know that if your brain doesn’t send appropriate protective messages to your core trunk muscles, you will have a higher risk of developing low back injuries. (3) This makes sense because a lack of core stability means you’re creating mini whiplash injuries to your spine each time you move around or lift your arm or leg. If you end up in pain after bending down to tie your shoelaces your pain hasn’t just come out of the blue, it’s usually been developing for some time without you knowing about it. It’s often the thousandth straw that breaks the camel’s back. All of life’s stressors can build up and impact the way your brain is communicating with your trunk muscles and then all that is needed is one last minor thing to go wrong, and you end up with pain. The goal of maintenance care is to help take the straws off your camels back before they cause symptoms or have a big impact on your life. So, the research tells us that chiropractic maintenance care makes perfect sense. References
 Central Sensitisation Syndrome (CSS) is a condition where the nervous system becomes overly sensitive to pain stimuli, leading to chronic pain that persists even after an injury has healed. This heightened sensitivity occurs due to changes in the brain and spinal cord, making normal sensations feel painful and amplifying discomfort. Conditions such as fibromyalgia, migraines, and chronic fatigue syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome etc, are often linked to central sensitisation.(1) Symptoms include widespread pain, fatigue, sleep disturbances, and difficulty concentrating, commonly known as "brain fog."
Managing CSS requires a multifaceted approach that addresses both the nervous system's hypersensitivity and overall well-being. Lifestyle modifications, stress management, physical therapy, and tailored pain management strategies are key components of treatment. Many CSS sufferers and medical professionals focus on the “pain” itself, however, are yet to address the biological, phycological and social factors that are in play. Research has found biophychosocial factors are a significant influence in people living with chronic pain.(1) For example, CSS sufferers with poor sleep, socially unsupported, unstable income etc, are likely to experience greater amounts of disability compared to those more supported. How Chiropractic Care Can Help with Chronic Pain Chiropractic care can be a valuable tool in managing chronic pain associated with central sensitisation. Soft tissue techniques, spinal manipulations, acupuncture, aerobic exercises are some of the key component that are proved to be effective in managing chronic pain.(2, 3) On top of that, stress reduction techniques can be a crucial part for ones healing journey. Have a chat to one of our chiropractors in sprouting health and see how we can help manage your concerns with our variety of different techniques we offer. Reference 1. Adams LM, Turk DC. Psychosocial factors and central sensitivity syndromes. Curr Rheumatol Rev. 2015;11(2):96-108. 2. Schneider M, Vernon H, Ko G, Lawson G, Perera J. Chiropractic Management of Fibromyalgia Syndrome: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2009;32(1):25-40. 3. Vernon H, Schneider M. Chiropractic Management of Myofascial Trigger Points and Myofascial Pain Syndrome: A Systematic Review of the Literature. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2009;32(1):14-24.  Your Body is intelligent! Do you agree with this? It is true always. Full Stop.
To put it simply, the body-mind-spirit is innately (existing from birth) intelligent, is self healing and self regulating and thus always responds in the most appropriate way. Eg your skin knows how to heal from a cut. The intelligence of the body-mind-spirit is perfect, it is only when we interfere with it, or fail to supply it with the required nutrients, appropriate stress, and movement that illness results. Illness also results when we have toxicity in our diet. Symptoms and “diseases” are simply signs that the intelligence of the body-mind-spirit is under stress and is being forced to try to adapt. Symptoms and illnesses are not indications that the body-mind-spirit is inherently prone to failures; they are signs that we are failing to provide the proper environment to support it. The goal of wellness interventions then is to support, or to stop chronic interferences and stresses to, the perfect intelligence of the body-mind-spirit so that the normal state of homeostasis and health can be restored or maintained. This is the first premise of TRUE health. 3 Short steps to getting healthy:
When you provide your body with the right movement, foods and appropriate amount of rest and stress you can thrive. Get in for a thorough check over in all of these aspects at Sprouting Health.  The health and wellbeing of children today is showing some alarming areas of decline and is becoming a bit of a concern (1). Along with this, it is seen that there is an increasing number of neurodevelopmental disorders seen in school aged children, which may be associated with this decline (2). Do you have a loved one who’s not the best with their overall health and wellbeing, affecting their quality of life? This important article can make the world of difference to you.
“Data from the US National Survey of Children’s health from 2016 to 2020, showed an increase in rates of anxiety, depression, behavioural disorders and obesity. It also showed declining rates of preventative medical visits, daily physical activity, and decline in parents mental health.” (1) Neurodevelopmental disorders covers conditions like autism spectrum disorder (ASD), dyslexia, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), dyspraxia, dyscalculia, dysphonia, Tourette syndrome, synaesthesia, and other distinctions in behaviour and neurobiology (2). It is currently estimated that it affects around 15% of school aged children, with ADHD having a prevalence of around 5-11% (2). It has been increasing over the last decade, with the prevalence of ADHD being 8% in 2011/12, and current data from a 2022/23 National Survey of Children’s Health showing 10.5% of the population age 3-17 years in the US have ADD or ADHD (3). In Australia, around 1 in every 20 Australians has ADHD, and more than 3 in 4 children diagnosed with ADHD in childhood still have symptoms as an adult (4). Conditions of neurodevelopmental disorders are associated with several health and wellbeing difficulties, including poor sleep, poor school performance, gross motor function deficits, musculoskeletal pain, headaches, digestive issues and other physical complaints (5-9). Can chiropractic help with supporting children who are affected by these conditions? In a recent research literature, a retrospective review of case records of school-aged children receiving chiropractic care was done. The sample of cases were children aged 5-18 years attending a public school in the US. The children were offered chiropractic care if they were identified by teachers/educators as having a neurodevelopmental disorder, or if it was requested by the child’s caregiver due to musculoskeletal and/or other health complaints, and were assessed and screened for eligibility to receive chiropractic care by the chiropractors providing the care. In this review, children who received chiropractic care found significant improvements in several areas, mainly in the health and activity domain and the overall score of the paediatrics quality of life questionnaire, which reflects enhanced self-reported quality of life related to health and activities (10). Though more research would be needed to further substantiate these findings as this case series only involved 180 children, early findings indicate positive influence of chiropractic care in supporting the health and wellbeing of children with these conditions. So if you want to find out if chiropractic care may help improve the overall quality of life for you or your loved ones, have a chat with one of our chiropractors to see how they can assist. “Childhood is a period of huge growth and development so it’s important to help support children to maximise their quality of life in this sensitive period” 1. Lebrun-Harris, L.A., Ghandour, R.M., Kogan, M.D. and Warren, M.D., 2022. Five-year trends in US children’s health and well-being, 2016-2020. JAMA pediatrics, 176(7), pp.e220056-e220056. 2. Francés, L., Quintero, J., Fernández, A., Ruiz, A., Caules, J., Fillon, G., Hervás, A. and Soler, C.V., 2022. Current state of knowledge on the prevalence of neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood according to the DSM-5: a systematic review in accordance with the PRISMA criteria. Child and adolescent psychiatry and mental health, 16(1), p.27. 3. Initiative, T.C.A.H.a.M. 2024. Data Resource Center for Child & Adolescent Health. 4. Australia, H., 2024. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).3. Boivin, M.J., Kakooza, A.M., Warf, B.C., Davidson, L.L. and Grigorenko, E.L., 2015. Reducing neurodevelopmental disorders and disability through research and interventions. Nature, 527(7578), pp.S155-S160. 5. Gnanavel, S., Sharma, P., Kaushal, P. and Hussain, S., 2019. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and comorbidity: A review of literature. World journal of clinical cases, 7(17), p.2420. 6. Landgren, V., Svensson, L., Törnhage, C.J., Theodosious, M., Gillberg, C., Johnson, M., Knez, R. and Landgren, M., 2024. Neurodevelopmental problems, general health and academic achievements in a school‐based cohort of 11‐year‐old Swedish children. Acta Paediatrica, 113(3), pp.506-516. 7. King-Dowling, S., Proudfoot, N.A. and Obeid, J., 2019. Comorbidity among chronic physical health conditions and neurodevelopmental disorders in childhood. Current Developmental Disorders Reports, 6, pp.248-258. 8. Blackmer, A.B. and Feinstein, J.A., 2016. Management of sleep disorders in children with neurodevelopmental disorders: a review. Pharmacotherapy: The Journal of Human Pharmacology and Drug Therapy, 36(1), pp.84-98. 9. Alabaf, S., Gillberg, C., Lundström, S., Lichtenstein, P., Kerekes, N., Råstam, M. and Anckarsäter, H., 2019. Physical health in children with neurodevelopmental disorders. Journal of Autism and Developmental Disorders, 49, pp.83-95. 10. Duehr, J., Cook, L., Blonigen, A., Cade, A., Glucina, T., Buerger, M., Sullivan, S., Perez, T., Navid, M.S., Niazi, I.K. and Haavik, H., 2025. Retrospective review of case records of school-aged children receiving chiropractic care. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies.  Did you know that 50-70% of pregnant women experience low back or pelvic pain? While this discomfort is common, it doesn’t have to disrupt your daily life. Let’s explore its causes and effective ways to manage it.
Understanding the Causes
How Chiropractic care can help Chiropractic care during pregnancy is an effective way to: ✔ Relieve back, neck, hip, and joint pain. ✔ Improve posture and spinal alignment. ✔ Address and help manage symptoms like nausea, swelling, and indigestion. Research also suggests chiropractic care may improve pregnancy outcomes, including reducing labor duration and creating more space for your baby to grow. The Bottom Line Pregnancy is a transformative journey—while back pain may be part of it, it doesn’t have to take over. With the right strategies and support, you can stay comfortable and focus on the excitement of bringing new life into the world. For specific, tailored care, consider visiting Sprouting Health Chiropractic. We’re here to support you every step of the way. Some Daily strategies for relief
References [1] Beliveau PJH, Wong JJ, Sutton DA, et al. The chiropractic profession: A scoping review. Chiropr Man Therap. 2017. [2] Alcantara J, Nazarenko AL, Ohm J. Patient outcomes under chiropractic care using the Webster Technique. J Altern Complement Med. 2018. [3] Borggren CL. Pregnancy and chiropractic: A narrative review. J Chiropr Med. 2007. [4] Higginbottom MC, Jones KL, James HE. Intrauterine constraint and craniosynostosis. Neurosurgery. 1980. |
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May 2025
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