 What are the odds?
Have you ever overheard people talking about their lower back pain while you are sitting in a cafe enjoying your coffee or during a family gathering? Australian Bureau of Statistics 2017–18 National Health estimates about 4.0 million Australians (16% of the population) have back problems. It is estimated that 70–90% of people will suffer from lower back pain in some form at some point in their lives. (1) Lower back pain is associated with weakened core muscles Our spinal health and stability are supported by different tissues (intervertebral disc, muscles, tendons, ligaments…). Research describes the weakening of the truck and abdominal muscles as one major cause of chronic lower back pain. (2) We observed many people only focus on loosening up their stiff back muscles, but seldom discuss weak core muscles with their chiropractor. In the past decade, core strengthening has been brought back to one of the main protocols in a rehabilitation plan post-injury with athletes, the public and people who suffer lower back pain. (3) Muscle imbalance Your abdomen is a cylinder! Imagine that your spine is sitting at the back of a cylinder, your abdominal wall would be the front of the cylinder, traverse abdominal muscles would be the two sides of your cylinder. (3) When the abdominal walls are weakened, while daily stresses and pressures to your spine remain unchanged, passive tissues such as the discs and spinal joints will take up the duty. Predictably, muscles around your spinal joints tighten up, speeding up spinal degeneration and give you lower back pain. A common misconception is to “suck the belly in” when people are asked to activate their core muscles. In fact, pushing your abdominals out is a better way to take the pressure off your spine. Here are a few steps to help you learn how to activate your core muscles!
Chiropractors are trained to help manage musculoskeletal disorders. If you have any concerns about how a chiropractor can help, consult with one of our chiropractors for a comprehensive health check and let us help you to be your best self possible! References 1. Health AIo, Welfare. Back problems. Canberra: AIHW; 2019. 2. Chang W-D, Lin H-Y, Lai P-T. Core strength training for patients with chronic low back pain. Journal of physical therapy science. 2015;27(3):619-22. 3. Akuthota V, Nadler SF. Core strengthening. Archives of physical medicine and rehabilitation. 2004;85:86-92.
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 Joint pain or injury is common. Neck pain, back pain, hip, shoulder, elbow or knee pain is annoying! This is an important article that could make the world of difference to you if you have any of this.
Even elite athletes have these same issues. “Muscle imbalances exist in a wide range of athletes performing at the elite level and may be related to injury occurrence” (1). Many patients go from one Dr or specialist to another without resolution of their musculoskeletal complaint. Sometimes underlying these physical problems are muscle imbalances. When you have joint pain you feel down and frustrated, it is hard to be in the moment, to be 100% present and to truly enjoy life – performance drops. It is hard to know what to do, there seems to be many options…. When you see someone who lives and breathes treating muscle imbalance every day, someone who is fanatical and is energised every single time they get a win for their clients, you’ll finally be in the right hands so that you can get the care you deserve, get back to loving your life of activity and being more “you”. If you’ve ever wanted to move towards living your life pain free then keep reading, this information might just change your life. The muscles we are talking about here are skeletal muscles. Skeletal muscles work because the brain and nervous system control them; as such, it should be referred to as a neuromuscular system, which includes the brain and spinal cord, the muscles, and the nerves that connect them. Basically muscles can range from very loose muscles that are very weak with no perceivable contraction, to the other extreme of hypertonic or very tight muscles. As an example, in the sitting position put your hands around your thigh muscle (upper leg about a hands width above your knee), contract your thigh by straightening your leg (make sure to leave the foot on the ground, simply slide it along) and feel the top muscle (quads) contract, at the same time the bottom muscle (hamstrings) will relax. If you do the opposite the hamstrings will contract and the quads will relax. If these muscles did not behave in this way it would be a disaster. Imagine if the top muscle held on while the bottom muscle tried to contract. The joint could tear, be compressed or may not move at all. Now imagine that when we bend or walk the thousands of nerve signals and muscle contractions that have to occur in precisely the right sequence and force that are imperative for proper function. A muscle that stays too relaxed is referred to as abnormal inhibition and sometimes called “weak” (although this is not true weakness, which refers to the lack of power). In most cases, this inhibition causes an opposite muscle to become too tight, a condition called abnormal facilitation. Together, these abnormal muscles (muscle imbalance) can adversely affect the joint(s) they control, the tendons they’re attached to, and other muscles, ligaments, bones, and body areas (such as the pelvic, spine, or head) all over. This is a common reason we suffer from tears, strains and injuries! This will also cause an imbalance in posture and an irregular gait and often eventually pain. Studies demonstrate that trunk eccentric/concentric and flexion/extension strength imbalances may be associated to episodes or chronic prevalence of LBP (2). At Sprouting Health we work out muscle imbalance through postural observation, and then testing individually around 80 muscles on your body. We also look at excess bulking or reduction in size of a muscle from one side of the body to another. Comparing before and after treatment measurements can be very useful to determine whether improvements are being made and which therapies may be most successful. We also use manual muscle testing. Manual muscle testing involves physically evaluating individual muscles. This is accomplished by first positioning an arm, leg, or other body part associated with a particular muscle’s action. In this position, the practitioner applies force against the patient’s force from that particular muscle. Weakness due to abnormal inhibition may exist if the resistive force cannot properly be maintained, or sometimes if there is excessive pain. Properly done, manual muscle testing can help differentiate between neuromuscular imbalance, exercise imbalance, stress imbalance and sometimes organ imbalance. If any of this relates to you then you’ll be glad to learn that we would love to see if we can help you. We promise not to waste your time or money!  Sprouting health chiropractic is not only a child friendly practice, we also look after older sprouts! One key area we look at especially is balance and fall risk! World Health Organisation stated adults over 65 years of age suffer the greatest number of fatal falls.(1) Research pointed out that chronic musculoskeletal pain is associated with poor stability.(2) Poor stability is considered as a risk factor for falls as is very important for gait (walking)!(2) Chiropractors and other health professions use a sit-to-stand test to identify an individual’s ability to maintain balance, measure lower extremity strength, and assessment of fall risk.
Five Times Sit to Stand Test(FTSST) is a very easy test to try at home. All you need is a chair without arms, roughly 90 degree bend at the knee joint, and a stopwatch. Make sure someone is watching you while performing the test as a safety precaution. Simply cross your arms over your chest, sit up straight from a sitting position 5 times as quickly as you can, and measure the time on completion. The time exceeding the following can be considered to have worse than average performance: 11.4 sec (60 to 69 years), 12.6 sec. (70 to 79 years), and 14.8 sec. (80 to 89 years).(3) Research suggested further assessment if you excessed 12 seconds on completion.(4) Chiropractic care has a high level of evidence on chronic lower back pain management.(5) As well as a moderate level of evidence on other chronic musculoskeletal pain such as neck pain, headaches, shoulder pain, and lower extremities joint pain.(5) If you failed the FTSST, suffering from chronic pain, or generally have poor balance, talk to our chiropractors and see whether we can help manage your concerns, as there are other pathologies that may also affect your stability and balance. Lets also remember to get yourself checked to prevent these issues from occurring. As the saying goes…. Prevention is better than cure! Reference 1. Organization WH. Falls 2018 [Available from: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/falls#:~:text=Each%20year%20an%20estimated%20646,medical%20attention%20occur%20each%20year. 2. Kendall JC, Vindigni D, Polus BI, Azari MF, Harman SC. Effects of manual therapies on stability in people with musculoskeletal pain: a systematic review. Chiropractic & manual therapies. 2020;28(1):1-10. 3. Bohannon RW. Reference values for the five-repetition sit-to-stand test: a descriptive meta-analysis of data from elders. Perceptual and motor skills. 2006;103(1):215-22. 4. Tiedemann A, Shimada H, Sherrington C, Murray S, Lord S. The comparative ability of eight functional mobility tests for predicting falls in community-dwelling older people. Age and ageing. 2008;37(4):430-5. 5. Bronfort G, Haas M, Evans R, Leininger B, Triano J. Effectiveness of manual therapies: the UK evidence report. Chiropractic & osteopathy. 2010;18(1):1-33.  Do you or have you ever suffered with gut pain, bloating and abdominal pain, nausea, gastroesophageal reflux disease? Even symptoms including joint/muscle involvement, headache, anxiety, foggy mind, skin rash, dermatitis, fatigue and weakness and even numbness --- These are the most frequently reported symptoms stemming from a possibly common issue. This is an important article that could make the world of difference to you if you do have these things!
Over the past two decades, the incidence of diseases believed to be induced by the ingestion of wheat and related gluten-containing cereals, including rye and barley, has increased (1). Non-coeliac gluten/wheat sensitivity (NCG/WS) is a syndrome characterized by intestinal and extra-intestinal symptoms occurring a few hours or days after the ingestion of gluten and wheat proteins in patients testing negative for coeliac disease and wheat allergy (2). It has been established that other foods can cross-react with gluten. Antigens from other foods cross-react with various wheat antigens (3). If a subgroup of patients on a gluten-free diet does not show improvement in their GI or other symptoms, attention should be given to dairy and other cross-reactive foods, such as yeast, corn, oats, millet and rice, as shown in a recent study (3). The study also commented that some oat varieties contain avenin, which cross-reacts with wheat, barley, and rye. What this means in simple language is that foods can act potentially act like other foods that you may not have suspected. Patients who complain of symptoms following bread and pasta ingestion should not eliminate gluten and wheat, but they should correctly undergo the diagnostic work-up to rule out Coeliac Disease (CD) and Wheat allergy (WA) (2). A self-diagnosis of gluten / wheat intolerance must be avoided since, once the elimination diet is begun, it is very difficult to reintroduce wheat to study the patient. Treatment with gluten / wheat withdrawal should be started only when there is a clear evidence that the patient can be affected by NCG/WS (2). The first step of the diagnostic work-up for NCWS is based on the symptom assessment (scored from 1 as very mild to 10 as very severe) at baseline (when patients are still on a gluten/wheat-containing diet) and weekly for 6 weeks on gluten-free diet (GFD) by using the modified GSRS questionnaire. This is a Gastrointestinal Symptom Rating Scale (GSRS) integrated with extraintestinal manifestations. A GFD-dependent symptom decrease of greater than 30% compared with baseline in at least three symptoms is regarded as a criterion to suspect NCWS (2). Since NCGS at this time is a poorly defined condition with highly subjective symptoms, a common clinical approach of eliminating suspected symptom-inducing foods followed by clinician-supervised re-challenge with close symptom monitoring has been advocated. In the most up to date literature/evidence This may prove superior to other methods due to its ease of administration and being more informative (4). IE do this before more invasive tests like bloods! If this resonated with you and you would like more information come infor an assessment by one of our Chiroprators/KInesiologists.
 One of the most important causes of disability globally is low back pain (1). It has been increasing in all age groups over the last few decades (2). Do you or a loved one experience low back pain? This is an important article that could make the world of difference to you.
“The age standardised prevalence estimate for low back pain is 10.5% in North America.” (3) This means that 10 out of every 100 people will get significant LBP. Due to limited effectiveness of common medical therapies which include the use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, opioids, spinal fusions, and epidural steroid injections (4-6). It is recommended by clinical practice guidelines that evidence-based nonpharmacological treatment options should be the first-line therapy considered. Including exercise, superficial heat, spinal manipulation, massage, cognitive behavioural therapy and others (7). In the emergency department, more than two thirds of older patients with a lumbar spine condition received opioid analgesics (8). Is chiropractic care a treatment option that may help reduce the need to use opioids? In recent research literature, they looked at Veterans Health Administration health record data, the study sample included patients who had a visit for low back pain in a Veterans Health Administration primary care provider between 2015 and 2020. The patients included in the study hadn’t had care for low back pain for more than 18 months prior to the visit. The study looked at new opioid prescriptions within 365 days after this initial visit. From the results it was indicated that there was a significantly lower risk for receipt of an opioid prescription among chiropractic care users in the follow up of 365 days later (9). The study indicates a positive correlation with the use of chiropractic care and reducing the risk of having to turn to opioids to help manage low back pain. If you want to find out if chiropractic may help manage low back pain for you or your loved ones, have a chat with one of our chiropractors to see how they can assist. “It is important to try a more conservative evidence-based nonpharmacological treatment option first as it is the recommended clinical practice guidelines” 1.Hartvigsen J, Hancock MJ, Kongsted A, et al. What low back pain is and why we need to pay attention. Lancet 2018;391:2356–67. 2. Global Health Group Data Exchange http://ghdx.healthdata.org/gbd-results-tool accessed Nov 15, 2020). 3. Ferreira, M.L., De Luca, K., Haile, L.M., Steinmetz, J.D., Culbreth, G.T., Cross, M., Kopec, J.A., Ferreira, P.H., Blyth, F.M., Buchbinder, R. and Hartvigsen, J., 2023. Global, regional, and national burden of low back pain, 1990–2020, its attributable risk factors, and projections to 2050: a systematic analysis of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2021. The Lancet Rheumatology, 5(6), pp.e316-e329. 4. Deyo RA, Mirza SK, Turner JA, Martin BI. Overtreating chronic back pain:time to back off? JAmBoardFam Med. 2009;22(1):62-68. 5.Manchikanti L, Knezevic NN, Boswell MV, Kaye AD, Hirsch JA. Epidural injections for lumbar radiculopathy and spinal stenosis: a comparative systematic review and meta-analysis. Pain Physician. 2016;19(3):E365-E410. 6. Machado GC, Maher CG, Ferreira PH, Day RO, Pinheiro MB, Ferreira ML. Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs for spinal pain: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2017;76(7):1269-1278. 7.Qaseem, A., Wilt, T.J., McLean, R.M., Forciea, M.A. and Clinical Guidelines Committee of the American College of Physicians*, 2017. Noninvasive treatments for acute, subacute, and chronic low back pain: a clinical practice guideline from the American College of Physicians. Annals of internal medicine, 166(7), pp.514-530. 8. de Luca, K., McLachlan, A.J., Maher, C.G. and Machado, G.C., 2023. Australian emergency department care for older adults diagnosed with low back pain of lumbar spine origin: a retrospective analysis of electronic medical record system data (2016–2019). BMC Emergency Medicine, 23(1), p.17. 9. Lisi, A.J., Bastian, L.A., Brandt, C.A., Coleman, B.C., Fenton, B., King Jr, J.T. and Goulet, J.L., 2025. The Impact of Chiropractic Care on Opioid Prescriptions in Veterans Health Administration Patients Receiving Low Back Pain Care: Lisi et al. Journal of General Internal Medicine, 40(16), pp.3973-3981.  Chiropractic spinal adjustments are widely known for helping with pain relief, improving movement and supporting posture. However, emerging research suggests their effects extend beyond the joint and muscles – influencing biological processes such as stress hormone levels, neuroplasticity markers (the brains ability to adapt), and inflammatory related proteins.
In 2025, researchers led by Amjad and colleagues published a clinical trial in the Public Library of Science, examining whether chiropractic spinal adjustments influence key physiological biomarkers in adults with mild spinal pain. This 12-week randomised controlled trial involved adults aged 20-60 who were divided into two groups: one group received chiropractic spinal adjustments, and the other received a placebo intervention. The researchers measured several biological markers before, during and after the study to determine whether chiropractic care influenced:
Inflammation in the body can be complex; some inflammatory markers help regulate healing and immune responses, while others drive chronic inflammation. There was a reduction in TNF-α, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, in the chiropractic group. This suggests intervention may influence immune regulation and inflammatory balance. Our spine houses and protects our nervous system. When spinal dysfunction affects how the nervous system communicates, it can influence broader physiological processes. Improving spinal function through chiropractic treatment can impact how our body and brain regulate stress and inflammation. There is a growing body of evidence suggesting chiropractic care as supporting the whole-body regulation – beyond simple pain relief. Reference: Amjad I, Niazi IK, Kumari N, Ghani U, Rashid U, Duarte FCK, et al. (2025) The effects of 12 weeks of chiropractic spinal adjustments on physiological biomarkers in adults: A pragmatic randomized controlled trial. PLoS One 20(12): e0338730. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0338730  In recent years, research has revealed that gut health affects far more than digestion. The trillions of bacteria living in the gastrointestinal tract — collectively known as the gut microbiome — play a crucial role in immune function, inflammation regulation, metabolism, and even brain development.
When this delicate ecosystem becomes imbalanced, a state known as dysbiosis, a wide range of symptoms and health conditions may follow. How Common Are Gut-Related Conditions in Australia? Although “gut dysfunction” itself is not always formally diagnosed, conditions linked to microbiome imbalance are extremely common. Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) affects an estimated 30% of Australians at some point in their lives, making it one of the most prevalent gastrointestinal disorders in the country.¹ IBS symptoms include abdominal pain, bloating, diarrhoea, constipation, and irregular bowel habits. Research increasingly suggests that alterations in gut bacteria and gut–brain communication play a role in symptom development.² Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBD), which includes Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis, affects approximately 1 in 250 Australians.³ While IBD is more severe and involves immune-mediated inflammation, changes in gut microbiota composition are consistently observed in affected individuals. These figures demonstrate that digestive symptoms linked to gut imbalance are widespread and can significantly impact quality of life. The Gut–Brain Connection The gut and brain communicate continuously through what is known as the gut–brain axis. This communication involves neural pathways (including the vagus nerve), immune signalling, and microbial metabolites such as short-chain fatty acids. Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota may influence mood, cognition, and behaviour. A longitudinal Australian cohort study found that specific gut bacterial patterns in infancy were associated with behavioural outcomes at two years of age.⁴ While this does not prove causation, it supports growing evidence that early microbial development may influence neurodevelopment. A recent umbrella review examining children with mood, anxiety, and neurodevelopmental disorders reported consistent associations between altered gut microbiota composition and these conditions.⁵ Researchers emphasise that while the relationship is complex and multifactorial, gut microbial imbalance may contribute to inflammation, immune activation, and altered neurotransmitter signalling. Conditions Linked to Gut Dysbiosis Research has associated gut microbial imbalance with a range of conditions, including:
Why This Matters in Chiropractic Practice From a musculoskeletal and nervous system perspective, chronic inflammation, immune dysregulation, and altered gut–brain signalling may influence pain perception, fatigue, stress resilience, and overall wellbeing. Supporting gut health may therefore complement broader strategies aimed at improving nervous system regulation and whole-body function. Probiotics and Prebiotics Two commonly discussed strategies for supporting gut health include probiotics and prebiotics. Probiotics are live beneficial microorganisms that, when taken in adequate amounts, may help restore microbial balance. Certain strains have been shown to reduce antibiotic-associated diarrhoea and may improve IBS symptoms in some individuals.² Prebiotics are non-digestible fibres that feed beneficial bacteria already present in the gut. When fermented, they produce short-chain fatty acids that support gut lining integrity and regulate inflammation. Together, these approaches may support microbial diversity and gut resilience. However, individual responses vary, and dietary diversity remains a foundational strategy for long-term gut health. Whether you are new to sprouting health or a regular practice member, ask your Chiropractor to know more about gut health and effective strategies tailor to you.  Does your child suffer from recurrent neck pain? Mechanical neck pain resulting from day to day activities? Which may be from poor ergonomics at school and home, extended use of iPads, phone or laptops? This is an important article that could make the world of difference to them.
“Neck pain is the most common spinal pain in paediatric patients” (1,2) As children are studying harder, and moving into a new generation where a lot of new technology is adopted, a lot of mechanical stress and ergonomic stress is placed on their spines. We have all heard about the “text neck” and other new age labels for issues that come about from extended use of technology. But the good news is with correct management, mechanical neck pain issues can be minimised. In a recent study, paediatric mechanical neck pain appears to be successfully managed by chiropractic care, with no serious adverse events. (3) It hurts us at Sprouting Health to hear about children in pain without any relief provided. As it limits the full expression of their capabilities and their enjoyment of life! 1.Mikkelsson M, Salminen JJ, Kautiainen H. Non-specific musculoskeletal pain in preadolescents. Prevalence and 1-year persistence. Pain. 1997; 73:29-35. 2. El-Metwally A, Salminen JJ, Auvinen A, Macfarlane G, Mikkelsson M. Risk factors for development of non- specific musculoskeletal pain in preteens and early adolscents: a prospective 1-year follow-up study. BMC Musculoskeletal Disord. 2007;8:46. 3. Cox, J., Davidian, C. and Mior, S., 2016. Neck pain in children: a retrospective case series. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association, 60(3), p.212.  Do you or have you ever suffered with neck pain? There is some amazing research to show you may have this!!
When the spine is injured or simply not moving properly the brain changes. Over time mild spinal dysfunction (coming and going pain) leads to:
Therefor it is paramount to get your neck checked if you have mild dysfunction. A niggle is worth getting checked to ensure your brain is properly aware of your body in space. What we do in our office: Because we are not only chiropractors but also trained in kinesiology we also have a lot of refined tools to help you recover and perform better. If you are ready now to come into our practice to see if we can help simply navigate to our website and click book now or phone us. We promise not to waste your time or money!
 Did you know… The way you’re sitting in your chair RIGHT NOW might be predisposing you to neck pain. This is an important article for you and anyone you know that uses a desk daily.
“Slump sitting” also referred to as upper or proximal crossed syndrome is associated with neck flexion and forward head carriage which causes an imbalance of muscles in the neck and upper body (1). Often when sitting at desks for long periods of time, our important spinal and neck stabilizing muscles fatigue which can result in the recruitment of larger associated muscles. We often see hypertonic (too tight) pectoral and upper trapezius muscles in conjunction with hypotonic (weak) deep neck flexors and rhomboid muscles. Slump sitting and the imbalance of muscles that usually result from it, can also be accompanied by neck tension and pain. Office workers with and without neck pain were found to have a 10% increase in forward head posture from their relaxed sitting postures when working with a computer (2). This suggests that office workers [or anyone who works with a computer including school aged children and teenagers] is at risk of developing forward head posture along with postural fatigue that we see in upper crossed syndrome. The good news though is that there is strong evidence to support the effectiveness of endurance and strengthening exercises for treating non-specific neck pain in office workers (1). Exercises to strengthen the deep neck flexors and to encourage mobility of the spine can be found in the link below. https://www.sproutinghealthchiropractic.com.au/free-exercise-sheets.html
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April 2026
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