Australian Spinal Research Foundation

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Australian Spinal Research Foundation

Our vision is a clear understanding of vertebral subluxation.

The Australian Spinal Research Foundation (ASRF) is more than just a research foundation – it is a cooperative of like-minded people who have a common view of health and well-being, and are willing to stand up for it. In 1977, a group of Chiropractors with a love of chiropractic and a passion to see it survive and thrive came together and set into place what is known today as the ASRF. Our role is to remain at the cutting edge of understanding and communicating how chiropractic contributes to community health and well-being.

14/01/2026

Outcome measures are tools that help practitioners and researchers to track specific changes during a course of care.

Functional outcome measures quantify improvements in patient's function.

Types of tools that can be used:
- Disability indexes or evaluations (e.g., Neck diability index, Oswestry Disability Index)
- Patient-Centred Reports (e.g., PROMIS, SF-36)
- Objective functional changes in symptoms and health behaviours.

We have shone the spotlight on functional outcome measures in our ASRF Case Report Project over the past few years.
This is because the information in these measures is often already being collected by chiropractors and they paint an accurate picture of the many changes practice members experience during their course of care.

By highlighting functional outcome measures, we put the patient and their story at the centre of the study. We ask “What was different for you?”

We give a voice to the patient.

Case reports are the perfect way to document these changes.The health journey of a patient is also heavily influenced by their relationship with their chiropractor.Both functional health outcomes and case reports aim to capture this influence.

The gist: Functional outcome measures quantify improvements in patient's function and centre research around what is most important for the patient.

Support chiropractic research by becoming a Member of the ASRF and follow us here for easy to understand chiropractic research and updates 🤝 💫

12/01/2026

They say sitting is the new smoking. That is, the risk sedentary lifestyles pose to health and mobility is as significant as a cigarette habit.

Beyond the catchy tagline lies a serious problem, though.

According to World Health Organisation data, more than three-quarters of all adolescents and one in four adults do not meet the guidelines for aerobic exercise.

We know that prolonged periods of sitting affects thoracic mobility, and that longer sitting times are linked to an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders.

But what does this look like in practicality, and how does chiropractic care factor in?

In a new case report published in the Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal, a 30-year-old male presented for chiropractic care with primary complaints of hip pain and immobility.

It was immediately clear that, in addition to a reportedly low level of physical activity, he had significant observable postural and structural spinal deviations.
He was new to chiropractic, and commenced a course of care during which he was managed using the Advanced BioStructural Correction™ (ABC) technique.

Upon initial assessment, it was clear that the patient’s hip pain and markedly reduced hip motion were compounded by structural spinal deviations. Within this chiropractic context, pain wasn’t seen as the primary issue but rather as a result of deeper structural dysfunction.

The patient’s care involved spinal adjustments, corrective structural work, and follow-up postural-rehab protocols, all modified to address hip immobility and spinal curvature.
The objective of care: to restore spinal alignment and improve hip function, in turn resolving the patient’s pain and immobility.

Within six weeks, a consistent improvement in pain and mobility was noted. This, in turn, began improving his quality of life.

Measurable improvements in spinal curvature were noted in radiographs. His postural balance improved, along with movement, flexibility, sleep, overall physicality, and ability to undertake activities of daily life.

It should be noted that, at the beginning of care, he could not participate in certain corrective positions due to the level of pain he was in. This also resolved over time.While consistent improvements were noted by the 6-week review, his symptoms had fully resolved by the one-year review, at which point he reported he was now able to walk to work.

It is a stand-alone case report, and thus there are limitations to what can be claimed. With that said, this is a clear example of how chiropractic was able to become a wrap-around care modality.

This approached offered not only subluxation-based care to correct serious structural and functional abnormalities, but also advice that helped support a patient in re-engaging with proactive health strategies like sleep, ergonomics and a return to exercise.

Read the full article here: https://spinalresearch.com.au/resources/spinal-research-blog/

08/01/2026

We are starting the year off with some fresh ASRF Case reports for you! 🎉

Have a read of the new cases in the Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal and support these hardworking authors 👏

As always, thank you to the Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal for publishing our Case Report Project and supporting our mission of moving chiropractic research forward globally 🤝 🌏

07/01/2026

Do you remember the moment you first realised just what chiropractic could do? 🤩

Dr. Dorte Bladt told us about that moment for her and her chiropractic story in our latest podcast episode.

Listen to the ASRF Research for Practice podcast wherever you usually get your podcasts 🎙️🎧

31/12/2025

Our Members made chiropractic research happen in 2025 - will you make it happen in 2026?

We are so grateful for our Members, Donators, and Supporters that give life to the vision of the ASRF. We can't do this important work without you.

We want to make an even bigger impact in 2026, and we need your help. Becoming an ASRF Member is the easiest way to see more chiropractic research done, faster.

Find out more here: https://spinalresearch.com.au/membership/

Let's make 2026 our biggest year yet! 💫 🌏

28/12/2025

Chiropractic and immune function has been a topic of interest in and around the ASRF tribe for some time.

A recent study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine This study, is a neuroimmune study showing us whether upper cervical chiropractic care may influence immune function on a very specific level.

Five North American Chiropractic Clinics took place in this study, which measured salivary-based biomarkers before treatment, immediately after upper cervical chiropractic care, and two weeks after the fact.

SIgA is a type of antibody found in bodily secretions like saliva, tears and mucus and acts as a key component of the body’s first line of immune defence. It does so by preventing pathogens from getting through epithelial cells. These epithelial cells then form the layers of tissue that cover the internal and external surfaces of the body.

Significant findings from the study:
- SIgA increased significantly within 30 minutes after the first upper cervical adjustment, rising an average of 117.85 µg/mL from baseline.

- After two weeks, SIgA levels returned to near baseline, suggesting the response was temporary.

- No significant changes were observed in CRP or α-amylase, though α-amylase trended downward after two weeks.

- Self-reported physical and mental health both improved significantly over the two-week period, although these details were not published in the report.

The findings may suggest activation of the neuroimmunoendocrine system, supporting the concept that spinal adjustments can influence autonomic regulation and immune activity.

While the mechanisms remain under investigation, existing literature connects SIgA fluctuations with both physiological and emotional stress.
Chiropractic care’s known influence on nervous system balance and stress perception could partially explain the observed immune response.

This study adds early evidence to the growing conversation on chiropractic’s neuroimmune effects. Each piece of research like this is a significant piece of the puzzle.

While further research opportunities remain, such as a study with a control group, a longer course of care, or correlations to other biomarkers of stress, immunity or adaptability, this is an exciting discovery indeed.

Read the full blog here: https://spinalresearch.com.au/resources/spinal-research-blog/

26/12/2025

Holiday listening? Sorted ✅ with Dr. Dorte Bladt.

Listen to all episodes of the ASRF Research for Practice podcast wherever you usually get your podcasts 🎧

22/12/2025

Our ASRF President, Dr. Ryan Seaman, is here to wrap up our achievements for this year and thank you all for making it possible 👏🏼

Here’s to an even bigger 2026 🎉🥳

19/12/2025

Depression affects more than 280 million people worldwide each year, making it one of the leading causes of disability.

While medication and psychotherapy remain mainstays of treatment, growing evidence highlights the role of the nervous system (particularly the vagus nerve) in regulating emotional and mental health and resilience.

A recent sutdy found that chiropractic care may have broad impacts on anxiety, depression, sleep, pain and the default mode network.

That groundbreaking study put neuroscience behind what we have been seeing in case report data and anecdotal evidence for years: not only does chiropractic have impacts beyond pain and symptoms, not only does it change the structure and function of the brain, it can make people feel better.

But what does that look like in practice?

A 44-year-old Amish farrier presented to the Averio Health Institute with chronic major depressive symptoms. Though he initially attended to support his wife, he soon began care himself after learning how chiropractic might influence brain function.

His history included multiple head injuries, chronic fatigue, chemical sensitivity, and a diagnosis of Lyme disease.
Despite previous medical and nutritional interventions, his depression and pain persisted.

The patient underwent concentrated chiropractic care using the Averio Functional Neurological Technique (Averio FNT).

After the first week, structural scans showed a 323% improvement in cervical curvature and a 77% improvement in head-to-shoulder alignment.

His posture improved so significantly that his height increased by three-quarters of an inch. He reported feeling mentally clearer, sleeping better, and experiencing less pain.

By the second course of concentrated care, radiographs revealed the reversal of ligament instability at multiple levels, with cervical motion returning to within normal limits.

His lumbar curve also normalized by over 100%. Subjectively, he reported that his depressive thoughts had reduced to less than 10% of his day and that he “did not feel depressed anymore.”

While this case cannot prove causation, although other studies to point to stronger claims, it provides compelling evidence of the body’s capacity to heal when nervous system interference is reduced.

This case highlights the need for ongoing research into how chiropractic care may support neurological and emotional recovery.

It also reminds us that nervous system health and mental health are deeply interconnected.

Read the full blog here: https://spinalresearch.com.au/resources/spinal-research-blog/

17/12/2025

The Default Mode Network (DMN) is the part of our brain that chugs along when we are not focused on tasks.

- Where our thoughts and feelings about ourselves percolate
- Where our emotions are processed
- Where we imagine our futures and recall our past

Chronic conditions have been correlated with deficits in:
access, engagement, and disengagement of the DMN.

The changes within the DMN, and between the DMN and other networks, provide a neuro-biological explanation for why these problems (e.g., pain, anxiety, and depression) become embodied.

i.e., they become an integral part of the person’s sense of self, making treatment difficult.

It is thought that when someone is suffering with pain long-term, the feelings of pain may become part of their internal self-story.

Similarly, ongoing worry can develop into anxiety and ongoing sadness can become depression.

That is why it is fascinating to see that chiropractic care can alter functional connectivity within the DMN in a way that coincides with improvements in pain, depression, anxiety, fatigue, and sleep.

A recent study into the DMN and chiropractic noted that the participants appear to have altered their constructed sense of self and how they understand their own mental states, following 4 weeks of chiropractic care.

This is likely reflective of the changes in functional connectivity.

The gist: When we adjust subluxation, we create neuroplastic changes in the Default Network that allows a person to change their story about how they experience life.

Support chiropractic research by becoming a Member of the ASRF and follow us here for easy to understand chiropractic research and updates 🤝 💫

Reference: Haavik, H., Niazi, I.K., Amjad, I., Kumari, N., Ghani, U., Ashfaque, M., Rashid, U., Navid, M.S., Kamavuako, E.N., Pujari, A.N., et al. Neuroplastic Responses to Chiropractic Care: Broad Impacts on Pain, Mood, Sleep, and Quality of Life. Brain Sci. 2024, 14, 1124.

16/12/2025

Dr. Dorte Bladt on the ASRF Research for Practice podcast talking about building rapport and connecting with families 🤝

Listen wherever you usually get your podcasts 🎧

15/12/2025

Now is the perfect time to catch up on all the big things that happened in chiropractic research this year 🥳

Throughout the year we have been posting weekly research blogs, monthly podcasts with chiropractic experts and researchers, and keeping our Members topped up with researcher updates, resources, and exclusive interviews.

So get your chiro fix and refresh your research knowledge before the new year 💫

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The Australian Spinal Research Foundation (now known as Spinal Research) is more than just a research foundation – it is a cooperative of like-minded people who have a common view of health and well-being, and are willing to stand up for it. Almost 40 years ago, a group of Chiropractors with a love of chiropractic and a passion to see it survive and thrive came together and set into place what is known today as Spinal Research. Our role is to remain at the cutting edge of understanding and communicating how chiropractic contributes to community health and well-being.