Australian Spinal Research Foundation

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.

This is what the research has to say about chiropractic care and the condition of ageing spines:Chiropractic care may im...
18/07/2025

This is what the research has to say about chiropractic care and the condition of ageing spines:

Chiropractic care may improve balance and reduce falls risk in senior patients, as documented in multiple case reports. [Steinberg, 2023; Kotlerman, 2022; Scheer, 2021] Similar improvements in balance following chiropractic care have been found in a randomized controlled trial, further supporting the suggestion that chiropractic care may reduce falls risk through improved balance. [Espi-Lopez, 2023]

There is also case report evidence for the improvement in cognitive function in elderly patients. A 74-year-old male reported an improvement in mental acuity and his ability to think strategically following a 15-week course of chiropractic care. This coincided with a decrease in back pain and headaches. [Seaman, 2023] A narrative review, published in 2023, highlighted the link between chronic pain and cognitive impairment, including Alzheimer’s Disease. The review outlines considerations for practitioners of manual therapies, including screening, treatment, and prevention for individuals presenting for care. [Rogers, 2023]

Although chiropractic care can be recommended for wellness throughout all stages of life, modifications are also recommended for infant or ageing spines. A case report detailed the effective management of an elderly patient who had multiple contraindications to standard chiropractic adjustment. The treating chiropractor utilised muscle relaxation techniques prior to low force chiropractic care, and achieved improvements in cervical lateral flexion and rotation, neck disability index, and physical and social functioning. Despite this case report being an older study, published in the early 2000s, it flags the chiropractic community’s established understanding of the fragility of ageing spines, but also the importance of delivering modified care to achieve positive outcomes. [Johnson, 2002]

There is also evidence for the efficacy of other alternative therapies, such as myofascial mobilisation and resistance exercise, for improving balance and physical function in elderly patients. [Stroppa-Marques, 2020; Wu, 2020]

This is what the research has to say about chiropractic care and digestion:Multiple case reports have documented a posit...
09/07/2025

This is what the research has to say about chiropractic care and digestion:

Multiple case reports have documented a positive change in digestion following chiropractic care. This is particularly prevalent in case reports featuring a paediatric patient, from as early as 4-months of age to 4-years of age. It is encouraging that modified and gentle chiropractic care has been reported to alleviate complications with digestion, alongside other concerns related to overall physical resilience. [Pryjma, 2024; Watson, 2024; Watson, 2024; Pryjma, 2022, Pryjma, 2022; Treahy-Geofreda, 2022]

A novel case report of a 5-year-old patient with a CASK gene mutation receiving chiropractic care noted an improvement in digestion, sleep, allergies, and motor development, as reported by the parent. [Bronstein, 2022]

But it is not just paediatric patients that have been reported to experience a positive change in digestion following chiropractic care. A 30-year-old presented for chiropractic care with the concerns of worsening muscle strength, eczema, low energy, and back pain. At the end of her care plan she felt their mood, reproductive health and gut function had improved. They also noted reduced eczema, better sleep, and more energy. [Steinberg, 2023]

Another case report highlighted an improvement in food intolerances in a 24-year-old following a course of chiropractic care. Previous to seeking care, the patient had intolerances so severe it had resulted in hospitalisation. After care they reported no digestive issues and were able to eat foods they had previously been unable to. [Herman, 2020]

The positive effects of chiropractic care on digestion extends to difficulties physically eating food. A case report detailed an improvement in dysphagia following chiropractic care. The patient went from feeling like they were choking on food to eating a normal diet with ease. [Rhodes, 2015]

There is a lack of large controlled studies in this area of chiropractic research. We look forward to the expansion of these encouraging case report findings in the future.

We are thrilled to announce that the newest recipient of the ASRF John Hinwood Research Award is Dr. Brad Glowaki! Dr. G...
08/07/2025

We are thrilled to announce that the newest recipient of the ASRF John Hinwood Research Award is Dr. Brad Glowaki!

Dr. Glow was presented with this award at his event in Melbourne on the weekend - he is a wonderful supporter of the ASRF, and we are so happy and proud to present this award to him.

The ASRF John Hinwood Research Award honours those who have made a significant impact on the ASRF and the chiropractic community. This award was created to honour the legacy of John's impact on the Foundation and on chiropractic. Pictured beside Dr. Glow is our ASRF Board Vice President, Dr. Jen Luu, and previous Board member and award recipient Dr. Martin Harvey.

Neck pain is a monster we know well in the world of chiropractic.Long before a person understands or experiences the pow...
03/07/2025

Neck pain is a monster we know well in the world of chiropractic.

Long before a person understands or experiences the power of chiropractic for the broader aspects of health, neck pain is up there with back pain as a highly visible benefit of chiropractic care. It is, of course, the fourth highest cause of disability globally.

While this statistic isn’t likely to change any time soon, we do know a couple of things: chiropractic can help, and neck pain is more important than most people know.

Read the full blog over on our website: https://spinalresearch.com.au/resources/spinal-research-blog/

You can now submit your cases for the ASRF Case Report Project 2025! 🎉 This year, we are seeking cases that explore the ...
03/07/2025

You can now submit your cases for the ASRF Case Report Project 2025! 🎉

This year, we are seeking cases that explore the impact of vertebral subluxation on quality of life and functional outcome measures, across the lifespan.

The ASRF Case Report Project was designed to gather front-line evidence in the form of case study information, from Chiropractors around the globe. By mid 2025 we will have published 75+ case reports, alongside two standalone literature reviews and a commentary piece.

Thank you to all of our Members, Donors and Commercial Supporters for your contributions, they are deeply appreciated and are resulting in world-class research outcomes that are relevant around the globe 🌏

A special thank you to the Asia-Pacific Chiropractic Journal, for supporting the project and publishing the case reports.

Learn more about this project and submit your cases on our website: https://bit.ly/ASRFCaseReport25

DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION – COB 1st August, 2025 (AEST). No exceptions will be made for late submissions. Please allow plenty of time to gather your information and submit online.

Please note: due to our anticipation of a high number of submissions, preference will be given to ASRF Members.

27/06/2025

ASRF President, Dr. Ryan Seaman, has a mid-year update for our Tribe 📣

Thank you to our amazing Members, Donors, and Commercial Supporters - all of this important work is made possible by your contributions to the ASRF.

We can’t wait to see what we achieve together in the second half of this year! 🎉

This is just in! We have updates from our researchers on the studies that you are supporting ⬇️ Dr. Imran Amjad and Co-I...
25/06/2025

This is just in! We have updates from our researchers on the studies that you are supporting ⬇️

Dr. Imran Amjad and Co-Investigator Dr. Imran Khan Niazi with the New Zealand College of Chiropractic, are working on the study 'Investigating the Predictive Relationship Between Level and Severity of Vertebral Subluxation and balance Using AI Techniques' and gave us this update:

"The data preprocessing and analysis using machine learning and AI models has been completed, and some initial results have been obtained.

The models are now being refined further to produce final results. Expected completion date is November 2025."

Dr. Joe Betz and Dr. Deed Harrison, from Chiropractic BioPhysics® NonProfit, are working on the study 'Reproducibility of Sagittal Cervical Spine Alignment on Serial Radiographs: A Systematic Review of the Literature' and sent us this update:

"The search strategy and design are underway with input from an independent third-party librarian scientist.

Database-specific beta testing has been completed, and refinements are ongoing to enhance search accuracy. A grey literature search is being conducted in parallel, with results to be compared against electronic database findings.

Data collection and review should be completed by the end of the year with a paper to follow."

We love hearing from our researchers and being able to show those who helped fund these projects, our wonderful Members, Donors, and Supporters, how these studies are progressing.

Here's to the next update! 🥳

This is what the research has to say about chiropractic care and stress:Case report data suggests that chiropractic care...
19/06/2025

This is what the research has to say about chiropractic care and stress:

Case report data suggests that chiropractic care may improve a patient's perceived stress level. Improvements in stress were observed alongside a reduction in pain and improvements in other complaints including arthritis, migraines, and asthma. [Steinberg, 2024; Hassan, 2022; Patel, 2015; Mahanidis, 2010]

A case report documenting the care of an individual with the sudden onset of truncal tremors, highlights the potential role stress may play in functional movement disorders. The patient’s care involved a multimodal approach which included stress reduction techniques. Following a 6-week course of chiropractic care, alongside management from other health care providers, the patient reported a reduction in their tremors to point that they were ‘barely noticeable.’ [Fiore, 2023]

Not only can stress negatively contribute to physical complaints, but it can also impact the processes of learning. A literature review of 39 articles identified evidence that stress and depression can impair cognitive performance. Students with poor mental health have a more difficult time retrieving learned information and show deficits in memory. [Kenya, 2020]

Rest is a key part of lowering stress and recovering from periods of high stress and effort. But can manual therapies enhance this recovery? A randomised control trial compared the differences in salivary cortisol levels between two groups of factory workers while taking a break from the workplace.

One group received suboccipital fascial release in addition to the rest from work, and this group had lower cortisol levels than the control group. This study suggests there may be a role for manual therapies in enhancing the effect of rest on stress levels. It should be noted that this was a pilot study and the findings should be followed up with multiple larger scale studies, focussing on different aspects of these results. [Silva, 2020]

With the launch of the ASRF Paediatric Research Fund and the 2025 ASRF Grant Round currently being open, we thought we w...
12/06/2025

With the launch of the ASRF Paediatric Research Fund and the 2025 ASRF Grant Round currently being open, we thought we would revisit some of our favourite Research for Practice paediatric episodes.

We talk a lot about caring for people throughout their lives over on our podcast, but this two part series on chiropractic and paediatric care contains some really fantastic interviews with chiropractors and researchers.

We were lucky enough to get to chat to Dr. Hayley Maginness about paediatric chiropractic research, the outcomes, and the most vital times in childhood to get in for care.

Find all of the ASRF Research for Practice Podcast episodes wherever you usually listen to your podcasts 🗣️🎙️

It’s long been said that chiropractic isn’t a treatment modality but a care modality – that is, we care for the nervous ...
09/06/2025

It’s long been said that chiropractic isn’t a treatment modality but a care modality – that is, we care for the nervous system and let the body to the rest.

What happens when we check and adjust subluxations is increasingly being supported and explained by important clinical and research studies. Still, case report data plays an important role in telling individual stories of how symptoms have changed or resolved while under care.

One thing that hasn’t come up in chiropractic literature until now is Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome. Ehlers-Danlos syndrome is a connective tissue disorder thought to be caused by a group of inherited disorders affecting joints and skin.

It's one case, and more research is required of course, but it may offer hope that some relief is possible. After all, while regulators look at the big studies, the thing that matters the most to the person under care is what it did for them. We can’t wait to see what else emerges in time.

Read the full blog over on our website: https://spinalresearch.com.au/resources/spinal-research-blog/

Support the research that supports your practice!We want to do everything we can to empower you and your team to provide...
05/06/2025

Support the research that supports your practice!

We want to do everything we can to empower you and your team to provide the best care to your community. One of the ways we do that is by funding and facilitating important chiropractic research. This has an impact on chiropractic globally, which is incredible, but it also effects the care you provide everyday in your practice.

Join the ASRF today and be the driving force behind groundbreaking research that brings clarity and confidence to our profession.

It's more than membership - it's a movement.

"Chiropractic needs strong research and strong support!"In the May edition of the ASRF Newsletter we got to hear from tw...
03/06/2025

"Chiropractic needs strong research and strong support!"

In the May edition of the ASRF Newsletter we got to hear from two of our wonderful members, Dr. Bettina Tornatora and Dr. Jim Karagiannis, who have recently moved from Spain to Scotland. While their surrounds may have changed quite significantly, their support of the ASRF hasn't.

The moved was prompted by Dr. Tornatora taking on the role of Program Lead for the Chiropractic Course at the Scotland College of Chiropractic.

We are so thankful for this pair's constant support, even from the other side of the world. Our members enable us to continue the important work we are doing in chiropractic research globally, so please consider joining us. Every member makes a difference 🤝

Read the full interview in the May edition of the ASRF Newsletter: https://spinalresearch.com.au/newsletter/

Address

Melbourne, VIC

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Australian Spinal Research Foundation posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Practice

Send a message to Australian Spinal Research Foundation:

Shortcuts

Share

Category

Our Story

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.