Dr. Jerome Fryer Chiropractor

02/04/2026

If you are interested in seeing the cracking event at high speed, this new blog shows the experimental setup and a video capture

Joint cracking has been debated for decades—bubbles collapsing, tissues snapping, or something else entirely.

In this post, I share what we learned from controlled joint-cracking experiments conducted at UBC, where force, sound, motion, and high-speed imaging were captured together.

The findings help explain why joints crack, why some cracks are louder than others, and why there’s a refractory period afterward—all from a fluid-mechanics perspective.

If you’re interested in how joints actually behave under load, you may find this useful. :)

Joint cracking occurs when a fluid cavity forms inside a synovial joint. Laboratory models and imaging explain why joints crack and reset.

02/03/2026

I was recently notified of a new citation on one of my publications regarding joint cracking. I wanted to write about their common themes as we learn about joints and their sounds in physics. Here is a picture of me in a study on joint cavitation.

Joint cracking is caused by rapid cavity formation, not bubble collapse. MRI, in-vitro models, and fluid physics explain what really happens inside joints.

01/23/2026

Still glad I made the investments.

Attention to indoor ventilation has been prioritized within this new renovation with continuous exchange with the outside air.

11/24/2025

Received this in the mail today.

11/14/2025

Driving forward with science.

Spine motion and outcome measures derived therein may be confounded by the motion instructions provided to participants during data collection. This observational analytical laboratory-controlled study explored the impact of instructions for forward flexion trials on the lumbopelvic ratio (LPR) and....

11/11/2025

Recently, a patient told me they were wearing a weighted vest during their walks. Based on all I have learned in my career, this is not the best way to navigate forward unless there is something very specific someone is trying to target therapeutically, like bone density. As we peruse this planet for the long haul, more and more research is showing that we must take care of our endplates, which are the structures between our discs and the vertebrae. So, adding more compressive load to this area is not the best strategy. The spine works to contend with gravity, and as we live longer and longer as a species, we don't need extra load on the spine for the long haul. So, weighted vests will be a passing trend, imo.

New prize-winning research reveals where our attention should be when mitigating degenerative disc disease.

Purpose We utilized the Fast Low Angle Shot (FLASH) sequence to document the sequential changes in cartilaginous (CEP) and bony end plate (BEP) to study the influence on disc degeneration (DD). Methods Routine MRI and FLASH sequences were used in 500 lumbar discs in 100 each of healthy volunteers (H...

11/11/2025

Hey !

For those who are interested in more Funkanometry content, I screwed up and opened a new profile when it should have been a new page. That is why you couldn't follow me on the ROMY profile —you needed to be friends first. So, I opened a new page instead. https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583792846490

Thank you for all the friend requests, but now you don't need to be a friend to follow. Also, I didn't want to leave anyone out, so this is better. FunkRomy is the new page.

Thanks for your patience as I navigate Facebook. Should have done this from the start.

Video shoot today, the weather looks nice. A little chilly but nice!

Videographer and storyteller behind Funkanometry 🎥 Sharing their talent.

11/09/2025

Hey ! 👋

As many of you know, I’ve been lucky enough to capture Funkanometry 's journey through the lens of a dad 🎥✨

I’ve created a new page — https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61583792846490 — where I’ll be sharing more content of the boyz. I should keep the topics and the hats I wear separate.

When health and wellness topics come up, I’ll still be posting here. Thanks for being such an amazing community and for supporting all sides of what I do! 🙏❤️

Photo credit Concept Photography Lance the man!

11/09/2025

It's the endplate that should be in focus for spine longevity. Muscles are important, but the cartilage is most important. Patient education should start with the endplate. Here is a prize-winning study that should be spread throughout!

ISSLS Prize research reveals cartilage endplate defects lead degenerative discs. Explore how ddd models help visualize this early risk window.

11/07/2025

Grateful to this group of researchers exploring innovative ways to measure pain.

Publication Alert!

Our latest study tested the ‘Pain Meter’, a handheld device to rate the pain one is feeling without having to talk, reach, or click. This pneumatic device designed to continuously measure pain consists of a pressure bulb connected to a digital screen, with the individual squeezing the bulb to match the level of pain they are currently experiencing on a scale from 0 to 100. Using repeated trials and experimental pain on 50 participants, we found that the Pain Meter is comparable to the industry “gold standard” (Visual Analogue Scale) and repeated ratings did not fatigue the user's hand muscles. This means the Pain Meter is reliable and valid for use in healthy adults - next we'll check to confirm this holds for more specific populations. This device would provide clinicians with the real-time subjective pain being experienced by their patients during a treatment or procedure.

To find out more about our study, click here: https://doi.org/10.1080/1091367X.2025.2567370

11/02/2025

Several years ago, I became a little frustrated, not knowing precisely what a patient truly feels during palpation. So I got to work to develop something simple to help me read that. Many of you were with me during those years of innovation. Some even served as guinea pigs, providing feedback on early product development. Thank you!

When someone is lying face down on the table, I can’t always see their face to know when something hurts, how much, or when.
That curiosity led me to invent a small pneumatic device I called the Pain Meter — kind of like a “pain tachometer.”

The idea is simple: as I apply pressure, the patient gently squeezes a small bulb connected to a gauge, allowing me to see in real time how discomfort changes. It helps me adjust my force, stay within comfort levels, and learn more precisely where pain is coming from. A focus on the anatomy in question—guiding the treatment and plan of care.

It’s really cool to see new science on the Pain Meter, thanks to a group of researchers at The Spine Lab at Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador, who tested the Pain Meter and published their results in a peer-reviewed study:
“Measurement Properties and Muscular Demands of a Pneumatic Pain Meter: A Laboratory-Controlled Study”

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/1091367X.2025.2567370

The study found the Pain Meter to have excellent reliability (ICC = 0.998), strong agreement with the Visual Analog Scale, and low muscular effort during use — a nice starting point for a device meant to measure pain in real time.

I know there’s more work to be done. Still, I hope this sparks a broader conversation about pain sources, appropriate therapy, and how innovations like this can help strengthen the clinical encounter and therapeutic alliance.

'If you want to discover, you must explore"

10/29/2025

Watch out....you just never know when something might be lurking in the dark. Funkanometry