Centre for Chiropractic Research

01/07/2025

The team at the Centre for Chiropractic Research at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic proudly congratulates our Vice President Research, Dr Heidi Haavik, on being named Chiropractor of the Year 2025 by the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association (NZCA).

This prestigious honour recognises Heidi’s extraordinary contributions to chiropractic research, education, and leadership. She has tirelessly advanced the understanding of chiropractic through neuroscience and continues to inspire excellence across the profession.

We are especially proud to celebrate that Heidi has now received this award twice! She was first awarded the NZCA Chiropractor of the Year in 2009, and now receiving this again in 2025 is a testament to her sustained impact and dedication.

An incredible achievement and a well-deserved recognition—congratulations, Heidi!

03/06/2025

We are pleased to announce that Haider Ali, a PhD student at Auckland University of Technology (AUT) and co-supervised by Dr Imran Khan Niazi, has successfully defended his PhD thesis titled “Biomedical Data Integration Framework for Glucose Level Prediction Using Machine Learning Techniques.”

During his PhD studies, he published 4 Q1 and Q2 journal articles and two conference papers.

Haider’s supervisors were Associate Professor Samaneh (Sam) Madanian (primary), Dr Imran Khan Niazi (secondary), and Associate Professor David White (third).

We wish him all the success in his future endeavours.

03/12/2024

The team at the Centre for Chiropractic Research at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic are excited to share the results of a ground-breaking clinical trial exploring the impact of chiropractic care on brain activity and health outcomes. This study is called ‘Neuroplastic Responses to Chiropractic Care: Broad Impacts on Pain, Mood, Sleep, and Quality of Life’ and was published in Brain Sciences in November 2024.

In this study, 76 participants with chronic low back pain were randomised into a control group or chiropractic group. Participants in the chiropractic group received chiropractic care plus their usual care for 4 weeks, while the control group received usual care only. Usual care referred to whatever self-management they were already doing for their aches and pains. For example, they may have been exercising, taking pain medication, or seeing a physical therapist. We didn’t ask them to change their routines, but half of the participants were randomly assigned to also receive chiropractic care for four weeks.

Dr Jerome Poupel, a chiropractor with 30 years of clinical experience, played a key role in delivering the chiropractic care for this study, providing invaluable expertise throughout. This parallel-group randomised controlled design study chiropractic care was conducted at a private chiropractic clinic in Henley-on-Thames, England in 2022/2023.

The recorded outcome measures included resting electroencephalography (EEG), somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs), sleep and physical activity tracking with a wearable device, and assessments of quality of life and mental health using the PROMIS-29 questionnaire.

One of the most exciting findings in this study was the improvements in mental health observed in the chiropractic group. Over the four weeks of chiropractic care, participants reported significantly less anxiety and depression. These improvements corresponded with notable brain activity changes, including significant increases in theta, alpha, and beta EEG band activity, and decreased delta activity in the chiropractic group. EEG analysis also revealed altered alpha and beta activity within the Default-Mode Network (DMN). The DMN is a critical brain network involved in self-referential thinking, mind-wandering, memory, and emotional regulation. Changes in DMN activity could explain improved mental clarity, emotional balance, and resilience seen in some people who receive chiropractic care. You can explore our supplementary file for a detailed discussion about the DMN changes observed after a single chiropractic session and after four weeks of care.

Data from wearable devices showed significantly improved light sleep stages in the chiropractic group. This aligns with common feedback that people sleep better after chiropractic care. The study provides scientific evidence supporting this feedback. The PROMIS-29 questionnaire revealed significantly reduced levels of anxiety, depression, fatigue, and pain after four weeks of chiropractic care. These findings make this one of the first randomised controlled trials to show improved mental health outcomes following chiropractic care.

The SEPs analysis revealed decreased N30 amplitudes in the chiropractic group, a result consistently observed in our studies over the past 20 years. These changes highlight alterations in early sensorimotor processing pathways. As these changes correspond with improved clinical outcomes, the N30 SEP peak changes might reflect enhanced interoceptive and exteroceptive processing, as well as improved mental and physical quality of life.

It is important to note that none of these findings were observed in the control group. All significant changes were found in the chiropractic care group, suggesting that many of the benefits of chiropractic care are linked to changes in brain activity and neural processing.

A study of this scale requires extensive funding and collaboration, and we are deeply appreciative of the many individuals and organisations who made it possible. Our heartfelt thanks go to Amit Pujari from the School of Physics, Engineering, and Computer Science at the University of Hertfordshire. Without Amit and his doctoral student Moeez Ashfaque, this project could not have come to fruition. We also extend a special thank you to Ernest Nlandu Kamavuako from the Centre for Robotics Research, Department of Informatics at King’s College London. Your invaluable collaboration helped to bring this project to life.
We are profoundly grateful to our funders, including His Grace, the Duke of Bedford; Dr Jerome Poupel; and the Centre for Chiropractic Research Supporters Programme. Their support was essential in making this project possible. It is important to highlight that funders (including the chiropractor) played no role in the study's design, data collection, analysis, publication decisions, or manuscript preparation.

If you would like to support more amazing research like this, please visit: https://chiropractic.ac.nz/research/support-our-research/

To read the full study, visit: https://www.mdpi.com/2076-3425/14/11/1124

For a detailed discussion on DMN changes, see the supplementary file: https://www.mdpi.com/article/10.3390/brainsci14111124/s1

And don’t miss Heidi discussing this study with Jerome and Russell Brand on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1QeKW1Wnfg

24/11/2024

The team at the Centre for Chiropractic Research at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic are delighted to say a huge congratulations to our own Dr Tanja Glucina on successfully completing her PhD! 🎓👏

Dr Tanja Glucina has been working toward her PhD for the better part of a decade. Even with some seriously significant life challenges (understatement of the year), she has persevered and will graduate in December with her doctorate. Her PhD thesis- titled ‘Demystifying Contemporary Chiropractic Professional Identity’ is an incredible contribution to the chiropractic profession and the understanding of what it means to be a chiropractor today.

Tan, your hard work, dedication, and passion have paid off, and this is such a well-deserved achievement. Here's to the countless hours of research, writing, and perseverance that led to this incredible milestone! 🥂

Wishing you all the best as you embark on your next chapter—you’re going to achieve amazing things! 💫

02/10/2024

Earlier this year the BioDesign Lab and the CCR had the pleasure of hosting five highly skilled biomedical engineering students from University of Applied Sciences undertaking their final year international internship projects with us.
For many years now we have enjoyed the strong capability of all visiting biomedical engineering students and this year were again delighted with the high standard of project work undertaken and excellent reports produced.
Our thanks and congratulations go to (left to right) Wouter Kruijff, Stijn Slots, Jens Wolters Thomas Willems, and Evi Mastenbroek, who are all excellent ambassadors demonstrating the high-quality of teaching at University of Applied Sciences.

15/09/2024

Pot luck lunch to welcome our 11 new MSc students to NZ. Such cool projects!! One is a virtual reality project!! Should be great for our students to practice history taking in a virtual setting prior to doing to with real people 😍😱❤️

12/09/2024

We have had another publication!!! I think that’s my 80th publication.

This paper is about the cervico-ocular reflex, measured before and after 8 weeks of chiro care (vs control). It was an RCT design. The study was conducted in Canada, in Professor Bernadette Murphys lab, with the amazing collaborators and co-authors Devonte Campbell, Paul Yielder and Ushani Ambalavanar. Professor Murphys lab is in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Ontario Tech University, Oshawa, ON, Canada

I also want to acknowledge and thank our funders of this study. Without their support, this work would not happen. The following funding bodies provided support for this work: Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) Discovery Grant program (Bernadette Murphy and Paul Yielder), Australian Spinal Research Foundation (ASRF) (Bernadette Murphy, Heidi Haavik & Paul Yielder) and NCMIC Foundation (Bernadette Murphy, Heidi Haavik & Paul Yielder)

We know from previous research that Individuals with recurring neck ache, pain and/or tension exhibit altered cerebellar processing, likely due to disordered sensorimotor integration of inaccurate proprioceptive input from the spine due to subluxations. According to the contemporary model of the vertebral subluxation, supported by several decades of research studies, subluxations play a major role in disturbing proprioceptive input to the CNS. Over months and years this can lead to maladaptive brain processing and function.

One way to assess the association between proprioceptive feedback and the brains sensorimotor integration is with the cervico-ocular reflex (COR). Interestingly, differences have been found in those with neck dysfunction, who showed higher gains compared to healthy participants. We also know from previous neurophysiological research that it is possible to improved cerebellar processing in such people with neck dysfunction. Improvements can occur with even a single session of chiropractic care, but prior to this publication, it was still unknown whether these neurophysiological changes transfer to cerebellar function!!

This study was a parallel group, randomized control trialconducted at Ontario Tech University, where we recruited 27 right-hand dominant neck dysfunction participants to be either randomly allocated to either the 8-week chiropractic care (n =15; 7M & 8F) or 8-week wait period group (n= 12; 6M & 6F). We measured the COR gain (which is the ratio of eye movement to trunk movement) and this was assessed using an eye-tracking device (see image) at baseline and after the 8 weeks of care or 8 week wait period.

The COR gain was significantly reduced following 8-weeks of chiropractic care compared to the control group ie the 8-week wait period (p = 0.012, ηp 2 = 0.237).

The decrease in COR gain following chiropractic care is likely due to normalized proprioceptive feedback from the neck, enabling improved processing and integration within the flocculonodular lobe of the Cerebellum.

How cool is this!!! This RCT demonstrated improvements in the COR response following an 8-week chiropractic care. This suggests that the normalization of afferent feedback that occurs with chiropractic care has most likely improved cerebellar processing in these individuals with recurring neck dysfunction. In other words that’s what we think the downregulation in the COR in these participants reflects.

We are truly making some great strides in understanding the neurophysiology of spinal dysfunction as well as the mechanisms of chiropractic care. Please do consider supporting research efforts like this!!! We sooooooooooooooooooo need your help!!

You can do so by supporting organizations such as the NCMIC foundation or ASRF or become a Centre for Chiropractic Research Supporter! I’ll add the link in the comments below.

22/07/2024

We are thrilled to share the findings of our latest study on the effects of a chiropractic intervention on resting-state EEG in patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI). MCI has a global prevalence of almost 20% in people over the age of 50 years. This research focused on exploring how chiropractic adjustments impact EEG signals in individuals with MCI.

The study involved 26 participants, who were divided into control and chiropractic groups. We recorded EEG signals before and after the intervention and analysed the data using machine learning and AI technology.

The key findings are significant: we observed a notable increase in beta2 (25–35 Hz) band power and a decrease in delta (0.5–4 Hz) and theta (4–8 Hz) bands post-chiropractic adjustments. Additionally, there was enhanced interhemispheric coherence, indicating improved brain connectivity. The highest accuracy in distinguishing between control and chiropractic groups was found in the beta2 and theta bands. These EEG changes suggest that chiropractic interventions may enhance cognitive function and potentially slow the progression of MCI to Alzheimer’s disease. This is a basic science research study, so clinical implications need to be further investigated.

This research, authored by Fahimeh Ziloochi, Imran Khan Niazi, Imran Amjad, Alice Cade, Jenna Duehr, Usman Ghani, Kelly Holt, Heidi Haavik, and Vahid Shalchyan, was supported by The Hamblin Chiropractic Research Fund Trust through the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association, and donations to the Centre for Chiropractic Research Supporters Program at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic. We extend our immense gratitude to all authors, institutions, and funders for their invaluable contributions. For full details, the study is available in the Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience journal https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnagi.2024.1406664/full
Stay tuned for more updates and insights from our ongoing research!

13/05/2024

Exciting news from our research team at the Centre for Chiropractic Research! We recently completed a pilot randomized controlled trial exploring the effects of chiropractic adjustments on inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Key findings:
• Our study design was feasible in terms of recruitment, retention, data collection, randomization, blinding, safety, and adherence.
• Both the chiropractic adjustment plus usual care group and the sham chiropractic plus usual care group showed significant improvements in ADHD scores after 4 weeks of intervention and at 8-week follow-up.
• However, there were no significant differences between the two groups, possibly due to the small sample size of this pilot study.

While more research with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up periods is needed to conclusively evaluate the effects of chiropractic care on ADHD, this study is an important first step. It demonstrates the feasibility of conducting high-quality research on this topic. To read the full study go to https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2024.1323397/full

Our huge thanks go to the funders of this study, The Kids Summit and the Centre for Chiropractic Research Supporters Program at NZCC. If you are interested in supporting more research like this, we have some amazing kids projects in the pipeline. If you would like to get on board and support, we would be so grateful, please go to https://chiropractic.ac.nz/research/support-our-research
You can also support paediatric chiropractic research by attending The Kids Summit conference in Sydney, Australia in September, for more information go to https://www.the-kids-summit.com/

BackgroundAttention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurobiological disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. We hypo...

12/04/2024

🎉🎊🍾 Another publication!!!

The study was about attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). ADHD is a neurobiological disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity. We hypothesized - based on our previous work - that chiropractic adjustments could improve these symptoms by enhancing prefrontal cortex function.

This study was a pilot study that aimed to explore the feasibility and efficacy of four weeks of chiropractic adjustment on inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity in children with ADHD in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) design.

Both groups improved in this study so no claims can be made based on this project. But it did demonstrate that it is feasible to run a larger RCT in a group of kids with ADHD. So it’s back to more fundraising for me!!! 😁😍

Thank you so much to our funders of this project who were New Zealand College of Chiropractic Centre for Chiropractic Research Supporters Program and The Kids Summit!!! Thank you Dorte Bladt and team for making this possible!!!

Thank you also soooooo much to my co-authors Mian Imran Amjad, Imran Khan Niazi Nitika Kumari, Jens Duehr, Gulyana Shahzad, Usman Rashid, Jenna Duehr, Robert Trager, and Kelly Holt. It’s not possible to do all this great work without an AMAZING team!! ❤️❤️❤️

12/04/2024

Our team member, Dr. Tanja Glucina, has successfully defended her PhD thesis!! Her work on the professional identity of chiropractors is a significant contribution to the field and a notable achievement. The PhD defense is the final hurdle and she passed with flying colours, a culmination of years of hard work and dedication. Congratulations, Tanja! We are all so proud of you.

27/03/2024

The Centre for Chiropractic Research at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic has just had another amazing piece of research published in the Journal of Integrative Neuroscience.

Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease are two of the most prevalent and devastating neurodegenerative diseases affecting millions of people around the world. This research, titled ‘The effects of chiropractic spinal adjustment on EEG in adults with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease: a pilot randomised cross-over trial’, is the first research study that has explored changes in the brain of adults with Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease following chiropractic adjustments.
The results of this study showed a statistically significant reduction in the somatosensory N30 peak, an area of the brain involved with sensorimotor integration, in adults with Alzheimer’s disease. We also found enhanced functional connectivity between different areas of the brain.

In adults with Parkinson’s disease, we found an increase in the N30 peak, which is normally reduced in people with Parkinson’s disease, however these changes did not reach statistical significance. A larger sample size and more research is needed to further investigate the potential benefits and effects of chiropractic care in these population groups.

This research is an important step towards understanding how chiropractic changes the brain and the role it may play in managing Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease. We are excited to continue this research in the future. A huge thank you for all the work put in by the authors of this paper- Heidi Haavik, Imran Khan Niazi, Samran Navid, Kelly Holt, Rasmus Nedergaard, Imran Amjad, Nitika Kumari, Muhammad Shafique, Jenna Duehr and Robert Trager.

This research was generously funded by the Hamblin Trust from the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association and donations from our amazing Centre for Chiropractic Research Supporters Program at the New Zealand College of Chiropractic. If you would like to get on board and support our research, we would be so grateful, please go to https://chiropractic.ac.nz/research/support-our-research/