Top Chiropractic Research from 2023 Q3 (July-September)
Medline contains almost 30 million references and grows with a million new studies added every year. Trying to stay on top of it all can be a real struggle, but your ChiroUp research team is here to make it a breeze. We sift through the freshest research findings, picking out the most valuable bits of chiropractic know-how and best practices. In this latest chiropractic research review, we’ve summarized ten brand-new studies that can make a real difference for your patients and your practice.
1. SMT Does Not Cause Strokes (again)
"The association between cervical spinal manipulation and cervical artery dissection is not causal in nature. It is more likely that in the period leading up to their diagnosis of cervical artery dissection, patients with neck pain and related symptoms seek out care from a cervical spinal manipulation provider, a medical provider or both, rather than having a specific risk for cervical artery dissection imparted by receipt of cervical spinal manipulation."
Deeper Dive: This is the sixth authoritative study to refute SMT as a cause of stroke. Check out the ChiroUp Safety of Cervical Manipulation infographic for details. Or download our Chiropractic Safety Toolkit for several additional patient and provider resources, including our most popular webinar.
Whedon JM, Petersen CL, Schoellkopf WJ, Haldeman S, MacKenzie TA, Lurie JD. The association between cervical artery dissection and spinal manipulation among US adults. European Spine Journal. 2023 Jul 8:1-8. Link
2. Two Studies Confirm Most Disc Herniations Resorb
“The existing evidence shows that the overall resorption incidence of lumbar disc herniation (LDH) was 70.39%, the resorption incidence of ruptured LDH is higher than that of contained LDH." (Zou et al.)
“The probabilities of spontaneous regression (were):
Bulging 13.3%
Protruded 52.5%
Extruded 70.4%
Sequestered 93.9%
Extruded and sequestered discs were also significantly more likely to completely regress than smaller morphologies." (Rashed et al.)
Deeper Dive: An inflammatory reaction ensues whenever nuclear material exits the avascular center of the disc and meets the immune system- and more significant herniations trigger larger immune responses with quicker resorption times. Watch the ChiroUp Masterclass on Disc Lesions and Degeneration to learn more.
Zou T, Liu XY, Wang PC, Chen H, Wu PG, Feng XM, Sun HH. Incidence of spontaneous resorption of lumbar disc herniation: a meta-analysis. Clinical Spine Surgery. 2023 Jul 31:10-97. Link
Rashed S, Vassiliou A, Starup-Hansen J, Tsang K. Systematic review and meta-analysis of predictive factors for spontaneous regression in lumbar disc herniation. Journal of Neurosurgery: Spine. 2023 Jul 14;1(aop):1-8.
3. Neurodynamic Mobilization Eases CTS
"Our systematic review demonstrates significant benefits of neurodynamic modulation techniques to treat carpal tunnel syndrome and specifically that it reduces symptom severity, pain, and motor latency, while at the same time improving nerve conduction velocities.”
Deeper Dive: Check out our popular Carpal Tunnel Nerve Floss blog for a detailed tutorial. ChiroUp subscribers can review a simple median nerve floss here.
Zaheer SA, Ahmed Z. Neurodynamic Techniques in the Treatment of Mild-to-Moderate Carpal Tunnel Syndrome: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Journal of Clinical Medicine. 2023 Jul 25;12(15):4888. Link
4. Strong Hips Prevent Running Injuries
"When controlling for age, sex, BMI, foot strike, and speed; higher hip power absorbed was found to be protective against injury. This could be due to the hip muscles' unique role in absorbing force during early stance phase."
Deeper Dive: Check out our newest on-demand webinar for Hip Abductor Weakness & Lower Crossed Syndrome.
Dewald M, Dalland J, Stockland J. The Association of Joint Power Kinetic Variables with Running Injuries: A Case-Control Study. International Journal of Sports Physical Therapy. 2023;18(4):864. Link
5. Central Sensitization Affects Up To 40% of Rotator Cuff Patients
"The prevalence of central sensitization syndrome in patients with rotator cuff tear was relatively high at 39.4%.”
Deeper Dive: Listen to The Mic’d Up with ChiroUp podcast on Chiropractic Care of the Shoulder.
Peng R, Yang R, Ning N. Central sensitization syndrome in patients with rotator cuff tear: prevalence and associated factors. Postgraduate Medicine. 2023 Jul 29:1-8. Link
Bonus study - A Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery study found that “a correlation exists between BMI-measured obesity and rotator cuff tear severity.”
6. Pickleball Injuries Grow with Sport’s Popularity
"Injuries related to pickleball could cost Americans between $250 million and $500 million in medical costs this year, mostly related to wrist and leg sprains and fractures. Over roughly the last three years the number of recreational players around the U.S. has soared 159%, from 3.5 million in 2019 to 8.9 million in 2022.”
Deeper Dive: Subscribers- help your patients and social media followers stay healthy with the new pickleball injury infographic. Search “pickleball” from the forms library in your ChiroUp account.
Cerullo M. Pickleball injuries could cost Americans up to $500 million this year, analysis finds. CBS News Moneywatch. June 27, 2027 Link
7. Vitamin D Eases Knee OA
“Vitamin D [25-Hydroxy] administration had a statistically significant [positive] impact on the amount of synovial fluid, Visual Analog Scale, and tibial cartilage. Vitamin D supplementation did benefit those suffering from knee discomfort and knee dysfunction."
Deeper Dive: ChiroUp subscribers can review the current chiropractic best practices for managing knee osteoarthritis here.
Wang R, Wang ZM, Xiang SC, Jin ZK, Zhang JJ, Zeng JC, Tong PJ, Lv SJ. Relationship between 25-hydroxy vitamin D and knee osteoarthritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Frontiers in Medicine. 2023;10. Link
8. Foam Roller Utility Questioned (again)
“The current literature appears to not support the advantage of foam roller or stick massage to improve recovery of muscle damage indirect markers (muscle soreness, range of motion, muscle swelling, and maximal voluntary isometric contraction) compared to a non-intervention control group in healthy individuals."
Medeiros F, Martins W, Behm D, Ribeiro D, Marinho E, Santos W, Viana RB. Acute effects of foam roller or stick massage on indirect markers from exercise-induced muscle damage in healthy individuals: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies. 2023 Apr 20. Link
9. Scapular Dyskinesis Linked to Impingement (again)
"The variables measured during movement are associated with subacromial impingement syndrome. Consistency between the results supports the importance of scapula biomechanics measurements in these conditions."
Deeper Dive: Check out this on-demand Scapular Dyskinesis Masterclass.
Houry M, Bonnard M, Tourny C, Gilliaux M. Kinematic, electromyographic and isokinetic measurements for the management of shoulder subacromial pain syndrome: A systematic review. Clinical Biomechanics. 2023 Jun 15:106029. Link
10. Tight Hamstrings Linked to Hyperpronation
"The findings of our study revealed a significant relationship between hamstring tightness and pronation of the foot, as measured by the foot posture index. Understanding this relationship is crucial as it sheds light on the potential impact of hamstring tightness on foot biomechanics."
Deeper Dive: Subscribers can prescribe the doorway hamstring stretch to reduce tightness.
Gulrandhe P, Yadav V, Naqvi WM. Correlation Between Foot Posture and Hamstring Muscle Tightness. Cureus. 2023 Jul 17;15(7). Link
Bonus. The No S#!t Studies of the Quarter
“Therapeutic exercise may be effective to achieve clinically relevant reductions in headache intensity and frequency as well as disability for patients suffering from cervicogenic headache."
Becher B, Lozano-López C, de Castro-Carletti EM, Hoffmann M, Becher C, Mesa-Jimenez J, Fernandez-de-Las-Peñas C, Armijo-Olivo S. Effectiveness of therapeutic exercise for the management of cervicogenic headache: A systematic review. Musculoskeletal Science and Practice. 2023 Jul 16:102822. Link
“It can be concluded that the quality and reliability of YouTube videos regarding [musculoskeletal problems] are insufficient for patients."
Yüce A, Ocak O, Gur V, Misir A. YouTube Videos About Plantar Fasciitis and Calcaneal Spurs Are Insufficient and Poor Quality. Journal of the American Podiatric Medical Association. 2023 May 1;113(3). Link
Deeper dive: At ChiroUp, we know how challenging it can be to keep up with the latest research in the chiropractic field. That's why our team of experts does that for you.
ChiroUp subscribers can access the latest chiropractic research daily in their homepage research review and get the tools they need to offer their patients the best possible care.
Don't miss out on this invaluable resource that can help take your practice to the next level.
