Articles

Failure to define low back pain as a disease or an episode renders research on causality unsuitable: results of a systematic review

Causative factors may be different for the very first onset of symptoms of the ‘disease’ of low back pain (LBP) than for ensuing episodes that occur after a pain-free period. This differentiation hinges on a l...

Authors: Emad M. Ardakani, Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde and Bruce F. Walker

Research priorities of the Canadian chiropractic profession: a consensus study using a modified Delphi technique

Research funds are limited and a healthcare profession that supports research activity should establish research priority areas. The study objective was to identify research priority areas for the Canadian chi...

Authors: Simon D. French, Peter J. H. Beliveau, Paul Bruno, Steven R. Passmore, Jill A. Hayden, John Srbely and Greg N. Kawchuk

What are the risks of manual treatment of the spine? A scoping review for clinicians

Communicating to patients the risks of manual treatment to the spine is an important, but challenging element of informed consent. This scoping review aimed to characterise and summarise the available literatu...

Authors: Gabrielle Swait and Rob Finch

ECU convention 2017 research presentations

Authors: Alice Kongsted, Lise Hestbaek, Carlo Ammendolia, Pierre Côté, Danielle Southerst, Michael Schneider, Brian Budgell, Claire Bombardier, Gillian Hawker, Y. Raja Rampersaud, Corinne Minder, Cynthia Peterson, B. Kim Humphreys, Halldór Fannar Gíslason, Jari Kullervo Salminen, Linn Sandhaugen…

Effect of spinal manipulative treatment on cardiovascular autonomic control in patients with acute low back pain

This study aimed to quantify the effect of spinal manipulative treatment (SMT) from an analysis of baroreflex, systolic blood pressure and heart rate variability (HRV) on patients with acute back pain. It was ...

Authors: Mohamed Younes, Karine Nowakowski, Benoit Didier-Laurent, Michel Gombert and François Cottin

Influence of perceived difficulty of cases on student osteopaths’ diagnostic reasoning: a cross sectional study

Diagnostic reasoning refers to the cognitive processes by which clinicians formulate diagnoses. Despite the implications for patient safety and professional identity, research on diagnostic reasoning in osteop...

Authors: Aurelien L. Noyer, Jorge E. Esteves and Oliver P. Thomson

The chiropractic profession: a scoping review of utilization rates, reasons for seeking care, patient profiles, and care provided

Previous research has investigated utilization rates, who sees chiropractors, for what reasons, and the type of care that chiropractors provide. However, these studies have not been comprehensively synthesized...

Authors: Peter J. H. Beliveau, Jessica J. Wong, Deborah A. Sutton, Nir Ben Simon, André E. Bussières, Silvano A. Mior and Simon D. French

A protocol for clinical trial study of the effect of core stabilization exercises on spine kinematics during gait with and without load in patients with non-specific chronic low back pain

Non-specific chronic low back pain (NCLBP) is a major public health and global socioeconomic burden with a variety of symptoms such as gait abnormality. Trunk stiffness and deep trunk muscles dysfunction known...

Authors: Rasool Bagheri, Ismail Ebrahimi Takamjani, Mahdi Dadgoo, Javad Sarrafzadeh, Amir Ahmadi, Mohammad Reza Pourahmadi and Amir-Salar Jafarpisheh

Correction to: Comparison of treatment outcomes in neck pain patients depending on the sex of the chiropractor: a prospective outcome study

After publication of the original article [1] the authors noted that the presentation of the name B. Kim Humphreys was incorrect.

Authors: Janine Thöni, Cynthia K. Peterson and B. Kim Humphreys

What is chiropractic?

While in some jurisdictions chiropractic is fully integrated in public and insurance funded health care systems, in others it is outside and considered as complementary or alternative health care. There is a p...

Authors: Jan Hartvigsen and Simon French

Knowledge, attitude, influences and use of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) among chiropractic and nursing students

Complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is becoming more widely used in the community however there are differences in knowledge and attitudes among and within the various health professions. Chiropractic...

Authors: Bruce F. Walker, Anthony Armson, Christopher Hodgetts, Angela Jacques, Fu En Chin, Garret Kow, Hyung Jin Lee, Mui Kee Wong and Anthony Wright

Using 4+ to grade near-normal muscle strength does not improve agreement

Manual assessment of muscle strength is often graded using the ordinal Medical Research Council (MRC) scale. The scale has a number of inherent weaknesses, including poorly defined limits between grades ‘4’ an...

Authors: Søren O’Neill, Sofie Louise Thomsen Jaszczak, Anne Katrine Søndergaard Steffensen and Birgit Debrabant

Work related musculoskeletal injuries sustained by Australian osteopaths: qualitative analysis of effects on practitioner health, clinical practice, and patient care

There is limited literature that explores the experiences of osteopaths injured while engaging in clinical practice. Evidence from other similar health professions has described the numerous effects of work-re...

Authors: Gopi Anne McLeod, Katerina Annels, Jessica Cohen, Samuel Edwards, Daniel Hodgins and Brett Vaughan

Appeal to fear in health care: appropriate or inappropriate?

This paper examines appeal to fear in general: its perceived positive aspects, its negative characteristics, its appropriate as well as its fallacious use.

Authors: J. Keith Simpson

Friction massage versus kinesiotaping for short-term management of latent trigger points in the upper trapezius: a randomized controlled trial

Latent trigger points in the upper trapezius muscle may disrupt muscle movement patterns and cause problems such as cramping and decreased muscle strength. Because latent trigger points may spontaneously becom...

Authors: Marzieh Mohamadi, Soraya Piroozi, Iman Rashidi and Saeed Hosseinifard

Tracking low back pain in adolescent idiopathic scoliosis: a prospective cohort study protocol

Numerous methodological limitations have constrained the findings of previous studies that have examined the prevalence of low back pain in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis. This article presents a study ...

Authors: Jean Théroux, Norman Stomski, Christopher J. Hodgetts, Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde, Bruce F. Walker, Sylvie Le May and Hubert Labelle

Exploring the definition of «acute» neck pain: a prospective cohort observational study comparing the outcomes of chiropractic patients with 0–2 weeks, 2–4 weeks and 4–12 weeks of symptoms

Neck pain is a common complaint in chiropractic patients. Amongst other baseline variables, numerous studies identify duration of symptoms as a strong predictor of outcome in neck pain patients. The usual time...

Authors: Luana Nyirö, Cynthia K. Peterson and B. Kim Humphreys

“Typical” chiropractic patients– can they be described in terms of recovery patterns?

Chiropractors expect the typical patient to recover fully or to improve quickly with treatment if relapses occur. However, a mismatch between expectations and outcome would have a negative effect on both the c...

Authors: Iben Axén and Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde

The comfort and safety of a novel rolling mechanical indentation device for the measurement of lumbar trunk stiffness in young adults

The measurement of Posterior-Anterior (P-A) spinal stiffness is a common component of the physical examination of patients presenting with spinal disorders. The aim of this assessment is to provoke pain and/or...

Authors: Benjamin T. Brown, Alexandra Blacke, Vanessa Carroll, Petra L. Graham, Greg Kawchuk, Aron Downie and Michael Swain

The relationship between intolerance of uncertainty in chiropractic students and their treatment intervention choices

Psychological factors, such as intolerance of uncertainty (IU), have been shown to impact on the quality of medical care. However, this psychological measure has not been studied in the chiropractic profession...

Authors: Stanley I Innes, Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde and Bruce F Walker

Unravelling functional neurology: a scoping review of theories and clinical applications in a context of chiropractic manual therapy

Functional Neurology (FN), a seemingly attractive treatment approach used by some chiropractors, proposes to have an effect on a multitude of conditions but some of its concepts are controversial.

Authors: Anne-Laure Meyer, Amanda Meyer, Sarah Etherington and Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde

Comparison of treatment outcomes in neck pain patients depending on the sex of the chiropractor: a prospective outcome study

The high percentage of female chiropractic students in Switzerland suggests a future sex shift in the chiropractic profession in Switzerland. Thus the purpose of this study is to determine if male and female c...

Authors: Janine Thöni, Cynthia K. Peterson and B. Kim Humphreys

Managing patients with acute and chronic non-specific neck pain: are Danish chiropractors compliant with guidelines?

Non-specific neck pain represents a quarter of all chiropractic patient visits in Denmark. Evidence informed practice can help ensure providers use best available treatment, speed up patient recovery rate and ...

Authors: Simon Sidenius Brockhusen, André Bussières, Simon David French, Henrik Wulff Christensen and Tue Secher Jensen

The biopsychosocial model and chiropractic: a commentary with recommendations for the chiropractic profession

There is an increasing awareness, interest and acceptance of the biopsychosocial (BPS) model by all health care professionals involved with patient care. The areas of spine care and pain medicine are no except...

Authors: Jordan A. Gliedt, Michael J. Schneider, Marion W. Evans, Jeff King and James E. Eubanks Jr

Historical influence on the practice of chiropractic radiology: part II - thematic analysis on the opinions of diplomates of the American Chiropractic College of Radiology about the future

Over the past 20 years, various authors have addressed the question of the future of chiropractic. Most were positive about the future, with some advocating evidence-based practice and integration with mainstr...

Authors: Kenneth J. Young

Historical influence on the practice of chiropractic radiology: Part I - a survey of Diplomates of the American Chiropractic College of Radiology

It is known that not all chiropractors follow mainstream guidelines on the use of diagnostic ionising radiation. Various reasons have been discussed in the literature, including using radiography to screen for...

Authors: Kenneth J. Young

Chiropractors` experience and readiness to work in Indigenous Australian Communities: a preliminary cross-sectional survey to explore preparedness, perceived barriers and facilitators for chiropractors practising cross-culturally

Indigenous people make up approximately 3% of the total Australian population and score poorer on all health indices, including back pain. Chiropractors are well placed to alleviate back pain, yet there is no ...

Authors: Dein Vindigni, Barbara I. Polus, Sonja Cleary and Aunty Kerrie Doyle

Manual therapy compared with physical therapy in patients with non-specific neck pain: a randomized controlled trial

Manual therapy according to the School of Manual Therapy Utrecht (MTU) is a specific type of passive manual joint mobilization. MTU has not yet been systematically compared to other manual therapies and physic...

Authors: Ruud Groeneweg, Luite van Assen, Hans Kropman, Huco Leopold, Jan Mulder, Bouwien C. M. Smits-Engelsman, Raymond W J. G. Ostelo, Rob A. B. Oostendorp and Maurits W. van Tulder

The STarT back tool in chiropractic practice: a narrative review

The Keele STarT Back Tool was designed for primary care medical physicians in the UK to determine the risk for persistent disabling pain in patients with musculoskeletal pain and to tailor treatments according...

Authors: Yasmeen Khan

Prevalence of low back pain in adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis: a systematic review

Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis is the most common spinal deformity occurring in adolescents and its established prevalence varies from 2 to 3%. Adolescent idiopathic scoliosis has been identified as a potenti...

Authors: Jean Théroux, Norman Stomski, Christopher J. Hodgetts, Ariane Ballard, Christelle Khadra, Sylvie Le May and Hubert Labelle

Primary prevention in chiropractic practice: a systematic review

Chiropractors are primarily concerned with musculoskeletal disorders but have the responsibility to deal also with prevention in other areas.

Authors: Guillaume Goncalves, Christine Le Scanff and Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde

Lumbar lordosis in prone position and prone hip extension test: comparison between subjects with and without low back pain

Prone hip extension (PHE) is a common and widely accepted test used for assessment of the lumbo-pelvic movement pattern. Considerable increased in lumbar lordosis during this test has been considered as impair...

Authors: Amir Massoud Arab, Arash Haghighat, Zahra Amiri and Fariba Khosravi

A treatise for a new philosophy of chiropractic medicine

The philosophy of chiropractic has been a much debated entity throughout the existence of the chiropractic profession. Much criticism has been passed upon the historical philosophy of chiropractic and propagat...

Authors: Timothy A. Mirtz

Contextually Aided Recovery (CARe): a scientific theory for innate healing

The chiropractic profession emerged when scientific explanations for causes of health and disease were still in infancy and the co-existence of notions such as innate healing and vitalism were perhaps admissib...

Authors: Dave Newell, Lise R. Lothe and Timothy J. L. Raven

Chiropractic management of post spinal cord stimulator spine pain: a case report

A brief overview of failed back surgery syndrome, with emphasis on low back pain status post spinal cord stimulation, and post-surgical spinal manipulation is presented.

Authors: Rachel M. Perrucci and Christopher M. Coulis

The relationship between chiropractor required and current level of business knowledge

Chiropractors frequently practice within health care systems requiring the business acumen of an entrepreneur. However, some chiropractors do not know the relationship between the level of business knowledge r...

Authors: Michael Anthony Ciolfi and Patsy Anne Kasen

Association between sports type and overuse injuries of extremities in adults: a systematic review

Sports injuries are often described as overuse or traumatic. Little is known about the frequency of overuse injuries and, in particular, if they vary between different types of sporting activities.

Authors: Charlène Chéron, Christine Le Scanff and Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde

Musculoskeletal diagnostic ultrasound imaging for thickness measurement of four principal muscles of the cervical spine -a reliability and agreement study

The reliability of musculoskeletal diagnostic ultrasound imaging (MSK-DUSI) for the evaluation of neck musculature has been sparsely documented in the research literature. Until now, research has featured a li...

Authors: Cecilie Krage Øverås, Birgitte Lawaetz Myhrvold, Gro Røsok and Eli Magnesen

A systematic review of thrust manipulation for non-surgical shoulder conditions

Although many conservative management options are available for patients with non-surgical shoulder conditions, there is little evidence of their effectiveness. This review investigated one manual therapy appr...

Authors: Amy L. Minkalis, Robert D. Vining, Cynthia R. Long, Cheryl Hawk and Katie de Luca

The reliability of spinal motion palpation determination of the location of the stiffest spinal site is influenced by confidence ratings: a secondary analysis of three studies

This is a secondary analysis of three previous studies on the cervical, thoracic, and lumbar spines. It uses continuous analysis of the stiffest spinal site rather than more typical level-by-level analysis to ...

Authors: Robert Cooperstein and Morgan Young

‘PICO-D Management’; a decision-aid for evidence-based chiropractic education and clinical practice

Various models and decision-making aids exist for chiropractic clinical practice.

Authors: Lyndon G. Amorin-Woods and Barrett E. Losco

The effect of obesity on treatment outcomes for low back pain

The objective of this study was to estimate the effect of obesity, as measured by body mass index (BMI), on treatment outcomes for low back pain (LBP).

Authors: Stanley C. Ewald, Eric L. Hurwitz and Anupama Kizhakkeveettil

Effectiveness of manual therapy for cervical radiculopathy, a review

Manual therapy is often used for patients with neck pain with or without radicular symptoms. There is sparse evidence on the effectiveness in cervical radiculopathy. The aim of this study was to assess current...

Authors: E. J. Thoomes

Similarities and differences of a selection of key accreditation standards between chiropractic councils on education: a systematic review

Councils of Chiropractic Education (CCE) indirectly influence patient care and safety through their role of ensuring the standards of training delivered by chiropractic educational institutions. This is achiev...

Authors: Stanley I. Innes, Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde and Bruce F. Walker

Effect of lumbar spinal manipulation on local and remote pressure pain threshold and pinprick sensitivity in asymptomatic individuals: a randomised trial

The mechanisms of clinical pain relief associated with spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) are poorly understood. Our objective was to determine whether lumbar high-velocity low-amplitude SMT altered pressure pa...

Authors: Sasha L. Dorron, Barrett E. Losco, Peter D. Drummond and Bruce F. Walker

The influence of anatomy app use on chiropractic students’ learning outcomes: a randomised controlled trial

Anatomy apps supplement traditional learning; however, it is unknown if their use can improve students’ outcome. The present study examined whether the use of anatomy apps improved student performance on a neu...

Authors: Amanda J. Meyer, Norman J. Stomski, C. Dominique Losco and Anthony J. Armson

Association between sports type and overuse injuries of extremities in children and adolescents: a systematic review

Sporting activities can cause injuries and overuse injuries of the extremities (OIE) in children have been shown to be more common than injuries caused by trauma. The lower extremity is more frequently affecte...

Authors: Charlène Chéron, Christine Le Scanff and Charlotte Leboeuf-Yde

Does case misclassification threaten the validity of studies investigating the relationship between neck manipulation and vertebral artery dissection stroke? No

The purported relationship between cervical manipulative therapy (CMT) and stroke related to vertebral artery dissection (VAD) has been debated for several decades. A large number of publications, from case re...

Authors: Donald R. Murphy, Michael J. Schneider, Stephen M. Perle, Christopher G. Bise, Michael Timko and Mitchell Haas

Does case misclassification threaten the validity of studies investigating the relationship between neck manipulation and vertebral artery dissection stroke? Yes

For patients and health care providers who are considering spinal manipulative therapy of the neck, it is crucial to establish if it is a trigger for cervical artery dissection and/or stroke, and if it is, the...

Authors: Jessica K. Paulus and David E. Thaler

Serious bicycle crash injury in chiropractic practice – a case report of delayed diagnosis

Bicyclists are vulnerable road users and are at risk of serious spinal injury if involved in traffic crashes. In Denmark approximately 25 bicyclists are killed each year and some 20.000 bicycle related casualt...

Authors: Lars Uhrenholt