Research Center

Abstract Objectives Cervical artery dissection (CeAD) has been proposed as a sequela of spinal manipulative therapy (SMT), however, protopathic bias arising from care-seeking for CeAD symptoms (e.g., neck pain/headache) may overestimate observed associations. Among adults experiencing new neck pain/headache, we tested the null hypothesis of no significant CeAD risk within 30 days following SMT compared…

Clinton J. Daniels, Ronald J. Farabaugh, Stacie A. Salsbury, Kristian R. Anderson, Maranda J Kleppe, Wayne M. Whalen, Sheryl A. Walters, Lisa Z. Killinger & Alec L. Schielke  Clinical Compass recently published a systematic review adding to the growing body of evidence supporting the safety of chiropractic care, especially for older adults. The study examined adverse events in patients aged 55 and older receiving…

Editor’s Note: KAC members receive complementary access to Clinical Compass resources with their KAC membership. To learn more about these resources and how to access them, visit here. Clinical Compass has announced via a press release on February 19, 2026, a new clinical practice guideline that has been published in the Journal of Integrative and Complementary Medicine. PRESS RELEASE Clinical…

A new multi-institutional study, led by University Hospitals Connor Whole Health, found that adults with newly diagnosed low back pain with or without sciatica who initially received spinal manipulative therapy administered by a chiropractor were significantly less likely to be diagnosed with opioid use disorder over a two-year follow-up compared to those prescribed ibuprofen. The study…

Robert J Trager 1 2 3, Zachary A Cupler 4, Jordan A Gliedt 5, Ryan A Fischer 6, Roshini Srinivasan 7, Hannah Thorfinnson 8 Affiliations Expand Abstract Background and aims: Previous research suggests patients receiving spinal manipulative therapy (SMT) for low back pain (LBP) are less likely to be prescribed opioids. However, the clinical implications of this finding are unclear. We tested the hypothesis that opioid-naïve adults receiving SMT for…

Wilco Jacobs 1 2, Debbie S Wright 3, Katherine Pohlman 3, Rob Rosenbaum 4, Barbara A Hutten 5, Gwendolyne Gm Scholten-Peeters 6, Scott Haldeman 7, Johannes Cf Ket 8, Sidney M Rubinstein 2 Affiliations Expand Free article Abstract Background: Cervical artery dissection (CAD) is a rare cause of stroke. This is an update of an earlier systematic review, which focuses on the risk of CAD in the general population. The objective was to identify the…

Brian Plummer, D.C. Abstract Objective To describe an unusual presentation of thoracic outlet syndrome (TOS) due to a residual rib following a prior first rib resection as well as the role of chiropractic care in evaluation and co-management. Clinical Features A 30-year-old male with a history of bilateral first rib resections had progressive neck pain…

Aubrianna L Jones 1, Jordan A Gliedt 1, Aditya Vedantam 1 Affiliations Expand Abstract in English, French Objective: To describe the clinical presentation and management of a patient with degenerative cervical myelopathy (DCM) during pregnancy. Case presentation: A 34-year-old female, who was 21-weeks pregnant, presented for chiropractic evaluation with acute left upper-back pain. Intervention and outcome: For the initial symptoms, the patient completed multidisciplinary treatment with progressive…

Cheryl Hawk 1, Lyndon Amorin-Woods 2, Marion W Evans , Jr 3, James M Whedon 4, Clinton J Daniels 5, Ronald D Williams , Jr 6, Gregory Parkin-Smith 7, David N Taylor 1, Derek Anderson 8, Ronald Farabaugh 9, Sheryl A Walters 10, Alec Schielke 11, Amy L Minkalis 7, Louis S Crivelli 7, Cameron Alpers 1, Nathan Hinkeldey 12, Johanna Hoang 1, Daniel Caraway 1, Wayne Whalen 7, Jason Cook 13, Daniel Redwood 14 Affiliations Expand Free article Abstract Objective: To develop evidence-based recommendations on best practices for delivery of clinical preventive services by chiropractors and to…

 San Jose, Calif. – July 1, 2025 – A new study published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine, showcases the impact of chiropractic care on opioid prescriptions in Veterans Health Administration patients receiving low back pain care.  The study incorporated a total of more than 128,000 patients, over 7,000 of whom received chiropractic care.…

Carol Ann Weis 1, Katherine Pohlman 2, Jon Barrett 3, Susan Clinton 4, Sophia da Silva-Oolup 5, Crystal Draper 5, Joyce Lee 6, Rupali Kumar 7, Maeve O'Beirne 8, Kent Stuber 9, Cheryl Hawk 10 Affiliations Expand Abstract Objective: The purpose of this project was to develop a best-practices document on chiropractic care for pregnant and postpartum patients with low back pain (LBP), pelvic girdle pain (PGP), or a combination. Methods: A modified Delphi consensus process was conducted. A…

Wayne M Whalen 1, Cheryl Hawk 2, Ronald J Farabaugh 3, Clinton J Daniels 4, David N Taylor 2, Kristian R Anderson 5, Louis S Crivelli 6, Derek R Anderson 4, Lisa M Thomson 7, Richard L Sarnat 8 Affiliations Expand Abstract Objective: The purpose of this paper was to update the previously published 2016 best-practice recommendations for chiropractic management of adults with mechanical low back pain (LBP) in the United States. Methods: Two experienced health librarians…

Jordan A Gliedt 1, Jacob Gruttke 2, Aubrianna Jones 3, Jeff King 1, Antoinette L Spector 4, Clinton J Daniels 5 6, Marjorie C Wang 1 Affiliations Expand Free article Abstract Objectives: The purpose of this study was to describe patient demographics and medical history, clinical care characteristics, and short-term serious adverse events associated with SMT in adults with prior spine surgery. Methods: This study was a retrospective chart review of adult…

Genevieve Keating 1 2, Cheryl Hawk 3 4, Lyndon Amorin-Woods 5 6, Deisy Amorin-Woods 7 8, Sharon Vallone 9, Ronald Farabaugh 10 11, Angela Todd 12 13, Randy Ferrance 14, Jessie Young 15 16, Stephanie O'Neill Bhogal 17, Helen Sexton 18, Helen Alevaki 2, Joyce Miller 19, Gregory Parkin-Smith 6 5, Alec Schielke 20, Andrew Robinson 21, Robyn Thompson 22 23 Affiliations Expand Abstract Objective: To build upon existing recommendations on best practices for chiropractic management of children by conducting a formal consensus process and best evidence synthesis.  Design: Best practice guide based on recommendations from current best available evidence…

A new study from Clinical Compass has identified significant variations in informed consent requirements for chiropractors across U.S. state, district, and territory licensing jurisdictions. While informed consent has been a standard in healthcare since 1905, this study reveals inconsistency in the implementation of informed consent process in chiropractic care across the U.S. The research, which…

PRESS RELEASE In a recent systematic review study by Farabaugh et al. featured in Chiropractic & Manual Therapies, compelling findings underscored the value of chiropractic care for patients experiencing spine-related musculoskeletal pain. The study revealed that individuals who initially sought treatment from a chiropractor saw a significant reduction in healthcare costs compared to those under…

Abstract Background The cost of spine-related pain in the United States is estimated at $134.5 billion. Spinal pain patients have multiple options when choosing healthcare providers, resulting in variable costs. Escalation of costs occurs when downstream costs are added to episode costs of care. The purpose of this review was to compare costs of chiropractic…

The Foundation for Chiropractic Progress (F4CP), a not-for-profit organization educating the public about the benefits of chiropractic care, highlights a new study published in Spine showing that a plurality of patients with new-onset neck pain first visited a chiropractor, and that chiropractors were most often associated with the lowest-cost, least-invasive care pathways. The study, “Longitudinal Care Patterns…

Full article here: https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/07853890.2019.1590627 Abstract Cervical artery dissection refers to a tear in the internal carotid or the vertebral artery that results in an intramural haematoma and/or an aneurysmal dilatation. Although cervical artery dissection is thought to occur spontaneously, physical trauma to the neck, especially hyperextension and rotation, has been reported as a trigger. Headache…

In Appendix 1, you can find a list of about 100 systematic SMT reviews on any patient-reported outcome that we could find. In Appendix 2, you can find the 442 references from those reviews. If you're looking for research - there is something in here for everyone Abstract Background Systematic reviews (SRs) of randomized controlled…

Prior to the emergence of COVID, I did not spend a lot of time studying what types of patients suffer more with viral infections. What I did know for sure was that people who suffered with flu symptoms often did not test positive for the actual flu, which means that flu symptoms do no mean…

Abstract Cervical artery dissection refers to a tear in the internal carotid or the vertebral artery that results in an intramural haematoma and/or an aneurysmal dilatation. Although cervical artery dissection is thought to occur spontaneously, physical trauma to the neck, especially hyperextension and rotation, has been reported as a trigger. Headache and/or neck pain is…

Abstract Background Although commonly utilized interventions, no studies have directly compared the effectiveness of cervical and thoracic manipulation to mobilization and exercise in individuals with cervicogenic headache (CH). The purpose of this study was to compare the effects of manipulation to mobilization and exercise in individuals with CH. Methods One hundred and ten participants (n = 110)…

Abstract Objective: To determine the changes produced by dry needling in active myofascial trigger points in hip muscles compared to a sham needling on pain intensity, main pain area, pressure pain threshold and psychological distress in patients with hip osteoarthritis. Design: Secondary analysis of a single-centre, randomized, double-blinded, clinical trial. Intervention: 30 participants with mild to moderate hip…