New Research Projects
(Archive)

This section was compiled by Frank M. Painter, D.C.
Send all comments or additions to:   Frankp@chiro.org

  See also: General Grants funded by FCER

NOTE:   Funding finally ran out for the Consortial Center for Chiropractic Research (CCCR) project, so their website has been dismantled. Most of these studies were completed and will lead to published articles. Stay posted. The abstracts below that have no links were funded by the C3R.

	CHiP: Chiropractic for Hypertension in Patients The CHiP study is being conducted to assess the feasibility of performing a Phase II research study on the efficacy of a specific chiropractic treatment in lowering blood pressure in patients with hypertension or high blood pressure. Participants receive either toggle recoil upper cervical adjustments or a sham treatment over the course of 6 weeks, while having their blood pressure monitored for any changes CHiP is funded by the Palmer College of Chiropractic.
	Chiropractic RX for Chronic Otitis Media With Effusion The aim of the proposal is to examine whether chiropractic treatment will reduce the likelihood of the persistence of effusion in children with otitis media with effusion (OME) when compared to usual care. The hypothesis of the study is that children receiving manipulative therapy during the waiting period prior to scheduled tube placement will experience a higher incidence rate of clearing of fluid at the time of tympanostomy when compared to a control group receiving no manipulative therapy.
	The Development of Digitised Videoflouroscopy (DVF) as a Clinical Tool for Measuring the Integrity of the Living Spine This is now the longest running of the College's (AECC) joint research programmes. It addresses a fundamental set of issues in spinal research, based on the quantification of the motion mechanics of spinal linkages in disabled patients. It addresses difficult problems in clinical understanding, mechanical engineering and computing in order to provide a tool which is designed to bring evaluation to the spine's functional integrity within reach.
	Changes in Wellness and Quality of Life During Subluxation-Centered Chiropractic Care Most studies of chiropractic efficacy have been limited to low back pain, neck pain or headaches. The notion that chiropractic may enhance one's life experience if used on an ongoing basis has been largely ignored in the literature. In that sense, chiropractic care, aimed at the removal of vertebral subluxation, may be of benefit to a wider proportion of the population, besides those complaining of specific illness or pain. Evidence is needed to justify the use of long-term chiropractic care in a population in which the main goals of care are the advancement of health and human potential rather than the treatment of disease or the alleviation of pain.
	Changes in Health Measures in HIV+ Chiropractic Patients The long-term objectives of this research are to examine the effects of chiropractic care on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) in people living with HIV/AIDS (PLA).
	Load Distribution during Bilateral Manipulation Chiropractic manipulation treatments are typically practiced and taught using subjective visual and tactile feedback. Few quantitative data are available on the loading applied to the external surface of a patient during manipulation. Such data would be useful in categorizing different manipulative techniques, determining the mechanical efficiency of similar techniques, addressing concerns of patient risk during manipulation, and as the basis for incorporating quantitative assessment into the skill development process.
	Multisite Pilot of Chiropractic for Chronic Pelvic Pain Chronic pelvic pain (CPP) in women, defined as noncyclic pain in the pelvis persisting at least six months, causes significant pain, disability and consumption of health care services. Its prevalence among women in the U.S. is estimated at 14.7%, and it accounts annually for 10-15% of hysterectomies and 40% of laparoscopies. Annual cost of outpatient care for CPP is estimated at $2.8 billion, excluding surgery and hospitalization; lost work days cost and additional $555.3 million. The author, Cheryl Hawk just shared the Chronic Pelvic Pain Progress Report.
	Studies on Effects of Spinal Manipulation on the Immune Response The immune and endocrine systems are integrated through mutual communication mediated by endogenous mediators such as cytokines and neuroendocrine peptides. Scientific evidence also shows that activation of the autonomic nervous system may lead to alteration in various physiological responses including the immune and inflammatory responses.
	Changes in Muscle Excitability after Spinal Manipulation Joint pathologies are commonly associated with an inability to fully activate all motor units of the knee extensor muscles, termed muscle inhibition (MI). The result of MI is persistent weakness of the knee extensors, which has been identified as a risk factor for osteoarthritis and progress of joint degeneration. Health care costs associated with joint disease are considerable. Therefore, full functional recovery of the affected structures after traumatic joint injuries should be achieved. The mechanisms responsible for MI are unknown, and treatment modalities attempting to eliminate or reduce MI have failed so far.
	Conservative Treatments for Neck Pain: A Pilot Study The broad, long-term objective of this study is to identify efficacious and cost-effective treatment strategies for neck pain, an important, understudied condition with considerable social and economic consequences. The proposed study is an necessary step toward this goal and will expand upon the principal investigator's previous work on spine conditions. The first step is a pilot study in preparation for the second step, a full-scale randomized clinical trial assessing three common, conservative treatments for acute neck pain.
	Clinical Utility of Cervical End-Play Assessment For manual end-play assessment to be a useful indicator for spinal manipulation, it must have a positive effect on patient outcomes (clinical utility). As a first step toward determining the efficacy of indicators for manipulation, we will evaluate the clinical utility of cervical end-play assessment, one of the most commonly used spinal assessment procedures by chiropractors. Our long-term goal is to identify the most effective indicators and regimen of indicators for spinal manipulation.
	Effect of Vertebral Loading on Sympathetic Nerve Regulation The nervous system plays a pivotal role in chiropractic theory and practice. The concepts forming the cornerstones of chiropractic, namely the "subluxation" and the "adjustment" have continually emphasized this point. Chiropractic has long held that subluxations can produce disorders of internal organs and spinal manipulation can ameliorate and/or alleviate these disorders via their effects on the nervous system.
	NIH Awards Almost $16 Million in Grants for Alternative Therapy Centers Will Study Effectiveness of Chiropractic and Other Forms of Care The NIH has just awarded nearly $16 million in grants to a pair of research centers in Oregon. The grants, which were announced last month, will be used to establish specialized centers in collaboration with local schools and practitioners of chiropractic, acupuncture, naturopathic medicine and other forms of disease prevention and treatment.
	Discover the Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research Programs The Palmer Center for Chiropractic Research, together with Palmer College of Chiropractic West, is organized into six research programs and three offices for planning and administration.
	Reflex Effects of Subluxation: The Autonomic Nervous System J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2000 (Feb); 23 (2): 104–106 This paper by Dr. Budgell is slated for publication in the February 2000 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics (JMPT), an issue dedicated to the 1999 World Chiropractic Congress in Auckland, New Zealand that took place in May of this year.

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Updated 11-24-2012