Immediate Neurological Improvement After Chiropractic Adjustment
Immediate Neurological Improvement After Chiropractic Adjustment
A clinical study reported in the September 17, 2012 issue of the Annals of Vertebral
Subluxation Research discusses the case of a 26 year-old male who experienced immediate
neurological improvement after his first chiropractic adjustment.
In this study, neurological function was monitored with thermography, which measures skin
surface temperature over the muscles on either side of the spine. In a normal spine, the
temperature on both sides of the spine should be equal, with small allowable differences. An
imbalance at any level is indicative of vertebral subluxation and the resulting neurological
disturbance.
The 26 year-old patient in this case had no complaints or symptoms and presented himself
to the chiropractor for a chiropractic evaluation.
According to author Brandon Mahaffy, DC, of Huntersville, NC, the thermal scan showed
severe heat differences at the spinal levels of C2, C4 and C5 of up to 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit.
Mild heat differences of up to 0.8 degrees were found at T5, T6, T10, T11, and T12.
Within 30 seconds after all subluxations were adjusted, a follow up thermography scan to
check for thermal asymmetry was performed.
According to Mahaffy, "The scan showed marked improvement over both previous scans
with only a moderate temperature differential of 1.2 degrees Fahrenheit at C1 with all other
spinal segments being within the normal range."
He went on to conclude the increased symmetry in thermal readings right after the
adjustment demonstrates that reducing subluxations immediately improves neurological
function.