ATLANTA, Georgia – 2025
Recent research reported in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research reveals the potential benefits of upper cervical chiropractic care for a patient suffering from chronic neck pain and headaches after spinal fusion surgery. This research highlights a non-invasive and precise approach to managing a patient with complex post-surgical pain. The literature review supports the role of chiropractic in those suffering from related health challenges and calls for more research in this area.
“Research is revealing that there is a relationship between structural abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system and brain” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study.
Research has shown not only that the brain relies on normal structural integrity and joint movement, but that complex neurological communication and pathways involved in helping humans balance and orient themselves in space are tied into spinal biomechanics and their related neurological pathways.
Abnormal spinal alignment and posture are associated with poor general health, physical function, emotional function, social function, neck and low back pain. Normal spinal alignment and movement provides shock absorption and leverage, which protect the spinal cord and nerves from the forces of gravity and other daily traumas one may encounter.
McCoy stated “Abnormal spinal alignment and posture also increase stress and strain to the nerve and blood supply of the spinal cord. This can seriously affect the nervous system.” It is a rare phenomenon for resolution of these abnormalities in the absence of intervention. However, there is literature that supports the effectiveness of chiropractic to restore a healthy spinal alignment and motion according to the research, thereby lowering the risk of chronic pain, degeneration, and poor health.
A 52-year-old woman, otherwise in good health, presented with persistent neck pain and daily headaches following a C5/6 anterior cervical discectomy and fusion (ACDF). Her pain was rated as dull and constant.
The chiropractor examined her and found structural shifts throughout her neck. She had postural changes, pain, tight muscles in her neck, and restricted range of motion. X-rays of the cervical spine confirmed these findings. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct.
Following upper cervical chiropractic care, her pain intensity decreased significantly, her range of motion improved, and she reported sustained benefits at a three-month follow-up.
The study’s author called for additional research to investigate the clinical implications of chiropractic in this patient population.
To learn more about this study and chiropractic research visit, Vertebral Subluxation Research.
