New Study Shows How Cervical Manipulation Synergizes with StrongPosture® Exercises
A recent study out of New Zealand, Altered Central Integration of Dual Somatosensory Input After Cervical Spine Manipulation, demonstrates why patients are often able to more effectively perform the StrongPosture® exercise protocols after a chiropractic adjustment.
While not specifically testing the protocols, the observation that “spinal manipulation alters sensorimotor integration at the cortical level of the CNS” provides neurologic explanation for the frequently observed post-adjustment improvement in performing the multiple actions of a StrongPosture® exercise ( i.e. tighter upper body stabilization during ArmsUp). Generalizing the findings to the lower body would then also explain improved knee stabilization during the BallSit series.
In other words, adding a spinal manipulation to focused exercise helps retrain a pattern of motion.
The authors, Drs Taylor and Murphy, also noted “These findings may help to elucidate the mechanisms responsible for the effective relief of pain and restoration of functional ability documented after spinal manipulation.” And while more work needs to be done, the suggestion that “spinal manipulation of dysfunctional cervical joints can improve SEP suppression evoked by dual upper limb nerve stimulation at the level of the motor cortex, premotor areas, and/or subcortical areas such as basal ganglia and/or thalamus can last for 20 minutes post-adjustment” also suggests that teaching StrongPosture® exercises during that window of time can recruit previously “forgotten” motor units.
Altered Central Integration of Dual Somatosensory Input After Cervical Spine Manipulation, Heidi Haavik Taylor, PhD, BSc(Chiro), Bernadette Murphy, PhD, DC JMPT Volume 33, Issue 3, Pages 178-188 (March 2010) -http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/20350670
