Australian Spinal Research Foundation

Australian Spinal Research Foundation Our vision is a clear understanding of vertebral subluxation.

The Australian Spinal Research Foundation (ASRF) is more than just a research foundation – it is a cooperative of like-minded people who have a common view of health and well-being, and are willing to stand up for it. In 1977, a group of Chiropractors with a love of chiropractic and a passion to see it survive and thrive came together and set into place what is known today as the ASRF. Our role is to remain at the cutting edge of understanding and communicating how chiropractic contributes to community health and well-being.

"An adjustment doesn't just change how the spine moves; it changes how the brain functions."In our December newsletter w...
19/02/2026

"An adjustment doesn't just change how the spine moves; it changes how the brain functions."

In our December newsletter we got to chat with one of our ASRF Members, Dr. Michelle Foster, and what great insight it is!

Supporting you in your practice with research that explains what you've already been seeing is part of our mission here at the ASRF. With more research we can better understand the why behind the many changes that happen during chiropractic care, elevating your knowledge and care for practice members.

Read the full article over on our website in the December edition of our newsletter 💻
https://spinalresearch.com.au/newsletter/

Please consider becoming a member yourself, to support the research that supports your practice 💪 💫

This is what the research has to say about chiropractic care and sleep:Multiple case reports have noted improved sleep f...
11/02/2026

This is what the research has to say about chiropractic care and sleep:

Multiple case reports have noted improved sleep following chiropractic care. These cases also report improved mental clarity and mood alongside improved sleep. [Kotlerman, 2025; Lanoue, 2025; Steinberg, 2024; Kotlerman, 2024]

Other case reports highlight increased quality and quantity of sleep following chiropractic care in individuals with chronic pain. In most cases the ongoing pain was disrupting sleep prior to care and once the pain was adequately managed, sleep improved. [Terrell, 2025; Rai, 2025; Steinberg, 2024; Berner, 2024]

A few case reports have documented improved sleep in individuals with insomnia following chiropractic care. There were improvements in the amount of sleep patients were getting each night and a reduction in fatigue noted. [Williams, 2024; Kotlerman, 2024]

Issues of sleep walking and sleep apnoea have been addressed in chiropractic research as well, with cases reporting improvements in both concerns following chiropractic care. [Slak, 2025; Williams, 2024; Kotlerman, 2024] One case featured a patient with symptoms of long COVID who developed obstructive sleep apnoea following an acute COVID-19 infection. Following care, sleep was improved and the severity of long COVID symptoms were reduced. [Masarsky, 2025]

There is also a subset of case reports that highlight changes in sleep in paediatric patients following chiropractic care. Integrated primitive reflexes, improvement in movement, and positive changes in mood were also noted along with reduced sleep issues. [Pryjma, 2024; Watson, 2024; Watson, 2024]

We have a new edition of the ASRF Newsletter available for you to read! 🥳 You may have missed it during the flurry of th...
01/02/2026

We have a new edition of the ASRF Newsletter available for you to read! 🥳

You may have missed it during the flurry of the holiday period, but our last newsletter of 2025 was released in December. We compiled researcher interviews, research updates, insights from ASRF Members, and a free resource.

It also featured a 'What I Wish I Knew When I Started Out' piece by one of our newer ASRF Board Members, Dr. Adam.

"There is a real art in translating research into daily, meaningful, person-centred actions."

Our voluntary Board is made up of people that truly understand the importance of chiropractic research and want everyone to be able to use it to elevate their care. This is what we are about at the ASRF, facilitating the research that supports your practice.

Find the full interview with Dr. Adam in our December Newsletter, over on our website 💻
https://spinalresearch.com.au/newsletter/

Have you missed us? Well, we're back with a fresh episode for you! 🎙️ 🥳 We spoke with the President of the Australian Ch...
30/01/2026

Have you missed us? Well, we're back with a fresh episode for you! 🎙️ 🥳

We spoke with the President of the Australian Chiropractic College, Patrick Sim, about educating the chiropractors of tomorrow in 2026. We also got to chat about new research that is coming out with Matt Doyle, a member of the ASRF Board.

We also ran through our 2026 calendar, and boy, it is filling up quick! 😅

Find the all episodes of the ASRF Research for Practice podcast wherever you get your podcasts 🎧️ 💫

Outcome measures are tools that help practitioners and researchers to track specific changes during a course of care. Fu...
14/01/2026

Outcome measures are tools that help practitioners and researchers to track specific changes during a course of care.

Functional outcome measures quantify improvements in patient's function.

Types of tools that can be used:
- Disability indexes or evaluations (e.g., Neck diability index, Oswestry Disability Index)
- Patient-Centred Reports (e.g., PROMIS, SF-36)
- Objective functional changes in symptoms and health behaviours.

We have shone the spotlight on functional outcome measures in our ASRF Case Report Project over the past few years.
This is because the information in these measures is often already being collected by chiropractors and they paint an accurate picture of the many changes practice members experience during their course of care.

By highlighting functional outcome measures, we put the patient and their story at the centre of the study. We ask “What was different for you?”

We give a voice to the patient.

Case reports are the perfect way to document these changes.The health journey of a patient is also heavily influenced by their relationship with their chiropractor.Both functional health outcomes and case reports aim to capture this influence.

The gist: Functional outcome measures quantify improvements in patient's function and centre research around what is most important for the patient.

Support chiropractic research by becoming a Member of the ASRF and follow us here for easy to understand chiropractic research and updates 🤝 💫

They say sitting is the new smoking. That is, the risk sedentary lifestyles pose to health and mobility is as significan...
12/01/2026

They say sitting is the new smoking. That is, the risk sedentary lifestyles pose to health and mobility is as significant as a cigarette habit.

Beyond the catchy tagline lies a serious problem, though.

According to World Health Organisation data, more than three-quarters of all adolescents and one in four adults do not meet the guidelines for aerobic exercise.

We know that prolonged periods of sitting affects thoracic mobility, and that longer sitting times are linked to an increased prevalence of musculoskeletal disorders.

But what does this look like in practicality, and how does chiropractic care factor in?

In a new case report published in the Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal, a 30-year-old male presented for chiropractic care with primary complaints of hip pain and immobility.

It was immediately clear that, in addition to a reportedly low level of physical activity, he had significant observable postural and structural spinal deviations.
He was new to chiropractic, and commenced a course of care during which he was managed using the Advanced BioStructural Correction™ (ABC) technique.

Upon initial assessment, it was clear that the patient’s hip pain and markedly reduced hip motion were compounded by structural spinal deviations. Within this chiropractic context, pain wasn’t seen as the primary issue but rather as a result of deeper structural dysfunction.

The patient’s care involved spinal adjustments, corrective structural work, and follow-up postural-rehab protocols, all modified to address hip immobility and spinal curvature.
The objective of care: to restore spinal alignment and improve hip function, in turn resolving the patient’s pain and immobility.

Within six weeks, a consistent improvement in pain and mobility was noted. This, in turn, began improving his quality of life.

Measurable improvements in spinal curvature were noted in radiographs. His postural balance improved, along with movement, flexibility, sleep, overall physicality, and ability to undertake activities of daily life.

It should be noted that, at the beginning of care, he could not participate in certain corrective positions due to the level of pain he was in. This also resolved over time.While consistent improvements were noted by the 6-week review, his symptoms had fully resolved by the one-year review, at which point he reported he was now able to walk to work.

It is a stand-alone case report, and thus there are limitations to what can be claimed. With that said, this is a clear example of how chiropractic was able to become a wrap-around care modality.

This approached offered not only subluxation-based care to correct serious structural and functional abnormalities, but also advice that helped support a patient in re-engaging with proactive health strategies like sleep, ergonomics and a return to exercise.

Read the full article here: https://spinalresearch.com.au/resources/spinal-research-blog/

We are starting the year off with some fresh ASRF Case reports for you! 🎉 Have a read of the new cases in the Asia Pacif...
08/01/2026

We are starting the year off with some fresh ASRF Case reports for you! 🎉

Have a read of the new cases in the Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal and support these hardworking authors 👏

As always, thank you to the Asia Pacific Chiropractic Journal for publishing our Case Report Project and supporting our mission of moving chiropractic research forward globally 🤝 🌏

07/01/2026

Do you remember the moment you first realised just what chiropractic could do? 🤩

Dr. Dorte Bladt told us about that moment for her and her chiropractic story in our latest podcast episode.

Listen to the ASRF Research for Practice podcast wherever you usually get your podcasts 🎙️🎧

Our Members made chiropractic research happen in 2025 - will you make it happen in 2026?We are so grateful for our Membe...
31/12/2025

Our Members made chiropractic research happen in 2025 - will you make it happen in 2026?

We are so grateful for our Members, Donators, and Supporters that give life to the vision of the ASRF. We can't do this important work without you.

We want to make an even bigger impact in 2026, and we need your help. Becoming an ASRF Member is the easiest way to see more chiropractic research done, faster.

Find out more here: https://spinalresearch.com.au/membership/

Let's make 2026 our biggest year yet! 💫 🌏

Chiropractic and immune function has been a topic of interest in and around the ASRF tribe for some time. A recent study...
28/12/2025

Chiropractic and immune function has been a topic of interest in and around the ASRF tribe for some time.

A recent study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine This study, is a neuroimmune study showing us whether upper cervical chiropractic care may influence immune function on a very specific level.

Five North American Chiropractic Clinics took place in this study, which measured salivary-based biomarkers before treatment, immediately after upper cervical chiropractic care, and two weeks after the fact.

SIgA is a type of antibody found in bodily secretions like saliva, tears and mucus and acts as a key component of the body’s first line of immune defence. It does so by preventing pathogens from getting through epithelial cells. These epithelial cells then form the layers of tissue that cover the internal and external surfaces of the body.

Significant findings from the study:
- SIgA increased significantly within 30 minutes after the first upper cervical adjustment, rising an average of 117.85 µg/mL from baseline.

- After two weeks, SIgA levels returned to near baseline, suggesting the response was temporary.

- No significant changes were observed in CRP or α-amylase, though α-amylase trended downward after two weeks.

- Self-reported physical and mental health both improved significantly over the two-week period, although these details were not published in the report.

The findings may suggest activation of the neuroimmunoendocrine system, supporting the concept that spinal adjustments can influence autonomic regulation and immune activity.

While the mechanisms remain under investigation, existing literature connects SIgA fluctuations with both physiological and emotional stress.
Chiropractic care’s known influence on nervous system balance and stress perception could partially explain the observed immune response.

This study adds early evidence to the growing conversation on chiropractic’s neuroimmune effects. Each piece of research like this is a significant piece of the puzzle.

While further research opportunities remain, such as a study with a control group, a longer course of care, or correlations to other biomarkers of stress, immunity or adaptability, this is an exciting discovery indeed.

Read the full blog here: https://spinalresearch.com.au/resources/spinal-research-blog/

26/12/2025

Holiday listening? Sorted ✅ with Dr. Dorte Bladt.

Listen to all episodes of the ASRF Research for Practice podcast wherever you usually get your podcasts 🎧

22/12/2025

Our ASRF President, Dr. Ryan Seaman, is here to wrap up our achievements for this year and thank you all for making it possible 👏🏼

Here’s to an even bigger 2026 🎉🥳

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Our Story

The Australian Spinal Research Foundation (now known as Spinal Research) is more than just a research foundation – it is a cooperative of like-minded people who have a common view of health and well-being, and are willing to stand up for it. Almost 40 years ago, a group of Chiropractors with a love of chiropractic and a passion to see it survive and thrive came together and set into place what is known today as Spinal Research. Our role is to remain at the cutting edge of understanding and communicating how chiropractic contributes to community health and well-being.