<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;">Date: Sunday, 31st July 2016</span>
<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d1d1d1;">Press Release: NZ Chiropractors Association</span></span>

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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;">Groundbreaking research indicates that chiropractic care may make your brain function better, according to the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association <span style="color: #99cc00;">(NZCA)</span>.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;">A collaborative study on the effects of manipulation of the spine on brain function between Denmark’s Aalborg University, the New Zealand Centre for Chiropractic Research, the Health &amp; Rehabilitation Research Institute, AUT University and University of Ontario Institute of Technology, published earlier this year <a href="#ref1"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[1]</span></a> in the journal Neural Plasticity suggests that, at least in part, the mechanisms by which spinal manipulation improves performance are due to a change in processing of information at the prefrontal cortex.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;">Dr Cassandra Fairest, chiropractor and spokesperson for the NZCA explains: `The focus of chiropractic care is on the health and integrity of the nervous system. The health and function of the spine affects the entire nervous system. We already know that the spinal cord is an integral part of the central nervous system and processes information just like parts of the brain do <a href="#ref2"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[2]</span></a> and the latest New Zealand research into the effects of chiropractic care suggests that it may have an important role to play in improving executive function.’</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;">Executive function is the mechanism by which the brain integrates and coordinates the operations of multiple neural systems to solve problems and achieve goals based on the everchanging environment around us <a href="#ref3"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[3,</span></a><a href="#ref4"><span style="color: #99cc00;">4]</span></a>.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;">The researchers point out that executive function is considered to be a product of the coordinated operation of various neural systems and is essential for achieving any particular goal. The prefrontal cortex is believed to be the main brain structure responsible for enabling this coordination and control. It requires planning a sequence of subtasks to accomplish a goal, focusing attention on relevant information as well as inhibiting irrelevant distractors, being able to switch attention between tasks, monitoring memory, initiation of activity, and responding to stimuli <a href="#ref5"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[5]</span></a>.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;">Dr Fairest adds: `A change in prefrontal activity following chiropractic care may therefore explain and/or link some of the varied improvements in central nervous system function previously observed in other research, such as improved joint position sense error <a href="#ref6"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[6]</span></a>, reaction time <a href="#ref7"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[7]</span></a>, cortical processing <a href="#ref8"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[8]</span></a>, cortical sensorimotor integration <a href="#ref9"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[9]</span></a>, reflex excitability <a href="#ref10"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[10]</span></a>, motor control <a href="#ref11"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[11]</span></a>, and lower limb muscle strength <a href="#ref12"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[12]</span></a>.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;">`All this research, much of it from the New Zealand College of Chiropractic Centre for Chiropractic Research <a href="#ref13"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[13]</span></a> and funded by the Australian Spinal Research Foundation strongly suggests that chiropractic care/adjustments can significantly improve brain body communication and coordination.’</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;">According to Dr Fairest: `We know that chiropractic care assists brain function in many ways, one of which is proprioceptive function (perception) and this improves the accuracy of the internal brain map so your brain accurately knows what is occurring within your body and the surrounding environment continuously. Environment relates to the processes inside the body, as well as its immediate surroundings’.</span>
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<span style="color: #99cc00; text-align: justify;">References:</span>
<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><a name="ref1"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[1]</span></a> http://www.hindawi.com/journals/np/2016/3704964/abs/</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><a name="ref2"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[2]</span></a> Queens Gazette Article
http://www.queensu.ca/gazette/content/spinalcordprocessesinformationjustareasbrain</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d1d1d1;"><a name="ref3"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[3]</span></a> S. Funahashi and J. M. Andreau, “Prefrontal cortex and neural mechanisms of executive function,â€ Journal of Physiology Paris, vol. 107, no. 6, pp.471–482, 2013.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d1d1d1;"><a name="ref4"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[4]</span></a> E. E. Smith and J. Jonides, “Storage and executive processes in the frontal lobes,â€ Science, vol. 283, no. 5408, pp. 1657–1661, 1999.471–482, 2013.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d1d1d1;"><a name="ref5"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[5]</span></a> D. Pineda, A. Ardila, M. Rosselli, C. Cadavid, S. Mancheno, and S. Mejia, “Executive dysfunctions in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder,â€ International Journal of Neuroscience, vol. 96, no. 34, pp. 177–196, 1998</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><a name="ref6"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[6]</span></a> H. Haavik and B. Murphy, “Subclinical neck pain and the effects of cervical manipulation on elbow joint position sense,â€ Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, vol. 34, no. 2, pp. 88–97, 2011.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><a name="ref7"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[7]</span></a> D. D. Kelly, B. A. Murphy, and D. P. Backhouse, “Use of a mental rotation reactiontime paradigm to measure the effects of upper cervical adjustments on cortical processing: a pilot study,â€ Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, vol. 23, no. 4, pp. 246–251, 2000.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><a name="ref8"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[8]</span></a> H. Haavik-Taylor and B. Murphy, “Cervical spine manipulation alters sensorimotor integration: a somatosensory evoked potential study,â€ Clinical Neurophysiology, vol. 118, no. 2, pp. 391–402, 2007</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><a name="ref9"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[9]</span></a> H. H. Taylor and B. Murphy, “Altered central integration of dual somatosensory input after cervical spine manipulation,â€ Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, vol. 33, no. 3, pp. 178–188, 2010.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><a name="ref10"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[10]</span></a> E. Suter, G. McMorland, W. Herzog, and R. Bray, “Conservative lower back treatment reduces inhibition in knee-extensor muscles: a randomized controlled trial,â€ Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, vol. 23, no. 2, pp. 76–80, 2000</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><a name="ref11"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[11]</span></a> P. Marshall and B. Murphy, “The effect of sacroiliac joint manipulation on feedforward activation times of the deep abdominal musculature,â€ Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, vol. 29, no. 3, pp. 196–202, 2006.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><a name="ref12"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[12]</span></a> B. Hillermann, A. N. Gomes, C. Korporaal, and D. Jackson, “A pilot study comparing the effects of spinal manipulative therapy with those of extraspinal manipulative therapy on quadriceps muscle strength,â€ Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, vol. 29, no. 2, pp. 145–149, 2006.</span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;"><a name="ref13"><span style="color: #99cc00;">[13]</span></a> Niazi IK, Türker KS, Flavel S, Kinget M, Duehr J &amp; Haavik H. (2015) Changes in H reflex and V waves following spinal manipulation. Experimental Brain Research.</span>
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<span style="color: #99cc00; text-align: justify;">For further information on the New Zealand Chiropractors’ Association visit <span style="text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://chiropractic.org.nz/"> <span style="color: #99cc00; text-decoration: underline;">www.chiropractic.org.nz</span></a></span></span>
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<span style="color: #d1d1d1; text-align: justify;">Further Information:</span></span></span></span>
<p style="padding-left: 50px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d1d1d1;">Dr Wayne Smith, Chiropractor 09 489 7031 or wayne@northshorechiro.kiwi</span></p>
<p style="padding-left: 50px; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #d1d1d1;">Dr Gian Mansell, Chiropractor 09 442 4310 or gian@northshorechiro.kiwi</span></p>
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