After a pilot study published in the Journal of Human Hypertension (featured on WebMD) showed an association between upper cervical corrections and reduced blood pressure, Palmer College is continuing the investigation with the help of the National Institutes of Health.

CHiP will be directed by project co-leaders Dr. Christine Goertz from Palmer and Gervasio Lamas, M.D., a cardiovascular scientist at Mount Sinai Medical Center in Miami who is known for his expertise in the conduct of large, complex, multi-site clinical trials. In addition, Joseph Bergstrom, D.O., director of medical education, Trinity Terrace Park family practice residency program, will be performing the blood pressure screenings and physical examinations for eligibility. Quad-City cardiologist Michael Giudici, M.D., FACP, FACC, FHRS, serves on the study’s Data and Safety Monitoring Committee.

Read the whole article at ChiroAccess. Or for another take on the study, please refer to  Chiro.org.

“The concept that manipulation of the upper cervical spine could reduce blood pressure is both novel and appealing at the same time,” said Dr. Lamas. “It is novel because of its originality of thought, and because it is backed up by preliminary data. It is appealing because any treatment for high blood pressure that does not expose patients to drugs and their side effects should be investigated.”

Dr. Vijay K. Goel, respected researcher and co-director for Engineering Center for Orthopaedic Research Excellence (E-Core) on the University of Toledo Campus is heading up this first-of-its kind study on the mechanics of the head and neck.

The research project is unique because it’s using computer based finite element modeling, which has not been done in the cervical spine.  The project hopes to demonstrate the changes to mechanics in the cervical spine, as brought about by the NUCCA upper cervical correction.

Important and groundbreaking in this work is demonstrating and defining what is biomechanically normal in a posturally neutral position, particulary in the upper cervical spine.

With a proper definiton of normal, the researchers will then be able to measure and define “abnormal” in order to test the NUCCA hypothesis of upper cervical spinal misalignment.

A recent press release from the National Institues of Health (NIH), this time covering low back pain and acupuncture, states the following:

Several recent studies have suggested that both real acupuncture and “sham” acupuncture (the shallow needling of points) are equally effective for treating chronic low back pain, and that both are superior to best-practice medical care.

Acupuncture joins chiropratic care, including upper cervical care, massage therapy, and a number of manual therapeutic approaches that have proven their worth for people with low back pain, time and time again.

If you’re a back pain sufferer who has received help from any of these methods, please tell your family physician. Your friends and neighbors also deserve to hear about safe, non-invasive  options.