The lower limb strength study we want to conduct will build on three other separate studies that we have recently completed that suggest that a single session of chiropractic care not only increases muscle strength but also prevents fatigue in lower limb muscles. We believe that these changes are likely attributable to increased descending drive and/or modulation of motor neurons in the spinal cord. This has clinical implications for a variety of patient populations. Imagine the impact this line of work could have on the athletic community.
Do you think Olympic athletes will be more interested in the benefits of chiropractic care if research shows it can improve muscle strength by 10% or more and prevent muscle fatigue? I think the potential impact is huge! However, before we can go ahead and make such claims more work needs to be done.
Upper Limb Study
The upper limb study we are dying to get going on (as soon as we have the funding we need to do so) will not only look at maximum voluntary upper limb strength (along with a host of other proprioceptive and exciting neural control measures) but will also assess for isometric maximum voluntary strength. For anyone who muscle tests as part of their patient assessment, this study will be particularly interesting. As part of my own patient assessments I do muscle test prior to and after adjusting the spine, and it has astonished me for years how ‘strong’ or ‘switched on’ muscles feel after I have adjusted someone’s spine. This phenomenon I am now finally able to measure objectively! We have already ironed out a number of bugs in the system and are now ready to go with the full study.
