Taken From Dynamic Chiropractic, 11/30/02; Vol.20, No. 25

DES MOINES, Iowa - Patients afflicted with asthma may benefit from spinal manipulation, an audience was told on October 5 at the 9^th International Conference on Spinal Manipulation in Toronto.  The conference was sponsored by the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER).

An investigative team headed by Ray Hayek, PhD, has been conducting a trial at 16 treatment centers in Australia in an effort to ascertain what effects spinal manipulation has on symptoms, depression and anxiety, general health status, and the levels of immunity as reflected by the concentrations of an immunoglobulin (IgA) and an immunosuppressant (cortisol).  This investigation involving 420 patients (average age of 46), draws from several references in the scientific literature that suggest that different forms of manual therapy (including massage) improve the symptomatology and lower cortisol levels in asthma patients.

Dr. Hayek reported that only the patient group that underwent spinal manipulation (by any of four commonly used manipulative treatment protocols) displayed significant improvement in asthma symptoms and depression and anxiety scores.  Simply experiencing structured interviews at the treatment centers or being monitored at home did not yield these improvements.  Patients undergoing spinal manipulation displayed dramatic increases of IgA and decreases of cortisol through the post-treatment period.  The researchers noted that the patients undergoing spinal manipulative treatments had increased immunological capacities, which would be expected to ward off subsequent asthmatic attacks.

The researchers believe that these biochemical changes suggest that the effects of spinal manipulation are more far-reaching and more long-term than commonly believed.  The gain in immunological capacity achieved with the simultaneous loss of the immunosuppressant cortisol and the increase of the immunoglobulin IgA following spinal manipulation would be expected to reduce the incidence and severity of pathogenic invasion of the airways.  There would be less of a risk under these circumstances of compounding the symptoms of asthma.