Nansel D D, Waldorf T, Cooperstein R
Palmer College of Chiropractic-West, Sunnyvale, CA 94087.
J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 1993 Feb;16(2):91-5.
To determine whether spinal adjustments, delivered to the upper vs. lower cervical spine, might result in tonic neck reflex-induced alterations in the activity of the lumbar paraspinal musculature.
Randomized, double-blind, before/after treatment comparisons.
Cervical Ergonomics Laboratory, Palmer College of Chiropractic-West, Sunnyvale, CA.
Healthy, nonsymptomatic chiropractic college students, about evenly divided with respect to gender and ranging from 23-38 yr of age.
Modified "diversified" spinal adjustments, delivered bilaterally to either the upper (C2) or lower (C7) cervical region.
Tissue compliance measures using a tissue compliance meter, obtained from each subject at sites 2 cm on either side of the spinous processes of L1, L2, L3, L4 and L5 both prior to and within 15 min following treatments.
Upper cervical adjustments produced changes in lumbar tissue compliance which were only slight (p < .05) and not significantly different from that which occurred following upper cervical sham manipulation (p > .1). However, lower cervical adjustments induced increases in tissue compliance (decreases in tone) which were highly significant (p < .001) and relatively robust compared to those found following upper cervical adjustments (p < .01). Furthermore, the greatest effects were observed on either side of the L4 and L5 spinous processes, suggesting influences on the gluteal musculature in particular.
Results indicate that cervical spinal manipulation can have significant effects on the tone of the lumbopelvic musculature, presumably by facilitating tonic neck reflexes involving intersegmental spinal pathways.
