The Effects of Chiropractic Care and Children With Subclinical Spinal Pain

The Effects of Chiropractic Care on Neurophysiological Function Immune Markers and Health Related Quality of Life in Children With Subclinical Spinal Pain Using Artificial Intelligence Modelling

There is growing evidence that chiropractic care positively impacts various aspects of central and autonomic nervous system function.This study aims to investigate short term and long-term effects of Chiropractic care (CC) on neurological, behavioral, immunological functions and health-related quality of life in children with subclinical spinal pain.

There is growing evidence that chiropractic care positively impacts various aspects of central and autonomic nervous system function. A single chiropractic adjustment session has been shown to alter pre-frontal cortex (PFC) activity in adults, but there is a lack of robust research investigating any long-term benefits of such PFC changes in children. This study aims to investigate short term and long-term effects of Chiropractic care (CC) on neurological, behavioral, immunological functions and health-related quality of life in children with subclinical spinal pain. In this parallel-group randomized controlled trial, participants aged 10-18 years with subclinical spinal pain will be randomly allocated to receive either 12 weeks of CC intervention or control intervention. Primary outcomes include functional near-infrared spectroscopy, heart rate variability (HRV) and resting-state electroencephalography (EEG). The secondary outcomes include executive functions measured by cognitive testing, immune and inflammation status, and health-related quality of life. As data collected in the project is the combination of extrinsic (sociodemographic, clinical questionnaires etc.) and intrinsic physiological data (physiological measures like EEG, HRV etc.), we will utilize the advances in machine learning or artificial intelligence (AI) to help inform the development of optimal chiropractic care plans in future.

Inclusion Criteria:

• aged between 10 and 18 years
• have subclinical spinal pain

Exclusion Criteria:

• no evidence of spinal dysfunction is present
• they are in current pain (above 3/10 on VAS)
• have sought previous treatment for their spinal issues
• are unable to perform the assessment procedures due to contraindications or movement limitations
• diagnosed immune dysfunction
• utilizing a prescribed immunosuppressive medication
• have uncontrolled asthma
• nasal polyps
• use of an intranasal steroid spray one month or less before the study
• are HIV-positive
• are participating in another research study at the time of data collection
• have any diagnosed comorbidity or concomitant disease
• have allergies to yeast or yeast-derived products
• have chronic sinusitis or recent (within the last six weeks) episode of acute sinusitis.