Research

Dr Wayne Whittingham (PhD Chiropractor) has recently contributed 2 chapters to the book ‘Abundant Health – How to achieve your health potential’ along with other leading chiropractors and dynamic health professionals detailing the power of chiropractic care and how it can, quite literally, change lives.

Chapters on topics such as Downs Syndrome, ADHD and immunity may not be subjects that come to mind when we think of Chiropractic but this ground-breaking book illustrates what difference Chiropractic may make to the lives of many.

Dr Wayne Whittingham has produced a piece of research with Gary Shum from University of St Mark & St John, looking into Reduced tibial nerve movement in people with postoperative residual leg symptoms following decompression for spinal stenosis. Below is an abstract from the research:

Surgical intervention for lateral recess syndrome, a variant of spinal stenosis, results in global decompression is cost effective and largely successful1. However, a number of studies reported postoperative residual leg pain in 17 – 41% people with lateral recess syndrome following decompression. This results in continued pain and functional despite after a successful surgery. Sixteen participants with postoperative residual leg symptoms following decompression for spinal stenosis were recruited. An innovative ultrasound imaging technique has been developed to quantify the tibial nerve movement at the knee level during forward bending movement. The range of motion of the lumbar spine and hip were also measured simultaneously by accelerometers, which were placed on the L1, S2 and bilateral thighs. Paired t-test showed that in people with residual leg pain (N=16), there was a statistically significant reduction in tibial nerve movement on the painful side compared with the non-painful side during the limited lumbar flexion during forward bending.

The results suggested that decreased tibial nerve movement may contribute to the continued postoperative residual radiating pain even when the spinal disorders have been treated successfully by surgical intervention. The observed limited tibial nerve movement could be a consequence of prolonged immobilisation prior to spinal surgery, leading to the shortening, adhesion and thus decreased movement of the sciatic and tibial nerve. Intervention should be developed to mobilise and stretch the sciatic and tibial nerve in patients with residual postoperative leg pain following spinal surgery.

Here is Dr Wayne Whittingham’s (PhD Chiropractor) most recent research paper on Test-Retest Reliability of Measuring the Vertebral Arterial Blood Flow Velocity in People With Cervicogenic Dizziness. Click here to find out more about this study.