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The above findings were from a research project conducted in Australia where 420 patients were studied. On October 5, 2002, at the 9th International Conference on Spinal Manipulation in Toronto, Ray Hayek, Ph.D., head of the investigative team, told the assembly that patients afflicted with asthma might benefit from spinal manipulation in terms of symptoms, immunological capacity, and endocrine effects.

The proceedings and report of this study were published in the August 24, 2002, release from the Foundation for Chiropractic Education and Research (FCER). In that release, Dr. Hayek reported that of the 420 patients in the study, only those in the group that received spinal manipulation showed significant improvement in asthma symptoms, depression, and anxiety.

The report also noted unexpected positive biochemical and physiological changes from spinal manipulation. It suggested, “These biochemical changes not only suggest that the effects of spinal manipulation are more far-reaching than commonly believed, but that they may be more long-term as well.”

Although the study was not specific to chiropractic care, chiropractic adjustments are the most specific form of spinal manipulation. The findings of this study reinforce other studies showing the benefit of chiropractic care for asthma sufferers. In a study conducted in 1996 by the Michigan Chiropractic Association (MCA), a panel of doctors conducted an outcomes assessment study to test the qualitative and quantitative effectiveness of chiropractic care on children with asthma. The results showed that after 30 days of chiropractic health care, patients averaged only one asthma attack, whereas, before the study, they were experiencing more than four attacks. Additionally, the Michigan study noted that medications, which can be costly, were decreased by nearly 70 percent in participating patients.