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Brain Activity

Chiropractic adjustments influence brain activity by stimulating afferent signals to key brain centers like the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, and limbic system. Functional MRI and EEG studies show increased brain coherence and connectivity following chiropractic care. These effects may support cognition, emotional balance, and neurological plasticity.

Image by Hal Gatewood
Image by Moritz Kindler
Image by Milad Fakurian

Chiropractic Care and Brain Activity: Enhancing Brain Function Through Spinal Adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments influence brain activity by stimulating a surge of sensory afferent signals to key brain centers like the prefrontal cortex, cerebellum, and limbic system mdpi.com. Emerging neuroimaging research which includes functional MRI (fMRI) and electroencephalography (EEG) studies shows that spinal adjustments can increase brain coherence and connectivity between regions mdpi.compubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. These neuroplastic effects are thought to support better cognition, more balanced mood and emotions, and overall neurological plasticity. Chiropractic care may not only relieve pain but also enhance brain function, offering a compelling reason to consider it for individuals with neurological issues.

How Spinal Adjustments Stimulate the Brain

Chiropractic spinal adjustments (high-velocity, low-amplitude thrusts to the spine) provide a potent burst of proprioceptive input. Sensory signals from joints and muscles go directly into the central nervous system mdpi.com. By correcting areas of spinal dysfunction called subluxations, chiropractors reset aberrant nerve signals and restore healthy communication along nerve pathways. This influx of afferent input travels up the spinal cord and influences activity in various brain regions. Notably, studies using advanced brain mapping techniques have indicated that a single spinal adjustment can lead to measurable changes in activity within the prefrontal cortex, primary sensory and motor cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum, among other areas vbn.aau.dk. These regions govern high-level functions. For example, the prefrontal cortex handles executive functions and decision-making, while the cerebellum coordinates movement and balance.

Neurologically, the rapid stretch of spinal joints during an adjustment bombards the nervous system with mechanoreceptive input, which can reset abnormal reflexes and modulate central neural excitability mdpi.com. By normalizing the flow of sensory information from the body, chiropractic adjustments help the brain to process information more accurately and efficiently. Chiropractic tunes the brain-body connection, ensuring that the brain is receiving clear signals and can respond appropriately. Over time, this can promote beneficial neural plasticity (the brain’s ability to rewire and adapt) which is crucial for recovery from neurologic injuries and for maintaining cognitive health.

EEG Evidence of Chiropractic: Improved Brain Waves and Connectivity

One of the most direct ways to measure brain activity changes is through EEG, which records brainwave patterns and network coherence. Multiple EEG studies have found favorable changes in brain function immediately after chiropractic adjustments

Chiropractic enhances sensorimotor integration: In a groundbreaking study published in Neural Plasticity, researchers recorded somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) before and after chiropractic adjustments in people with subtle spinal issues (minor neck/back pain but no major symptoms). They observed that a specific brainwave response called the N30 SEP (linked to sensorimotor processing in the cortex) was significantly reduced by about 17% after a single spinal adjustment, whereas it remained unchanged in a sham-control condition vbn.aau.dk. Brain source localization pinpointed this change to reduced overactivity of about 20% decrease in the prefrontal cortex after the adjustment vbn.aau.dk. This finding suggests the adjustment improved the efficiency of the prefrontal cortex in processing sensory input. In practical terms, better prefrontal processing may translate to improved focus, coordination, and filtering of information. Chiropractic helps brains operate in a more organized, less noisy state.

Chiropractic adjustments have been reported to increase EEG coherence, meaning better synchronized activity between different parts of the brain. For instance, a pilot study on adults with neurodegenerative conditions found that after a single chiropractic session, patients showed higher inter-hemispheric coherence (better communication between the brain’s hemispheres) on EEG compared to baseline pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Though this was an initial finding, it aligns with the notion that spinal adjustments can promote more orderly brainwave patterns. Increased coherence may reflect a state of improved neural communication, which could support clearer thinking and a calmer nervous system.

A particularly exciting area of EEG research focuses on functional connectivity or how well different brain regions “talk” to each other as a network. The Default Mode Network (DMN) is a key brain network involved in internal thought, memory, and self-awareness. In patients recovering from stroke, a controlled study used EEG to analyze DMN connectivity before and after a single chiropractic adjustment. The results showed a significant increase in functional connectivity within the DMN (specifically stronger communication between the posterior cingulate cortex and the hippocampal area) following chiropractic mdpi.com. No such change was seen during a control (sham) session. Strengthening the link between the posterior cingulate and hippocampal region is notable because this connection plays an important role in memory consolidation, spatial orientation, and pain modulation mdpi.com. Chiropractic appeared to restore or enhance a critical brain network for memory and internal cognitive processing. This kind of finding provides a neurophysiological basis for reports of patients feeling “clearer” or more mentally focused after an adjustment.

Even in individuals with significant neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s, chiropractic care shows promise in positively influencing brain activity. A 2024 pilot randomized trial examined EEG measures in older adults with Alzheimer’s disease and Parkinson’s disease after a single chiropractic adjustment vs. a sham intervention. In the Alzheimer’s patients, the N30 potential was reduced by ~15% post-adjustment, indicating improved sensorimotor integration similar to younger populations pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Furthermore, across both the Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s groups, resting-state EEG power increased in all frequency bands :delta, theta, alpha, beta, following real adjustments pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Importantly, the chiropractic session produced a “notable enhancement in connectivity” within the Default Mode Network at all frequency bands in these patients pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Even brains affected by degeneration showed acute improvements in how different regions coordinated their activity after chiropractic input. While preliminary, these results hint that chiropractic adjustments might activate dormant neural pathways or improve network efficiency in brains struggling with cognitive decline by adjusting subluxations and regulating the nervous system. The authors emphasize that more research with larger samples is needed, but such findings are highly encouraging. They demonstrate measurable, positive brain changes in populations where improving brain function is a primary goal.

Chiropractic helps alter pain processing. Chronic pain is known to alter brain activity, and chiropractic’s impact on the brain’s pain centers has been explored via EEG as well. In a study of how the brain responds to sustained pain (a cold pressor test), researchers found that after a chiropractic adjustment, participants’ brains reacted differently than after a sham treatment. The sham intervention led to a typical “habituation” response where the brain’s activity in pain-processing regions decreased after repeated exposure to the pain stimulus. In contrast, after the real adjustment, the brain did not habituate; its activity remained more elevated during the pain challenge nature.com. This lack of habituation suggests that the chiropractic adjustments altered central pain processing, potentially keeping the brain more engaged in modulating the incoming pain signals nature.com. The authors interpreted this as a sign that adjustments may bolster the brain’s anti-nociceptive or pain-inhibiting pathways or otherwise change how pain is centrally perceived nature.com. For a patient, this could mean better resilience against chronic pain. Their nervous system might not “tune out” pain signals in a maladaptive way, but rather actively work to control pain because it is more regulated. This is another example of chiropractic care inducing functional changes in the brain that go beyond the spine itself, aligning with improved overall well-being.

fMRI Evidence: Activation of Key Brain Centers with Chiropractic

Functional MRI provides a window into which brain regions light up or quiet down in response to certain interventions. Several fMRI studies have documented changes in brain activity after chiropractic adjustments, reinforcing the EEG findings with anatomical detail.

Chiropractic helps activate the Prefrontal Cortex and Limbic Regions. A longitudinal fMRI study on chronic low back pain patients demonstrated that chiropractic can significantly boost activity in higher brain centers. After just one adjustment, patients showed increased activation in: the right dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) - an area crucial for executive function and working memory. The right parahippocampal gyrus (part of the limbic system involved in memory and emotion). As well as the left precuneus (a key DMN node associated with self-reflection and integration of information). When compared to their baseline scans and a control group frontiersin.org. After a short course of care (six sessions), fMRI scans revealed new areas of heightened activity, including the posterior cingulate cortex (a core hub of the DMN) and the right inferior frontal gyrus (involved in cognitive inhibition and attention) frontiersin.org. These regions are all integral to how we think, feel, and interpret sensations. Notably, they overlap with networks governing pain perception and emotional regulation. The fact that multiple DMN and frontal lobe areas showed greater activity post-adjustment suggests that chiropractic care engages the brain’s highest centers of control. Patients in this study also reported less pain and disability after the adjustments, and the authors proposed that the DMN itself could serve as a biomarker for the pain relief mechanism frontiersin.org. The adjustments not only helped alleviate back pain, but did so while activating brain regions that help reframe pain and improve mood and cognition. This provides a neurological explanation for the often-reported side benefit of chiropractic patients feeling more clear-headed or uplifted after an adjustment.

Changes in functional connectivity and pain networks following chiropractic

Supporting the above, another fMRI investigation found that adjustments of subluxations in people with acute low back pain (experimentally induced) produced changes in resting functional connectivity within the brain’s pain-processing network, accompanied by reduced pain intensity mdpi.com. Essentially, spinal adjustments altered how pain-related brain regions communicated and this correlated with the person feeling less pain mdpi.com. This finding underscores that chiropractic does not simply block pain at the spinal level; it also prompts the brain to reorganize its response to pain. By engaging regions like the anterior cingulate cortex, thalamus, or amygdala (parts of the pain and emotional circuitry), an adjustment can shift the entire pain matrix toward a state of relief and relaxation.

Cerebellar and Sensorimotor Integration with Chiropractic

Some fMRI and imaging studies also note normalization of activity in the cerebellum and sensory cortex after chiropractic interventions. For example, one prior imaging study observed abnormal overactivity in the prefrontal cortex and cerebellum of chronic pain patients, which diminished after a course of spinal adjustments frontiersin.org. The cerebellum is heavily involved in coordinating movement and also in processing proprioceptive input from the spine and limbs. Chiropractic adjustments flood the cerebellum with enhanced proprioceptive signals, which may explain improved balance and motor control seen in patients. Although not as directly visualized as cortical changes, healthier cerebellar function is an expected outcome of reducing spinal dysfunction. It’s another pathway by which an adjustment can influence brain activation patterns and improve physical coordination.

In summary, both EEG and fMRI research converge on the conclusion that chiropractic adjustments induce real, measurable changes in brain function. They activate key cortical and subcortical areas, promote stronger connectivity within important brain networks, and modulate the brain’s response to pain and other stimuli. These effects are not limited to healthy individuals; they are also seen in patients with neurological challenges such as stroke, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and chronic pain. This growing body of evidence is painting a new, more expansive picture of chiropractic care: it is not just about "cracking" bones, but about the brain and its capacity to heal and adapt.

Cognitive, Emotional, and Neurological Benefits of Chiropractic

The ultimate question is: What do these brain changes mean for a person’s daily life or health outcomes? For someone with a family member who has neurological challenges which might include problems like cognitive decline, post-stroke deficits, or mood imbalances – the research suggests several important benefits of chiropractic care.

Sharper Cognition and Executive Function:

By increasing activity and connectivity in the prefrontal cortex and default mode network, chiropractic adjustments may help clear mental fog and improve higher-order thinking. The prefrontal cortex is responsible for concentration, decision-making, and integrating information. Some studies report better joint position sense, quicker reaction times, or increased muscle strength following chiropractic adjustments - likely due to enhanced cortical drive vbn.aau.dkvbn.aau.dk. Patients often subjectively report improved mental clarity after an adjustment. Now we have physiological evidence like the ~20% jump in prefrontal cortex processing efficiency in EEG studies to validate those reports vbn.aau.dk. In practical terms, a person with mild cognitive impairment or attention issues might experience better focus, easier time processing new information, and improved spatial awareness as their brain networks synchronize post-adjustment. Even memory could be supported: the strengthened DMN connectivity (e.g. between cingulate and hippocampal regions) observed after adjustments is associated with episodic memory functions mdpi.com. While chiropractic care is not claimed to “cure” dementia or brain injuries, these neural enhancements suggest it can be a valuable adjunct to improve overall brain performance and slow cognitive decline.

Emotional Balance and Mood Improvement

The brain centers affected by chiropractic also overlap with the limbic system also known as the emotional brain. Adjustments have been shown to influence the anterior cingulate cortex and orbitofrontal regions, which play roles in mood regulation and the stress response frontiersin.org. In a recent clinical trial on chronic pain patients, those receiving chiropractic care for 4 weeks had not only pain relief but also statistically significant reductions in anxiety and depression scores, as well as less stress and fatigue, compared to controls mdpi.commdpi.com. These mood improvements coincided with the EEG findings of increased alpha wave connectivity in the DMN after the chiropractic interventions mdpi.com. Alpha brain waves are associated with a calm yet alert state and are often deficient in people with anxiety or chronic pain mdpi.com. By boosting alpha activity and functional connectivity in frontal and limbic circuits, chiropractic care may foster a more balanced emotional state. Patients often describe feeling more relaxed, sleeping better, and even an improved sense of well-being after adjustments. One study went so far as to conclude that many health benefits of chiropractic (pain reduction, better sleep, improved mood) are likely due to altered brain activity in response to spinal care mdpi.com. If your family member struggles with mood swings, stress, or emotional dysregulation as part of their neurological condition, chiropractic’s calming influence on the brain could be profoundly helpful. It is drug-free and works by enhancing the body’s own capacity for self-regulation via the nervous system.

Chiropractic supports neuroplasticity and recovery. Perhaps the most important reason to seek chiropractic for someone with a neurological issue is its potential to stimulate neuroplasticity. Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to form new connections and adapt. In conditions like stroke or traumatic brain injury, the road to recovery depends on the brain “rewiring” itself and recruiting alternate pathways. Chiropractic adjustments send a wake-up call to the brain. The increased connectivity within neural networks (like the DMN and motor networks) and the normalization of sensory processing (like the reset of the N30 potential) are signatures of plastic change mdpi.compubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. For instance, in the stroke patient study, authors noted that improved EEG connectivity after adjustments might underlie previously observed gains in patients’ motor function and pain thresholds mdpi.com. It appears the adjustments helped the brain form more integrated motor networks, correlating with better recovery. Even in degenerative conditions like Parkinson’s, any intervention that boosts overall brain activity and connectivity could slow the functional decline and improve quality of life pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov. Chiropractic care, by consistently reducing interference in nervous system pathways, creates an environment in which the brain can heal. It’s like removing roadblocks so the brain’s signals can flow freely and re-route effectively.

Chiropractic’s impact on the autonomic nervous system should not be overlooked. The prefrontal cortex has a role in balancing the sympathetic (“fight or flight”) and parasympathetic (“rest and digest”) responses. After adjustments, studies hint at a shift toward parasympathetic dominance and patients often show physiological signs of relaxation. This autonomic rebalance can improve blood flow to the brain, reduce inflammation, and promote brain cell repair. Over time, regular chiropractic care might reinforce these positive changes, training the brain and body to function in a more harmonious, less stressed state. For a patient with a neurologic condition, this could mean better energy levels, improved sleep, and enhanced capacity for rehabilitation exercises or daily activities.

  1. Haavik, H. et al. (2016). Brain source imaging research showing a single spinal manipulation session alters somatosensory processing in the prefrontal cortexvbn.aau.dkvbn.aau.dk.

  2. Waterston, T. et al. (2020). EEG study on stroke patients demonstrating increased alpha-band connectivity in the Default Mode Network after chiropractic adjustmentsmdpi.com.

  3. Yuan, Q. et al. (2020). fMRI longitudinal study in chronic low back pain patients showing enhanced activation in prefrontal, parahippocampal, and cingulate regions after spinal manipulationfrontiersin.orgfrontiersin.org.

  4. Navid, M.S. et al. (2019). Pilot study in Scientific Reports showing altered central pain processing (lack of pain habituation) following chiropractic spinal adjustmentsnature.com.

  5. Navid, M.S. et al. (2024). J. Integrative Neuroscience pilot trial on Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s patients: 15% reduction in N30 potential and increased DMN connectivity across multiple EEG frequency bands post-adjustmentpubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov.

  6. Gay, C.W. et al. (2021). Resting-state fMRI research noting changes in pain-network connectivity and pain reduction after manual therapy in low back painmdpi.com.

  7. Niazi, I.K. et al. (2020). Study reporting that chiropractic adjustments led to improved inter-hemispheric EEG coherence and sensorimotor integration, supporting better motor controlmdpi.comvbn.aau.dk.

  8. Amjad, I. et al. (2024). Randomized trial on chronic pain patients: chiropractic care produced clinically meaningful improvements in anxiety, depression, fatigue, and sleep, correlating with altered brain functional connectivitymdpi.commdpi.com.

  9. Holt, K. et al. (2019). Research using phase-lag index (PLI) analysis, finding chiropractic care changed how the brain processes tonic pain and suggesting functional reorganization in pain pathwaysmdpi.com.

  10. Lelic, D. et al. (2016). Study in Neural Plasticity concluding that spinal adjustments can induce neural plastic changes in the prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia, and cerebellum, highlighting broad impacts on central nervous system function

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