Abstract
M.Tech. (Chiropractic)
Purpose: The aim of the study was to compile a case series describing whether or not
chiropractic manipulation delivered to lumbar spine motion restrictions have any
recognisable effect on quantitative electroencephalogram readings.
Method: A descriptive case series method was chosen for this study. The study took place
at the University of Johannesburg’s Doornfontein campus, in the Chiropractic day clinic.
The study consisted of 10 participants with lumbar spine motion restrictions. The
electroencephalogram was used to record the participants’ brain wave activity with their
eyes open and closed, before any lumbar manipulation was given. Post-manipulation, two
measurements were taken, one while the participants’ eyes were open and one while the
participants’ eyes were closed. The first measurement took place immediately after the
manipulation, and the second measurement took place 30 minutes later. It was decided to
simplify the quantitative electroencephalogram data to eyes open only, and the data was
converted into mean values of the theta and beta brain waves. A change was described in
the quantitative electroencephalogram readings following chiropractic manipulation for
each individual participant, as well as during observation of the group average results.
Results: After investigating the results, the brain waves showed distinct changes across all
three lobes in all 10 participants. Typically there was either an increase or decrease
immediately post manipulation. The majority of measurements across all lobes were higher
than the initial baseline values 30 minutes post manipulation. Theta wave activity across
the frontal and temporal lobes showed the same decrease-increase trend possibly due to
the after-effect mechanism caused by lumbar manipulation. The largest increase in theta
activity took place in the frontal lobe 30 minutes post manipulation. The most significant
increase trend of the beta waves also took place in the frontal lobe, possibly due to the
connection between the prefrontal cortex and the temporal and parietal association areas.
The trends of these waves represent increased activity in the prefrontal cortex, leaving the
participants in an attentive and vigilant state of information processing. The prefrontal
cortex is responsible for activation of the executive function mechanism used to improve
neurological function such as improved joint position sense, reaction time, cortical...