Abstract
M.Tech.
The aim of this study was to determine whether Chiropractic cervical spine and/or upper thoracic adjustments had an effect on eye-hand co-ordination in asymptomatic participants presenting with cervical and/or upper thoracic spine dysfunction.
Forty eight asymptomatic participants took part in this study. The participants were divided into three groups of sixteen participants each, each group consisting of eight male and eight female participants. Group 1 participants received Chiropractic adjustive therapy to dysfunctional segments in the C0-C3 spinal segments and C5-T1 spinal segments. In Group 2 the participants received Chiropractic spinal adjustive therapy to dysfunctional spinal segments in the C0-C3 region. Group 3 acted as the control group and participants received detuned ultrasound applied to the posterior cervical spine region.
Two computer tests were involved in this study, namely the 2HAND test and the B19 test which had to be completed successively. The subjects were allowed to have a trial run each time they were tested to get a “hand’s-on feel” for the equipment. After the trial run the participants were tested, their respective treatment was carried out and the participants were then re-tested.
Overall the study was able to show that Chiropractic adjustive therapy had no effect on eye-hand co-ordination in asymptomatic participants. Group 1 did not show any greater improvement in eye-hand co-ordination when compared to Group 2 where Group 1 received upper cervical spine and upper thoracic adjustments and Group 2 received only upper cervical adjustments. Gender was seen to play a significant role in the study, mainly during the B19 test.
Overall it can be said that Chiropractic adjustive therapy had no effect on speed (OMD) or accuracy (OPED) during the test. Future research is needed on the possible effects of Chiropractic adjustive therapy on speed and accuracy as the study design showed some potential positive influences but may have been merely due to coincidence because of the small sample sizes.
When testing eye-hand co-ordination it was noted that after the participants received Chiropractic adjustive therapy the length of mistakes in percent (LMP) decreased, meaning that the participants were able to correct any mistakes made at a faster rate after receiving Chiropractic adjustive therapy, but only when delivered to the spinal levels C0-C3 and/or C5-T1 (i.e. Group 1) for male participants only. Statistically significant results were noted when testing the number of mistakes made (NM) but only for male participants receiving Chiropractic adjustments to the C0-C3 levels only (i.e. Group 2). Future research needs to be done on the gender discrepancies noted for the different manner that Chiropractic adjustive therapy affected the different genders.