Australian Spinal Research Foundation

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Australian Spinal Research Foundation

Our vision is a clear understanding of vertebral subluxation.

The Australian Spinal Research Foundation (ASRF) is more than just a research foundation – it is a cooperative of like-minded people who have a common view of health and well-being, and are willing to stand up for it. In 1977, a group of Chiropractors with a love of chiropractic and a passion to see it survive and thrive came together and set into place what is known today as the ASRF. Our role is

to remain at the cutting edge of understanding and communicating how chiropractic contributes to community health and well-being.

02/06/2026

🎉 The Australian Spinal Research Foundation is excited to announce that our 2026 Grants Round is now open for Expression of Interest submissions!

We want to partner with researchers to forward the chiropractic profession and continue to elevate chiropractic research. The Foundation's mission is: 'To fund & facilitate research, and educate chiropractors, communities & peak bodies on the effectiveness of chiropractic care'.

We are committed to growing the global knowledge-base on what is central to the practise of chiropractic – the vertebral subluxation – with strong research that is clinically relevant to chiropractors. We are looking to fund motivated chiropractic researchers, with research projects aligned with our topics of interest.

In 2026 we continue to refine our research agenda by calling for grant applications exploring the role of vertebral subluxation in Quality of Life (QOL) and Functional Outcome Measures (FOM) across the human lifespan.

This year, we would again like to fund at least one paediatric study, using our 'ASRF Paediatric Research Fund', and we look forward to some great submissions!

Expressions of Interest must be received on or before 5.00pm AEST, Monday 13th July, 2026.

Find out more: https://spinalresearch.com.au/research/

26/05/2026

We love hearing from our members in the ASRF Newsletters 🙌

Our Newsletters are always packed with great interviews with supporters and researchers, as well as research updates and ASRF news.

If you missed our latest edition, read it on our website 🔗 💫 https://spinalresearch.com.au/newsletter/

14/05/2026

It's a favourite topic of kids' to joke about... but it is also an important one!

Constipation is one of the most common gastrointestinal complaints in childhood, with prevalence estimates varying between 0.5% and a massive 32% of children globally.

A recent case series explores three cases of children with constipation and the chiropractic care they received.

Read the full article here: https://spinalresearch.com.au/resources/spinal-research-blog/

Tomorrow is the last day to donate to Spinal Research Hero Month for 2026 💫 🦸
Be a hero and support paediatric chiropractic research by donating today or tomorrow! https://bit.ly/HeroMonth2026

30/04/2026

April is coming to a close, but the donation cut-off for Hero Month isn't until the 15th of May 🥳 🦸

There is still plenty of time to gather your donations as a practice or to contribute personally, and make a difference in paediatric chiropractic.

All funds raised during Spinal Research Hero Month are going into the ASRF Paediatric Research Fund to facilitate more studies into kids' chiropractic.

If getting involved this year has slipped your mind, don't worry! You've still got time to become a Hero 💫 https://bit.ly/HeroMonth2026

ASRF Hero Month 2026 is proudly sponsored by: The Remarkable Practice, Advanced BioStructural Correction Australasia, The Rehab Mechanics

27/04/2026

Dive into chiropractic and consciousness with Dr. Mueller on The ASRF Research for Practice Podcast 🎙️ 🤔

Thank you to Dr. Ni**od Mueller for joining us and sharing his wealth of insight on this exciting area of chiropractic.

Listen to the full episode wherever you usually get your podcasts 🎧️ 💫

We are still currently raising funds for the ASRF Paediatric Research Fund during Hero Month this April. Get involved and make a donation to Hero Month at any time during April 🔗 💫 https://bit.ly/HeroMonth2026

ASRF Hero Month 2026 is proudly sponsored by: The Remarkable Practice, Advanced BioStructural Correction Australasia, The Rehab Mechanics

23/04/2026

Want to see change and improvement in paediatric chiropractic? This is how you do it: fund research.

Research is the universal currency of progress. We need high quality studies to be able to point to when discussing paediatric chiropractic with regulators, governments, parents, and other care modalities.

We know how important good research is, and that is why we have created the ASRF Paediatric Research Fund. Each year we hold a fundraising month, called Hero Month, and this year all funds raised will be going into the Paediatric Research Fund.

This Fund aims to fund at least one paediatric research project in the ASRF 2026 Grants Round.

If you want to make real change for families, get involved with Hero Month at any time during April 🦸‍♀️ 💫 https://bit.ly/HeroMonth2026

ASRF Hero Month 2026 is proudly sponsored by: The Remarkable Practice, Advanced BioStructural Correction Australasia, The Rehab Mechanics

20/04/2026

This is what the research has to say about chiropractic care and bedwetting:

Bedwetting, or nocturnal enuresis, is a common paediatric condition with many potential causes and influencing factors. While common, it is usually a sign of an underlying issue and should be investigated if it persists.

Retained primitive reflexes are a frequent feature in cases of bedwetting. Multiple case reports note the presence of the spinal galant reflex at the time of presentation. [Walker, 2023; Blonigen, 2023] Following chiropractic care, this primitive reflex had integrated and bedwetting had decreased. There were also improvements in posture and muscle tension.

Two cases of nighttime bedwetting note improvements in the number of dry nights following chiropractic care. [Instebø, 2016; St-Jean, 2018]

Other cases highlight the presence of concerns presenting alongside bedwetting. Two cases include the improvement of shoulder or back pain as well as the reduction in bedwetting episodes following chiropractic care. [Egan, 2022; Fedorchuck, 2019] Multiple cases detail concerns of allergies and recurrent infections in patients also struggling with bedwetting. [Steinberg, 2022; Treahy-Geofreda, 2022; Marko, 2018] Following chiropractic care both the bedwetting and the immune issues were improved.

Headaches presenting alongside bedwetting has been noted in two case reports, and constipation and bedwetting has been noted in three case reports. [Mason, 2019; Herring, 2020; Roulette, 2018; Shtulman, 2016] Following chiropractic care, these cases recorded reduced secondary symptoms as well as a reduced number of bedwetting episodes. These secondary concerns are not necessarily connected with bedwetting, but improvements in both areas may indicate the nervous system functioning more optimally.

If you care about seeing more paediatric research published, donate to Hero Month 2026 at any time during April 🦸‍♂️ All funds raised during Hero Month will go into the ASRF Paediatric Research Fund 💫

https://bit.ly/HeroMonth2026

ASRF Hero Month 2026 is proudly sponsored by: The Remarkable Practice, Advanced BioStructural Correction Australasia, The Rehab Mechanics

14/04/2026

The Safer Care Victoria Review sought to address ‘community concerns’ over chiropractic care for children.

The result was a stunning 21,824 submissions received from members of the public who had accessed chiropractic care for a child under 12; an unprecedented number that has yet to be equalled.

The vast majority of these submissions were positive feedback. While the review sought to review reports of harm, there were “no patient complaints or practitioner notifications that arose from significant harm to a child following spinal manipulation.”

It was a stunning result. Yet despite it, criticism has remained.

One outcome from the review was that more research into paediatric chiropractic care was recommended. To this end, the Australian Spinal Research Foundation set up the Paediatric Research Fund.

But elsewhere in the Australian chiropractic landscape, two paediatric experts also put their hands to the plough to answer a question that has likely crossed many a mind: how much force is used on a newborn?

Dr’s Braden Keil and Christian Fludder investigated the forces involved in chiropractic techniques used on a 3-4 month old infant using a mannequin to simulate both the technique and the force used.

The research aimed to quantify preload force, peak force, time to peak, and force application rate during four common paediatric techniques, contributing to understanding safe and effective force parameters in infant chiropractic care.

The four scenarios in the study simulated typical techniques: cervical (drop piece, finger recoil, seated cervical) and sacral (covered thumb), with ten repetitions per practitioner per scenario.

The study found that preload forces were generally below 10 N, with some variation depending on technique. Average peak forces ranged from approximately 35 N to nearly 80 N in cervical scenarios and around 35 N to 41 N in sacral manipulations.

The study showed that force measures were low, and held only for small periods of time, in line with what accepted research shows us with regard to an infants tensile strength.

Peak forces in this study were generally below proposed safety thresholds based on tensile strength models, though some recorded forces exceeded certain proposed safe limits, highlighting the need for further research.

The rapid force application and timing suggest that practitioners naturally generate forces that activate neural receptors, potentially contributing to therapeutic effects.

There were limitations of course, as there are in every study. However, this was a robust study designed and undertaken by experienced practitioners, who applied forces consistent with previous literature.

The force profiles suggest that these chiropractic techniques operate within neurophysiologically safe ranges, supporting their safety and effectiveness when performed appropriately.

Objective force measurement enhances understanding of paediatric manual therapy and can inform future safety guidelines and clinical practice standards.

ASRF Spinal Research Hero Month is currently happening! The ASRF has created the Paediatric Research Fund to support more research for kids chiropractic care. All funds raised during Hero Month this year will be going into this fund, with the aim to fund at least one paediatric research project in the 2026 ASRF Grants Round.

Paediatric chiropractic is an area that could greatly benefit from more studies, so we are making it happen, with your help.

Find out how to get your practice involved at any time this April, it is never too late to make a contribution to this fund 💫 https://bit.ly/HeroMonth2026

ASRF Hero Month 2026 is proudly sponsored by: The Remarkable Practice, Advanced BioStructural Correction Australasia, The Rehab Mechanics

09/04/2026

Getting started is always the hardest part, so we've made it easy for you 🙂‍↕️ 🦸

Get your practice involved with ASRF Spinal Research Hero Month this April and raise funds for the Paediatric Research Fund.

Research is currency, and this Fund aims to fund one paediatric research project during the ASRF 2026 Grants Round.

Register your practice or make a donation to Hero Month at any time during April 💫 https://bit.ly/HeroMonth2026

ASRF Hero Month 2026 is proudly sponsored by: The Remarkable Practice, Advanced BioStructural Correction Australasia & The Rehab Mechanics

07/04/2026

This is what the research has to say about chiropractic care and kids’ quality of life:

It is no secret that the area of paediatric chiropractic would benefit from more research. Currently, most of the studies in this area are case reports and case series. Although this evidence is more anecdotal and lacks generalisability, there are encouraging findings that have been noted across multiple case reports, laying the foundation for future studies.

Mood and behaviour are prominent features in case reports documenting improvements in paediatric quality of life. Improvements in both emotional regulation and the ability to engage with the outside environment have been noted in case reports. [Pryjma, 2024; Dukovac, 2022]

Also noted in these cases, alongside improvements in mood, are improvements in sleep and digestion. It follows that if chiropractic care is supporting nervous system coherence, allowing children to better adapt to their environment, improvements would be seen across many areas of wellness.

This is seen again in another case report, focusing on changes to balance and coordination. [Pryjma, 2022] Following chiropractic care, there were improvements in coordination and reflex responses, and a decrease in the child’s digestive issues.

Muscle weakness and difficulty with certain movements is noted across multiple case reports. Following chiropractic care, improvements are observed in tummy time tolerance, muscle strength, posture, and motor control. [Watson, 2024; Watson, 2024; Pryjma, 2022] As movement is a vital part of learning and development, supporting the ability to engage with the world effectively, and enhancing the capacity to process the input appropriately, all further improve adaptability and quality of life.

Poor immune system health can also impact quality of life. Two case reports detail the improvement in kids experiencing allergies and ear infections, and periodic fever syndrome. [Treahy-Geofreda, 2022; Ullman, 2022] Following chiropractic care, both cases showed an increase in physical resilience through the reduction of fevers and skin irritation.

Donate to Hero Month 2026 or register your practice and get involved 🦸‍♀️ All funds raised during April will go into the Paediatric Research Fund 💫

ASRF Hero Month 2026 is proudly sponsored by: The Remarkable Practice. Advanced BioStructural Correction Australasia, & The Rehab Mechanics

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http://www.spinalresearch.com.au/

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