The effect of spinal manipulative therapy to the atlanto-occipital and atlanto-axial articulations on the blood pressure of normotensive Caucasian male subjects

Abstract

Blood pressure, defined as the force per unit area exerted on the wall of a blood vessel by its contained blood, is expressed in terms of millimeters mercury (mm Hg). Hypertension is a common problem in Westernised nations, including South Africa. The nervous system's role in the induction of hypertensive disease is the least understood; however, it is postulated that chiropractic adjustment normalises raised blood pressure via modification of the tonicity of the autonomic nervous system. The treatment of organic-type disorders with manipulative therapy is a controversial topic within and outside the chiropractic profession. However, research has indicated that manipulation may affect blood pressure, and the literature does propose a number of hypotheses on how this may be achieved. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of spinal manipulative therapy to the atlanta-occipital and atlanta-axial articulations on the blood pressure of normotensive Caucasian male subjects. This prospective controlled clinical trial consisted of a total of sixty normotensive Caucasian male subjects who were recruited by canvassing for volunteers from the Durban Institute of Technology campus as well as the general Durban area. By simple consecutive randomisation, 30 subjects were entered into a control group, and another 30 were entered into an experimental group. Both groups followed the same procedure with the exception that the control group did not receive any manipulation. Phase one of the study, which covered two visits, was