The Backpack Conundrum

With school back in session, backpacks are making their daily appearance again. Books, binders, laptops, lunch boxes, and water bottles can quickly add up. While a backpack may seem like a small part of a child's routine, carrying that extra load day after day can place new demands on a growing body. What happens when we place these new demands on the body and what can be done?

When weight is added to the body, the spine, pelvis, shoulders, and surrounding muscles have to adapt to maintain balance and stability. If that load is excessive or carried for long periods, the body may begin relying on compensatory movement patterns. Over time, these repetitive patterns can contribute to tension, stiffness, and altered movement throughout the body.

This is why it's important to pay attention to how your child is moving, not just how much their backpack weighs. Do they lean to one side? Do their shoulders sit unevenly? Are they complaining about neck, shoulder, or back discomfort? Have you noticed changes in the way they walk, sit, or stand? These may be signs that their body is compensating for additional stress. If you notice these changes, chiropractic care can help identify areas where the spine and extremities may not be moving or functioning properly, potentially contributing to the development of subluxation within the spine.

Of course, the backpack is only one part of the equation. Long hours sitting in class, using computers, studying, and participating in sports all place different demands on a child's body. Encouraging regular movement and paying attention to how your child feels can help keep them active and healthy throughout the school year.

If your child is experiencing recurring neck, shoulder, or back discomfort, or you've noticed changes in the way they move, don't wait for the problem to get worse! Chiropractic care can help reduce subluxation and restore proper motion to the body BEFORE compensatory response patterns can begin. Let's get the school year started with a healthy, moving body!

In Good Health,

Drs. Mark, Matt & Tami
(www.mifflintownchiro.com)

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PSS:  If you would like an email reminder of your appointments please stop by at the front desk and talk to Sharon. 

Newsletter Articles
August 2026

• Chiropractic Care and the Brain: New Research Looks at Changes in Brain Communication
• Chiropractic Care and Chronic Migraines: A Case of Remarkable Improvement
• Conservative Chiropractic Care Associated with Major Reduction in Cervical Disc Extrusion
• Chiropractic Care and Menstrual Symptoms: Encouraging Changes in a Young Woman

Chiropractic Care and the Brain: New Research Looks at Changes in Brain Communication

A study published on July 31, 2026, in the journal Brain Sciences examined what may happen inside the brain when people with chronic low back pain receive chiropractic care. The researchers used EEG recordings, which measure electrical activity in the brain, to study how different brain regions communicated with one another. Their findings suggest that chiropractic care was associated with measurable changes in several major brain networks involved in pain, attention, emotions, thinking, and the way the brain processes information.

The study involved 76 adults with chronic low back pain, meaning their back pain had lasted for at least three months. Half were assigned to receive chiropractic care along with their usual healthcare, while the other half continued with usual care alone. Those receiving chiropractic care were seen three times a week for four weeks. Brain activity was measured before care began, immediately following the first session, and again after four weeks. This allowed researchers to look at both immediate changes and changes that remained after several weeks of care.

One of the most important findings involved a group of brain areas known as the default mode network. This network helps the brain manage internally focused thoughts, memories, emotions, and our awareness of ourselves. People with chronic pain often show altered communication within this network. After chiropractic care, the researchers found increased communication within the default mode network in the alpha brain-wave range. These changes were seen immediately after care and were still present four weeks later. The researchers described these alpha-band findings as the strongest and most consistent results of the study.

Changes were also found in two other important brain networks. The salience network helps decide which sensations or events deserve our attention, while the central executive network is involved in concentration, decision-making, working memory, and self-control. Chronic pain can cause the brain to give too much attention to pain signals, almost as if the nervous system remains on high alert. The pattern found in this study may represent a shift toward more balanced communication among brain systems responsible for attention, sensory processing, and internal awareness.

These brain findings are especially interesting because the people receiving chiropractic care in the original clinical trial also experienced improvements in areas such as pain, anxiety, depression, fatigue, sleep, and quality of life. However, the researchers were careful to point out that this study did not prove that the brain changes caused those improvements. Instead, the findings raise the possibility that improving the sensory information entering the nervous system from the spine may influence how the brain organizes and processes information. From a chiropractic perspective, correction of areas of spinal dysfunction or subluxation may therefore have effects that extend beyond simply changing how the back feels.

Chiropractic Care and Chronic Migraines: A Case of Remarkable Improvement

Migraines can be far more than just a bad headache. They can bring severe head pain, nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, sleep problems, and other symptoms that interfere with work, school, family life, and everyday activities. A case report published in 2026 in the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic described the chiropractic care of a 24-year-old woman suffering from chronic, debilitating migraines that had significantly disrupted her life.

The young woman had been experiencing headaches as often as three times a week, along with sensitivity to light, nausea, numbness and tingling in her left arm, and significant sleep problems. Her headaches had become so severe that she could no longer comfortably drive and had moved her college classes online. She also had a history of anxiety, depression, digestive problems, and psoriasis. Medication had been recommended for managing her migraines, but she was concerned about adding additional medications and their possible side effects.

An examination found problems involving the function and movement of her neck, including reduced range of motion and considerable muscle tightness. The findings suggested that dysfunction in the upper portion of her neck could be contributing to her headaches. She began a 12-week program of chiropractic care designed to improve spinal function and reduce stress on the nervous system. Supportive therapies and home exercises were also included as part of her overall care program.

The improvement over the following weeks was substantial. Initially, she was experiencing migraines approximately three times every week. By the halfway point of care, that had dropped to about two migraines per month. Her pain scores improved as well, and measurements showed better movement in her neck and decreased muscular tightness. She also reported improvements in her sleep and overall comfort.

By the end of the 12-week period, her migraine frequency had fallen to only about one episode per month. Her pain rating had dropped to 3 out of 10, and her Neck Disability Index—which measures how much neck problems interfere with everyday activities—showed considerable improvement. The outcome table in the report documents the progression from three migraines per week initially, to two per month during care, and ultimately to just one per month at the 12-week evaluation.

This case demonstrates the potential relationship between proper spinal function, the nervous system, and migraine symptoms. Problems involving the neck can sometimes contribute to irritation and altered sensory information reaching the nervous system, potentially becoming one of several factors associated with headaches. By addressing spinal dysfunction and, when appropriate, correcting subluxation, chiropractic care may help reduce these contributing factors. For this young woman, the changes were associated with dramatically fewer migraines, less pain, improved neck function, better sleep, and a significant improvement in her ability to enjoy everyday life.

Conservative Chiropractic Care Associated with Major Reduction in Cervical Disc Extrusion

Neck pain can sometimes involve much more than sore muscles. A damaged or herniated disc in the neck can irritate nerves and lead to pain that travels into the shoulder or arm, numbness, tingling, weakness, and disrupted sleep. A case report published in 2026 in the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic documented the care of a 50-year-old man with a severe cervical disc extrusion and instability in his neck who was seeking a conservative alternative after spinal fusion surgery had been recommended.

The man had experienced progressively worsening symptoms for about four months. His neck pain radiated into his left shoulder blade, and he experienced numbness in one finger and tremors in another. His symptoms occurred several times every day and ranged from 4 to 8 on a 10-point pain scale. Perhaps most troublesome was the severe pain that repeatedly woke him during the night. Walking, sitting, and other everyday activities could also aggravate his symptoms.

MRI imaging revealed a significant disc extrusion at the C5-C6 level of his neck, with disc material extending into an area where it was putting pressure on the spinal cord. X-rays taken while he moved his neck also demonstrated abnormal movement between these vertebrae, indicating cervical instability. Because of the seriousness of these findings, anterior spinal fusion surgery had been recommended. The patient, however, wanted to explore a non-surgical approach before proceeding with surgery.

He began approximately three months of conservative care that included chiropractic care along with several supportive therapies and rehabilitation. After more than 30 visits, he reported approximately a 60% improvement in his neck pain, shoulder pain, numbness, and tremors, with his symptoms occurring much less frequently and with considerably less intensity.

What makes this case particularly interesting is that the improvements were not limited to how the patient felt. Follow-up MRI scans showed measurable physical changes in the damaged disc. Four months after beginning care, the size of the disc extrusion had decreased by approximately 26%. An MRI approximately one year later showed that the extrusion had decreased by about 52% compared with the original study. The MRI images presented in the report show substantial reduction of the disc material, with the later image showing no spinal cord compression.

This case demonstrates how the body may sometimes respond remarkably well to conservative care, even when a serious cervical disc problem is present. Chiropractic care was part of a broader program intended to improve spinal function, decrease mechanical stress, and support the healing environment around the injured disc. Although every disc problem is different and proper examination and imaging are particularly important with neurological symptoms, this patient's experience shows the potential value of carefully selected conservative chiropractic care for certain people with cervical disc injuries.

Chiropractic Care and Menstrual Symptoms: Encouraging Changes in a Young Woman

Painful menstrual cycles can affect much more than a few uncomfortable days each month. Severe cramping, headaches, heavy bleeding, fatigue, and other symptoms can interfere with work, school, social activities, and overall quality of life. A case report published in 2026 in the Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic described the chiropractic care of a 28-year-old woman who had struggled with severe menstrual symptoms for approximately 12 years.

Her symptoms had become extremely disruptive. She experienced menstrual cramps that she rated as 10 out of 10, with debilitating headaches, and heavy menstrual flow lasting about nine days during each cycle. The cramping could continue throughout her menstrual period, and her symptoms were sometimes so severe that she had to stay in bed. She frequently missed classes and social activities because of the pain and headaches, greatly affecting the quality of life she wanted to enjoy.

The woman had previously tried common approaches to manage her symptoms, including over-the-counter anti-inflammatory medication and a heating pad, but reported little relief. She had also previously used oral contraceptives for several years before discontinuing them. During her initial chiropractic evaluation, an examination revealed dysfunction involving the lower spine, sacrum, and pelvic region. She subsequently began regular chiropractic care directed toward improving the function and alignment of these areas.

Her response was noticeable very quickly. After only two visits, she reported a dramatic improvement in her menstrual symptoms. Researchers followed her progress using a standardized pain questionnaire scored from zero to 100, with scores above 50 representing high-intensity pain. At the beginning of this phase of care, her score was approximately 76, indicating severe symptoms. After several months, her score had fallen into the low-intensity range, reaching approximately 33 to 36.

The improvement also made a meaningful difference in her everyday life. After about two months of care, she became emotional while describing how much her life had changed. Her menstrual symptoms were less intense and lasted for a shorter period, allowing her to participate more normally in daily activities. Interestingly, when she missed a week of chiropractic visits before one menstrual cycle, some of her symptoms returned, although they were still less severe than they had been before this particular course of care.

The nerves associated with the lower spine and sacral region are involved in communication with structures in the pelvis, which provides one possible reason that improving spinal and pelvic function could influence menstrual symptoms. Chiropractic care focused on correcting spinal dysfunction and subluxation helps support more normal nervous system function and reduce some of the physical stresses associated with painful menstrual cycles. For this woman, chiropractic care was associated with a substantial reduction in the intensity and duration of symptoms that had affected her life for more than a decade.