Effects of Upper Cervical and Thoracic Chiropractic Adjustments on the Autonomic Nervous System and Perceived Stress Response

The proposed study examines the differences in how the ANS responds to cervical adjustments in comparison to thoracic adjustments. This study is the continuation of a previous study titled Perceived stress and patterns of autonomic function: a protocol development study. Autonomic tests such as HRV, GSR, and the stress surveys will be the primary method of measurement. CareTaker and Biopac devices will provide continual data collection of ECG (for HRV analysis) and GSR throughout the exam and adjustment. Participant's subjective stress levels will be measured through the use of stress questionnaires including the National Stressful Events Survey Acute Stress Disorder Short Scale, the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale, and the Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale. The objective of the study is to determine if the location of a chiropractic adjustment will affect the autonomic nervous system in such a way that PNS or SNS activation increases or decreases after the adjustment. Further, the study will continue to examine how the chiropractic adjustment affects the subjective stress response.