Altered Sensorimotor Integration With Cervical Spine Manipulation

Heidi Haavik Taylor, Bernadette Murphy

This study investigates changes in the intrinsic inhibitory and facilitatory interactions within the sensorimotor cortex subsequent to a single session of cervical spine manipulation using single- and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation protocols.  The outcome measures were recorded in 12 subjects before and after spinal manipulation of dysfunctional cervical joints, and on a different day after passive head movement.  The results showed that spinal manipulation of dysfunctional cervical joints may alter specific central corticomotor facilitatory and inhibitory neural processing and cortical motor control of 2 upper limb muscles in a muscle-specific manner.

Spinal manipulation may alter sensorimotor integration. This may help elucidate mechanisms responsible for the effective relief of pain and restoration of functional ability documented after spinal manipulation.