Nutrition & Healthy Living
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An interactive website that shows which foods are in season in your area.
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Kids with Food Allergies Foundation (KFA) is a great resource for recipes, shopping guides, and parent support.
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Database of recipes that range from simple to complex, sort-able to meet your specific dietary needs.
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The Environmental Working Group works to empower consumers to live healthier lives, providing reports on
cosmetics, sun lotions, household cleaning products, and pesticides in foods.
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Chiropractic & Family Wellness
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Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics
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The Journal of Clinical Chiropractic Pediatrics (JCCP) is the official peer-reviewed journal of the ICA Council on Chiropractic Pediatrics.
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Holistic Insights, Empowering Resources published by the ICPA
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Patient Education & Wellness Articles
Explore practical information about spinal health, everyday wellness, nutrition, and healthy living. These articles offer helpful guidance and additional reading for patients interested in taking an active role in their health.
Back Pain, Neck Pain & Everyday Wellness
Chiropractic & Whole-Person Health
Functional Nutrition & Whole-Person Wellness
Additional Health & Wellness Topics
Scientific Research & Clinical Studies
Explore peer-reviewed research on chiropractic care, neuroscience, nutrition, and botanical medicine. These studies are provided to encourage informed discussion and a deeper understanding of the science behind whole-person healthcare.
Research findings vary in strength, and individual studies do not necessarily establish clinical effectiveness for every condition.
Chiropractic Care & Clinical Outcomes
Chiropractic Safety: Nearly One Million Treatments Examined (2023)
A large observational study examined 960,140 spinal manipulation treatment sessions across 30 chiropractic clinics. Researchers identified two severe adverse events—rib fractures in older patients with osteoporosis—and recorded no life-threatening adverse events or deaths.
That represents approximately one recorded severe adverse event per 480,000 treatment sessions in this study.
These findings support a favorable safety profile for chiropractic spinal manipulation in the clinics studied. Because the research relied on clinical reporting, it cannot establish the exact risk for every patient or technique, and unreported events remain possible.
Read the peer-reviewed study — Scientific Reports
Chiropractic Care for Low Back Pain in Active-Duty Military Personnel (2018)
A randomized clinical trial involving 750 active-duty military personnel found that adding chiropractic care to usual medical care improved low back pain intensity and disability over six weeks compared with usual medical care alone.
Read the study — JAMA Network Open
Maintenance Care for Recurrent Low Back Pain (2018)
In a randomized trial of 328 patients with recurrent or persistent low back pain who had responded well to initial chiropractic care, scheduled maintenance care resulted in approximately 13 fewer days with bothersome low back pain over one year compared with symptom-guided care.
Spinal Manipulation, Medication, and Home Exercise for Neck Pain (2012)
A randomized clinical trial involving 272 adults with acute or subacute neck pain found that spinal manipulation produced better pain outcomes than medication at several follow-up points. Outcomes were generally similar between spinal manipulation and supervised home exercise.
Read the study — Annals of Internal Medicine
Chiropractic, the Brain & Neuroplasticity
Spinal Manipulation and Changes in Brain Sensorimotor Processing (2016)
In a study involving 19 participants, researchers including Dr. Heidi Haavik and colleagues observed changes in brain responses associated with processing sensory information after spinal manipulation. The findings suggest that spinal adjustments may influence how the central nervous system integrates sensory input, including activity associated with prefrontal sensorimotor processing.
This was a small neurophysiological study, so the findings describe measurable changes in brain activity rather than proving long-term clinical outcomes.
Read the study — PubMed Central
Chiropractic Care and Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor (BDNF) (2025)
A randomized, sham-controlled study examined whether chiropractic care influenced blood levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), a protein involved in neuronal function and plasticity. Researchers reported higher BDNF levels in the chiropractic group after 12 weeks, although the difference was not sustained at the later follow-up.
The findings provide a promising direction for further research but do not, by themselves, establish lasting changes in brain structure or clinical neurological recovery.
Read the study — PubMed Central
Magnesium & Neurological Health
Magnesium Sulfate for the Prevention of Cerebral Palsy (2008)
In a randomized clinical trial involving women at risk of very preterm delivery, researchers evaluated magnesium sulfate administered before birth for fetal neuroprotection. Moderate or severe cerebral palsy occurred less frequently in the magnesium group than in the placebo group.
Read the study — New England Journal of Medicine
Antenatal Magnesium Sulfate for Fetal Neuroprotection — Cochrane Review (2024)
A systematic review of randomized trials found that magnesium sulfate administered to women at risk of imminent preterm birth reduces the risk of cerebral palsy in surviving children. This provides stronger evidence than an individual trial alone.
Understanding the distinction
These studies concern intravenous or intramuscular magnesium sulfate given under medical supervision during specific high-risk pregnancies. They do not establish that taking oral magnesium supplements during an otherwise typical pregnancy prevents cerebral palsy.
Learn More About Magnesium
Explore our Magnesium Deficiency page for additional education about magnesium and its role in health.
Botanical Medicine & Synergy
Goldenseal: Synergy Between Botanical Compounds (2011)
Researchers studying goldenseal (Hydrastis canadensis) found that certain compounds within the plant enhanced the antimicrobial activity of berberine against Staphylococcus aureus in laboratory experiments. The study illustrates how multiple plant constituents can interact in ways that may not be apparent when studying a single isolated compound.
Read the study — Journal of Natural Products
Goldenseal and Bacterial Efflux Pump Inhibition (2011)
Additional laboratory research investigated how goldenseal constituents can interfere with bacterial efflux pumps—mechanisms bacteria use to transport substances out of their cells. These interactions may help explain the enhanced antimicrobial effects observed when certain botanical compounds are combined.
Read the study — Planta Medica
Artemisia cina: Botanical Combinations and Antiparasitic Activity (2024)
Researchers evaluated compounds derived from Artemisia cina, including peruvin, in combinations tested against larvae of the parasitic worm Haemonchus contortus. Certain combinations demonstrated synergistic activity under laboratory conditions, suggesting opportunities for further investigation of multi-compound botanical approaches.
Artemisia cina and Tagetes lucida: Combined Botanical Extracts (2024)
An experimental study investigated combinations of Artemisia cina and Tagetes lucida extracts for antiparasitic activity. The findings offer another example of researchers evaluating whether botanical combinations produce effects beyond those expected from individual extracts.
Read the study — Parasitology Research
Understanding the evidence
These studies primarily involve laboratory experiments, including bacterial cultures and parasite larvae. They provide evidence of biological interactions and possible synergy, but they do not establish that these botanical combinations safely or effectively treat human infections or parasitic disease.
Neurology & Development
Cerebral Palsy: Education & Family Resources
Cerebral palsy describes a group of conditions affecting movement and posture that result from differences or injury in the developing brain. Families may benefit from reliable educational resources covering diagnosis, therapies, developmental support, and daily living.
Cerebral Palsy Guide
An educational resource offering information about cerebral palsy, treatment approaches, and support for families.
https://www.cerebralpalsyguide.com/
Cerebral Palsy Guidance
A resource providing information about cerebral palsy, related health considerations, and family support.
https://www.cerebralpalsyguidance.com/
Magnesium & Early Brain Development
Research has found that magnesium sulfate administered in a hospital to certain pregnant patients at risk of imminent very preterm birth can reduce the risk of cerebral palsy in surviving children.
This is an important example of magnesium's role in a specific medical setting. It does not mean that ordinary magnesium supplementation has been shown to prevent or treat cerebral palsy.
Explore Related Research
See the Magnesium & Neurological Health section above for links to the randomized clinical trial and Cochrane systematic review.
You can also explore our Magnesium Deficiency educational page:
Additional Research: Nutrition, Gut Health & Chronic Pain
Community Education & Wellness Resources
Washburn University Employee Wellness Presentation Resources
Originally compiled for a virtual employee wellness presentation during the COVID-19 pandemic, this collection includes educational materials on nutrition, functional wellness, laboratory testing, and other health topics.
Some resources reflect information available at the time of the presentation and may have been updated or superseded by newer research.
View Washburn Employee Wellness Resources