Sherman College Leading the Way in Subluxation-Specific Research
Originally published: 2025-04-30
In a chiropractic landscape increasingly dominated by research on generic spinal manipulation, Sherman College of Chiropractic is standing apart — focusing on the nuance and precision necessary for the analysis and correction of vertebral subluxation. A new study titled “Prevalence of Styloid Elongation – Stylohyoid Calcification in Relation to the Atlas Transverse Process” by Alan Brewster, BS, DC, ACP, Christine Theodossis, BS, DC, DCCJP, and Laura Orndorff, BS, DC, RT(R) was published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research. This research underscores the importance of specificity in chiropractic care — a focus that has become rare in an era where much of the profession’s research has drifted toward non-specific spinal manipulation aimed at relieving joint fixation rather than the complex correction of vertebral subluxations.
The nervous system controls and coordinates all functions of the body, and structural shifts in the spine can occur that obstruct the nerves and interfere with their function. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct. By removing the structural shifts, chiropractic improves nerve supply and function. This latest study from Sherman College highlights how elongated styloid processes (SESC) compressing vascular and neurological structures at the level of the atlas (C1) complicate the detection and correction of subluxations. The research found that over 84% of chiropractic patients exhibited SESC extending to the level of the C1 transverse process — a finding that directly challenges the traditional definition of styloid elongation based on length alone.
What makes Sherman College’s approach stand out is its commitment to the painstaking analysis required to determine the correct levels and vectors necessary to reduce or correct subluxation. While other researchers continue to conflate chiropractic adjustments with general spinal manipulation — treating chiropractic as nothing more than a method to "unstick stuck joints" — Sherman College remains focused on the strategic competitive advantage of chiropractic: the detection and correction of vertebral subluxation.
Matthew McCoy DC, MPH, editor of the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, emphasized the importance of this work: “If specificity in chiropractic care doesn’t matter, we need to know that. But if it does — and this study suggests it does — we need to focus on refining our methods for analyzing and correcting subluxations.”
Sherman College’s work on SESC and atlas compression reinforces why specificity matters. Chiropractic care is not simply about joint mobilization — it’s about restoring neurological integrity by carefully analyzing and correcting subluxations with precision. The nuanced understanding of anatomical variations, like the relationship between the styloid process and the atlas, positions Sherman College at the forefront of chiropractic research. At a time when much of the profession’s research is focused on the common domain of spinal manipulation, Sherman College’s focus on specificity represents the future of chiropractic — one grounded in science, clinical excellence, and the true essence of chiropractic care.
