Research Team at Northwestern Health Sciences University Write Grants for Multiple Studies

BLOOMINGTON, Minn. – The clinical research division at Northwestern Health Sciences University, the Wolfe-Harris Center for Clinical Studies, recently submitted five grant proposals that would fund potential studies. Three were submitted to the US Department of Health and Human Services Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), and two to the National Institute of Health.

Proposals to the HRSA were titled, “Chiropractic and Exercise for Spinal Dysfunction in Seniors;” “Chiropractic and Exercise for Low Back Pain in Adolescents;” and “Chiropractic, Exercise and Stress Management for Tension Headache.”

The proposals submitted to the National Institute of Health are in collaboration with the University of Minnesota. Of those studies, one will investigate the effects of different therapies on spinal motion; and the other will look at functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI) of the brain to see if there are changes in the brain for patients suffering from low back pain, according to Roni Evans, DC, MS, Northwestern’s dean of research.

“It is part of our mission as an educational institution to promote natural approaches to health through education, research, clinical services and community involvement. Research is part of our core value as an institution,” says Mark Zeigler, DC, president of Northwestern. Dr. Zeigler notes that Northwestern has received more than $10 million in federal funding for research on campus in the last decade.

According to Dr. Evans, all patients, whether they see a complementary and alternative medicine practitioner or a medical doctor, deserve to be cared for with diagnostic and treatment approaches that have been shown to be effective. “Research is important to natural health care in the same way that it is essential for allopathic approaches,” she says. “It provides the underlying evidence that clinicians can use to make good choices regarding the care they provide.”

“We have received approximately 60 percent of the grants we’ve applied for…that is very high,” explains Dr. Evans.

Northwestern has been a leader among complementary and alternative medicine institutions regarding its commitment to clinical research, according to Dr. Evans. “In order to deliver the best care for patients, it is essential to be informed by the best available research evidence,” she says. “In recognizing this, Northwestern has gained credibility in the greater health care community.”

Northwestern Health Sciences University offers a wide array of choices in natural health care education including chiropractic, Oriental medicine, acupuncture, therapeutic massage and human biology. The University has nearly 900 students on a 25-acre campus in Bloomington, Minnesota.