Chiropractic Care and Quality of Life: What a New Study of 1,419 Patients Found
Most people think of chiropractic as something you try when your back or neck acts up. New research suggests that view is too narrow.
A study published in 2026 followed 1,419 adult chiropractic patients over a course of care. It looked at much more than pain. The researchers measured how people were sleeping, how much energy they had, how well they functioned day to day, and how well they handled the ups and downs of life.
At Beverly Family Chiropractic, this matches what we see in our Beverly, MA practice every week. Here’s what the study found and why it matters for you and your family.
What the Study Looked At
The study is titled Improvements in Sense of Coherence and Quality of Life in 1,419 Subjects Following Chiropractic Care: A Prospective Practice-Based Study. It was published in the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. The authors are Joel Alcantara, DC, PhD; Andrew Whetten, PhD; and Dennis Richards, DC, PhD.
Patients filled out two well-established surveys before and after their course of chiropractic care:
- SOC-29: measures “sense of coherence,” or how well a person understands, manages, and finds meaning in life’s challenges.
- PROMIS-29: a widely used quality-of-life survey that covers physical function, sleep, fatigue, emotional well-being, pain, and participation in social roles and activities.
The average patient was 41 years old, so this is a picture of everyday working adults and parents.
What Is “Sense of Coherence”?
Sense of coherence comes from a health model called salutogenesis, which is the study of what helps people move toward health instead of only looking at what makes them sick.
It has three parts:
- Comprehensibility: Life makes sense. You can understand what’s happening around you.
- Manageability: You feel you have the resources to handle what comes your way.
- Meaningfulness: Life’s challenges feel worth engaging with.
People with a stronger sense of coherence tend to have better health and a better quality of life. In other words, it measures how well you adapt.
Key Findings on Chiropractic Care and Quality of Life
- Sense of coherence went up significantly over the course of chiropractic care.
- Quality of life improved in several areas, including sleep, energy, emotional well-being, physical function, and participation in social activities.
- The biggest drivers of change in sense of coherence were improvements in emotional well-being, sleep, energy, and social participation.
- Motivation for care mattered. Why patients came in was also linked to how much their sense of coherence changed.
Matthew McCoy, DC, MPH, a chiropractic researcher and publisher, summed it up this way:
“Chiropractic is often viewed only through the lens of back or neck pain, but this research encourages us to look at the whole person. How people sleep, function, participate in daily life and adapt to stress are all important parts of health.”
A Fair Word on the Research
This was an observational study. That means it tracked patients over time, but it doesn’t prove chiropractic care directly caused every change. Patients, techniques, and visit frequency varied. The authors say so plainly, and we appreciate that.
What it does do is add to a growing body of research, including an earlier study of nearly 2,000 chiropractic patients, that looks at chiropractic care through a whole-person lens.
Why This Matters: Your Nervous System Runs Everything
Your nervous system controls and coordinates every part of your body. It shapes how you sleep, how you recover, how you handle stress, and how you show up for the people you love.
When the spine isn’t moving or aligned the way it should (what chiropractors call a vertebral subluxation), it can add stress to the nervous system. Over time, that stress can make it harder for your body to adapt.
At Beverly Family Chiropractic, our focus is Neuro-Structural Restoration™: finding and correcting the structural shifts that put stress on your nervous system, so your body can function and adapt the way it was designed to.
That’s why we don’t measure progress by symptoms alone. We look at the bigger picture:
- Are you sleeping better?
- Do you have more energy for your family and work?
- Are you moving and functioning better?
- Are you handling stress with more ease?
This study asked those same questions, and that’s what we mean by the whole-person approach.
Living a Life By Design
We believe health isn’t only the absence of problems. It’s having the capacity to live fully, adapt to stress, and do what matters to you.
That’s the heart of Life By Design: making intentional choices, including caring for your spine and nervous system, that support the life you want to live, both now and years from now.
Chiropractic care is one part of that picture. So are how you move, eat, sleep, think, and connect with others. Our role is to help your body’s foundation, your spine and nervous system, work at its best.
Visit a Family Chiropractor in Beverly, MA
If you’ve only ever thought of chiropractic as a fix for a sore back, we’d love to show you what whole-person care looks like.
At Beverly Family Chiropractic, we care for adults, kids, and expecting moms. Our Webster Technique–certified doctors support families through every stage of life. Every plan starts with a thorough evaluation of how your spine and nervous system are functioning.
Ready to find out how well your body is adapting?
Call us at 978-927-5880 or visit us at 72 Sohier Rd, Beverly, MA 01915 to schedule your first visit.
Source: Alcantara J, Whetten A, Richards D. Improvements in Sense of Coherence and Quality of Life in 1,419 Subjects Following Chiropractic Care: A Prospective Practice-Based Study. Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research. 2026. Read the research summary
Dr. Derek Gallant
Dr. Derek Gallant has committed himself to helping others live the best life possible. After graduating from Wesleyan University, he received his Doctor of Chiropractic Degree from Life Chiropractic College West where he finished 2nd in his class. He is the owner of Beverly Family Chiropractic and co-founder of The Well Family Foundation. Dr. Gallant is certified through the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA) in the Webster technique, an analysis focused on assisting pregnant women in a healthy pregnancy and natural birth. He has inspired thousands of people to take control of their own health using the Life By Design method. Apart from full time practice you can find Derek at the parks and coffee shops around Beverly with his family, training hard at the gym, or at the beach surfing.
