KUCCM Professor Among Group to Shed Light on the Effects of Chiropractic Care on Military Personnel

Keiser University College of Chiropractic Medicine (KUCCM) professor Ram Gudavalli is among a group of researchers who recently discovered that active-duty military personnel exhibit improved strength and endurance, as well as reduced lower back pain under chiropractic care.

Along with colleagues Robert Vining, Cynthia Long, Amy Minkalis, Ting Xia Joan Walter, Ian Coulter, and Christine Goertz, Gudavalli administered a randomized controlled trial which focused on over 100 active-duty military personnel with self-reported lower back pain.

Located at the Naval Air Technical Training Center branch clinic at the Naval Hospital Pensacola, Florida, the test group of subjects was randomly assigned 4 weeks of chiropractic care or a wait-list, with chiropractic care consisting of spinal manipulation, education, advice, and reassurance. In addition to patient-reported outcomes such as pain severity and disability, measures for the study included pulling strength from a semi-squat position along with single-leg balance with eyes open and eyes closed, and trunk muscle endurance levels. To review the published trial, please click here.

Maruti Ram Gudavalli, PhD is a Professor and Research Committee Chair at Keiser University’s College of Chiropractic Medicine. He teaches basic musculoskeletal biomechanics, clinical biomechanics, and research methodology and has published numerous research articles and studies relating to the spine, lower back pain, and neck pain. Having instructed and collaborated with colleagues from various universities and disciplines throughout the past 30-years, Gudavalli has played a role in the funding of several federally funded research grants and also teaches gentle integrative yoga to Palm Beach County residents.

The Doctor of Chiropractic program at Keiser University is a rigorous professional program consisting of ten semesters of study which are completed over 40 months.  It combines traditional lectures with small group learning, weekly conferences and seminars, laboratory and experiential sessions, and clinical training opportunities at a number of sites.  All coursework includes case-based relevancy for chiropractic practice as a portal-of-entry profession dedicated to excellence in spine care.

Throughout the ten semesters of study, a number of cross-cutting themes are embedded within the courses, enabling students to integrate their studies around a clinically relevant framework.  These themes all focus on the role of chiropractic as a conservative clinical approach to spine care and include chiropractic sports medicine, chiropractic geriatrics, and chiropractic general practice, as well as other cross-cutting themes such as wellness and health maintenance; ethic, professionalism, and life-long learning; and, the role of the chiropractor as a team member in mainstream healthcare and public health.  The Doctor of Chiropractic Program emphasizes the promotion of evidence-based health care, inter-professional collaboration and practice, and the highest standards of professional ethics.