Dr. Justin Dick Presents Cervical Mechanics Research at IRAPS 2026, Sherman College of Chiropractic
Dr. Justin M. Dick, DC, founder of Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center in Charlotte, NC, delivered a platform presentation at the 21st International Research and Philosophy Symposium (IRAPS) 2026, held May 1–2, 2026 on the Sherman College of Chiropractic campus in Spartanburg, SC. The symposium ran in conjunction with Sherman College's annual Lyceum, April 30–May 2, 2026.
The talk was selected through IRAPS's blinded peer-review process and was recognized with an Honorable Mention awarded across the 2026 IRAPS Research & Scholarship Awards (sponsored by ChiroFutures Malpractice Insurance Program).
The presentation drew from Dr. Dick's PubMed-indexed publication, "A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis of Abnormal Cervical Mechanics in Patients With Scoliosis," published in Cureus on August 27, 2025 (PMID: 41018459; DOI: 10.7759/cureus.91098).
About IRAPS
IRAPS is a peer-reviewed academic symposium hosted annually by Sherman College of Chiropractic, bringing together researchers, educators, and clinicians focused on vertebral subluxation research, structural spinal analysis, and chiropractic philosophy. The 2026 event marked the 21st year of the symposium. Selection requires blinded peer review of submitted abstracts, with notification to authors completed in late November 2025 ahead of the May 2026 program. The IRAPS Research & Scholarship Awards are evaluated on alignment with chiropractic principles, innovation, methodological rigor, philosophical depth, and presentation quality.
Why This Research Matters
Prevailing theories of adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) tend to localize the deformity to the affected thoracic or lumbar region. Dr. Dick's research challenges that assumption directly by examining whether cervical spine mechanics demonstrate measurable, consistent abnormalities in AIS patients — and whether those abnormalities may play a contributory rather than incidental role in the deformity.
Study Methodology
The retrospective cross-sectional analysis included 37 AIS patients and used:
- Cervical lateral radiographs in neutral, flexion, and extension positions
- AP scoliosis radiographs
- Computer-aided quantitative measurement of cervical lordosis, segmental instability, and Cobb angles
- Anterior head translation (AHT) measured from C2 to C7
- Global cervical shape compared against established cervical buckling patterns
Key Findings
The data demonstrated a consistent pattern of cervical compromise across the cohort:
- Loss of cervical lordosis was observed across all AIS participants in the study.
- 70.3% of participants showed abnormal segmental translation at the C3-C4 level (p = 0.0011).
- 21.6% met the threshold for abnormal segmental angulation (p = 0.9999).
- 89.2% (33 of 37) demonstrated Order 1 cervical buckling.
- 10.8% (4 of 37) demonstrated Order 2 cervical buckling.
Dr. Dick concluded that a measurable correlation exists between AIS, cervical instability, cervical hypolordosis, and cervical buckling — supporting whole-spine biomechanical assessment over region-isolated analysis.
Clinical Implications
For clinicians evaluating adolescent and adult scoliosis, the findings support several practical takeaways:
- Cervical lordosis and segmental stability warrant systematic radiographic evaluation in AIS patients, not solely the thoracolumbar curve.
- C3-C4 segmental translation appears to be a high-yield marker in this population and merits attention during structural workup.
- Cervical buckling — particularly Order 1 patterns — may represent an underrecognized component of the AIS biomechanical profile.
This work adds quantitative radiographic evidence to a growing body of literature supporting whole-spine evaluation in conservative scoliosis care, and forms part of an integrated research program at Clear Life Scoliosis examining spinal alignment and biomechanics in non-surgical settings. For additional peer-reviewed studies and case reports related to scoliosis structural analysis and reduction, see the Clear Life Scoliosis research library.
About Dr. Justin Dick, DC
Dr. Dick is a CLEAR Scoliosis Institute Fellow and Board of Directors member, ISICO World Masters Certified, and adjunct faculty at Sherman College of Chiropractic, Life University, and Palmer College of Chiropractic. His research is indexed in PubMed and Cureus (ORCID: 0009-0001-2794-2159).
Clear Life Scoliosis and Chiropractic Center is a cash-based practice located at 8814 Rachel Freeman Way, Suite 103, Charlotte, NC 28278, serving the greater Charlotte region including Steele Creek and Berewick. The practice specializes in non-surgical scoliosis reduction using the CLEAR protocol and personal injury / spinal rehabilitation focused on cervical trauma and ligamentous instability.
Schedule a Scoliosis Consultation
If you or your child has been diagnosed with adolescent idiopathic scoliosis, or if a previous evaluation has not addressed cervical mechanics as part of the workup, the team at Clear Life Scoliosis offers comprehensive radiographic assessment and CLEAR-protocol-based care.
8814 Rachel Freeman Way, Suite 103, Charlotte, NC 28278 980-368-0766 clearlifescoliosis.com
Reference
Dick JM. A Retrospective Cross-Sectional Analysis of Abnormal Cervical Mechanics in Patients With Scoliosis. Cureus. 2025;17(8):e91098. doi:10.7759/cureus.91098. PMID: 41018459. PMCID: PMC12466043. Available at: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/41018459/
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