Immediate effects of cervical spine and sacroiliac joint manipulations on the autonomic nervous system and pedobarographic analysis: Randomized controlled trial

Background: This study aimed to investigate the immediate effects of cervical and sacroiliac joint manipulations on autonomic nervous system activity and baropodometric parameters. Methods: Participants were randomly assigned to three groups with equal gender distribution. The cervical manipulation group received chiropractic manipulation at the C3–C5 level, while the sacroiliac group received manipulation at the sacroiliac joint. The control group received no intervention. Pre- and post-treatment evaluations were conducted after a 30-minute interval. Plantar pressure was measured via a pedobarographic device. Autonomic nervous system activity was assessed using the Polar H10. Blood pressure and heart rate were manually recorded using a sphygmomanometer and pulse oximeter. Statistical significance was set at p < 0.05. Results: No significant differences were found among groups in terms of age, gender, height, or BMI (Kruskal-Wallis, p > 0.05). The cervical manipulation group showed significant decreases in systolic and diastolic blood pressure and heart rate post-intervention (Wilcoxon, p < 0.05). The sacroiliac group showed a significant increase in heart rate only (Wilcoxon, p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in baropodometric parameters or autonomic activity within or between groups (Wilcoxon and Kruskal-Wallis, p > 0.05). However, post-intervention comparisons showed cervical manipulation led to a greater reduction in systolic blood pressure, while sacroiliac manipulation led to a greater increase in heart rate compared to controls (Mann-Whitney U with Bonferroni correction, p < 0.05). Conclusion: While no significant changes were observed in baropodometric or autonomic parameters, chiropractic manipulation demonstrated short-term effects on blood pressure and heart rate. The accuracy of heart rate variability assessments should be reviewed, and further studies are needed to evaluate long-term cardiovascular and autonomic outcomes.