In sport, business, and everyday life, milliseconds matter.
The difference between catching the ball or missing it. Hitting the brakes in time. Responding clearly in a high-pressure meeting. Most people focus on strength, speed, and endurance—but there’s another performance factor that often flies under the radar:
Reaction time.
And here’s the real question: what controls reaction time? It’s not just your muscles. It’s your nervous system.
Reaction Time Starts in the Brain
Every movement begins with a signal.
Your eyes detect information.
Your brain processes it.
Your nervous system sends instructions.
Your muscles respond.
The faster and cleaner that communication pathway, the quicker your response.
If that pathway is slowed by stress, tension, or mechanical interference, your reactions can lag—even if you’re physically strong and well-trained.
What the Research Says
A randomized controlled trial involving U.S. Special Operations Forces personnel examined whether chiropractic manipulative therapy (CMT) could influence reaction and response times—even in individuals reporting little or no pain.
The study found that while most reaction time measures did not show statistically significant differences between groups, there were immediate pre- and post-treatment improvements in whole-body response time in the chiropractic group (DeVocht et al., 2019).*
That’s significant. These were already high-performing, combat-ready individuals. Yet measurable changes were still observed in how quickly their bodies responded.
Why This Matters for Everyday Performance
You don’t have to be military or elite athletic to benefit from improved neural processing.
Faster whole-body response time may translate into:
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Better coordination during sport
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Improved balance and stability
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Quicker reflexes when driving
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Sharper responsiveness in fast-paced work environments
When your spine moves well, the communication between your brain and body can operate more efficiently. That doesn’t just impact pain—it impacts performance.
If your nervous system is the control centre for movement, balance, coordination, and reflexes, then supporting spinal function could be one of the most overlooked performance strategies available.
You train your muscles.
You train your endurance.
You train your skills.
But are you training the system that controls them all?
Could This Be Your Edge?
You may already be doing everything right—training hard, eating well, sleeping enough. But if you’re looking for that extra 1% improvement, reaction speed and neural efficiency might be the missing link.
At Norwest Chiropractic, we don’t just look at pain—we look at performance and function. If you’re curious whether your spinal health could be influencing your reaction time and overall output, let’s assess it properly.
Book a consultation today and discover whether improved neural function could be your competitive advantage.
Sources: [1] DeVocht, J.W., Vining, R., Smith, D.L., Long, C., Jones, T., & Goertz, C. (2019). Effect of chiropractic manipulative therapy on reaction time in special operations forces military personnel: a randomized controlled trial. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6318970/