Dr Heidi Haavik is a chiropractor who has also gained a PhD in human neurophysiology and is one of
the most popular chiropractic speakers in the world today. She is the mother of two, Steffen aged 21
and Sofie aged 19. She is the author of the bestselling book ‘The Reality Check: A quest to
Understand Chiropractic from the inside out’. This book describes in easy to understand language
what happens in the brain when a chiropractor adjusts dysfunctional segments in the spine. The
book is based on cutting edge neuroscience research performed over the past two decades (the
book is available @www.heidihaavik.com or on Amazon). Dr Haavik also runs a company that
enlightens the world about the science of chiropractic (@www.therealitycheck.com &
www.chirosacademy.com). Dr Haavik has used her neurophysiology expertise to study the
importance of a healthy spine on brain, health and function. She has explored the effects of
adjusting subluxations on the function of the central nervous system. Specifically, she has utilized
techniques such as somatosensory evoked electroencephalography, functional near-infrared
spectrometry and transcranial magnetic brain stimulation to investigate the effects of chiropractic
adjustments of vertebral subluxations on somatosensory processing, sensorimotor integration and
motor cortical output. Dr Haavik graduated from the New Zealand College of Chiropractic in 1999,
and has practiced chiropractic for over 20 years. She was awarded her PhD degree by the University
of Auckland in 2008. She is the Vice President Research and Dean of Research at the New Zealand
College of Chiropractic where she also established and runs the Centre for Chiropractic Research. Dr
Haavik is the Chair of the Research Workgroup for the Future of Chiropractic Strategic Plan in the US.
She was a member of the World Federation of Chiropractic’s Research Council for ten years. Dr
Haavik has received numerous research awards and has published a number of papers in
chiropractic and neurophysiology journals. She has presented her work to both chiropractic and
neuroscience communities around Australasia, Africa, North America and Europe. She is on the
Editorial Board of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, Journal of Chiropractic
Education, Chiropractic Journal of Australia and is a Review Editor in Movement Science and Sport
Psychology for Frontiers in Psychology and Sports Science. She was named Chiropractor of the year
in 2007 by both the New Zealand Chiropractic Association and the New Zealand College of
Chiropractic Alumni Association. Her online classes and resource platform are for those in the
profession who want to understand the science of chiropractic and want to be able to appropriately
and ethically communicate this science with the public, their patients and other health care
providers (@ www.therealitycheck.com & www.chirosacademy.com).