Meet your Chiropractor
Dr David McNaughton PhD
Director and Principal Chiropractor
Senior Lecturer at Central Queensland University
Chiropractic Academy of Research Leadership Fellow
I’m a Chatswood-based Chiropractor, serving the Lower North Shore & Hills areas of Sydney since 2015.
I completed my undergraduate and clinical masters (dux) training at Macquarie University. In addition to my clinical studies, I hold a Masters of Research and PhD in Psychology from Macquarie University.
I My research investigates the link between the mind and body, with a specific interest in the role of thoughts and feelings in chronic pain. I continue to teach Chiropractic and Health Psychology at Macquarie University and Central Queensland University.
As a chiropractor, I have a special interest in chronic lower back, neck and shoulder complaints. Treatments are tailored to the individual. Whether that is through postural correction, strengthening muscles or improving co-ordination, these treatments restore confidence in your body and empower you towards a more active lifestyle.
I am a keen sports-person, especially golf and football, enjoy as much live music as I can get and love travelling the world.
My approach to wellness
Wellness is defined as a state good health, especially as an actively pursed goal. Pursuing wellness means having a good diet, exercising regularly, mediating and applying gratitude.
Many people report the addition of chiropractic care as a positive aspect in their pursuit of wellness. Chiropractic care reduces pain, relieves stress and tension and improves our bodies flexibility. This may lead to an improved physical and mental wellbeing.
For more information about how Chiropractic care may help achieve optimal wellness, get in touch with the clinic today.
What to Expect on Your First Visit
The purpose of the initial consultation is to determine whether you are in the right place. I will talk to you, examine you thoroughly, review any images or medical results, and give you an honest impression.
what will happen on your first visit?
To ensure the best possible care, I need to understand you medical and health history. The initial consultation usually takes between 45 to 75 minutes, depending on the complexity of your case.
This includes a thorough history, appropriate physical examination, review of imaging results and and explanation of our findings. Whilst a physical examination is very important, your modesty will be preserved at all times and gowns are provided.
do you need x-rays?
It is encouraged to bring all previous imaging results you have obtained over the course of your life. This can be valuable information. If appropriate, I can refer out for further imaging. I have trusted relationships with many radiology practices.
The cost of plain film X-rays are largely covered by Medicare, with only a small out-of-pocket expense. MRI scans are not claimable under Medicare, however, most private radiology practices have very competitive rates and can generally accommodate our patients on short notice.
do you need a referral?
While many patients present with a referral from their general practitioner, it is certainly not necessary. I have trusted relationships with many general practitioners and other allied health practitioners, and I believe collaboration (where appropriate) ensures to best possible care.
Ready to get help?
Select Publications
· Casper Nim, Michelle Frederiksen, Sasha Aspinall, Aron Downie, Martha Funabashi, Steen Harsted, Hazel Jenkins, David McNaughton , Luana Nyirö, Eric J. Roseen, James J. Young, Liz Dennett, Stephen M. Perle, Chad Cook, Carsten Juhl, Jan Hartvigsen, Latent classes of trial reporting and publication practices in spinal manipulation research: a meta-epidemiological study, Musculoskeletal Science and Practice. (2025). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.msksp.2025.103480.
· Ryan, Z., Downie, A., Fernandez, M., De Luca, K., McNaughton, D. Well-being in Australian Chiropractors and Chiropractic Students: Factors Influencing Burnout and Job Satisfaction . Journal of Canadian Chiropractic Association. 2025 (Accepted for publication)
· Lee, S., T. Muhammad, Roseen, E. J., McNaughton, D. T., Mu, C. X., Øverås, C. K., Jenkins, H., Nim, C., Young, J. J., Fink, H. A., Ensrud, K. E., Almeida, D. M., Small, B. J., Cawthon, P. M., & Stone, K. L. (2025). Back pain preceded sleep health problems in older men. Innovation in Aging. Accepted.
· Young, J., Chang, N., Nim, C., McNaughton, D et al. Digital pain diagrams to identify common lumbar spinal stenosis pain distribution patterns: a cross-sectional latent class analysis. Eur Spine J(2025). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00586-025-09218-9
· Nim, C. G., Aspinall, S. L., Cook, C. E., Corrêa, L. A., Donaldson, M., Downie, A. S., McNaughton, D . . . Juhl, C. B. (2025). The Effectiveness of Spinal Manipulative Therapy in Treating Spinal Pain Does Not Depend on the Application Procedures: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis. JOSPT. Doi: https://www.jospt.org/doi/10.2519/jospt.2025.12707
· McNaughton, D., Jones, M., & Mara, P. (2024). The impact of preparation time on accreditation performance within Australian general practices. Australian Journal of General Practice, 0. doi: 10.31128/AJGP-12-23-7058
· McNaughton, D. T., Hancock, M. J., Bisby, M. A., Scott, A. J., Jones, M. P., & Dear, B. F. (2024). The association between physical intervention use and treatment outcomes in patients participating in an online and psychologically informed pain management program. Pain Medicine, 25(10), 620-629. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnae044
· McNaughton, D. T., Roseen, E. J., Patel, S., Downie, A., Øverås, C. K., Nim, C., . . . Fink, H. A. (2024). Long-term Trajectories of Low Back Pain in Older Men: A Prospective Cohort Study With 10-Year Analysis of the Osteoporotic Fractures in Men Study. Journals of Gerontology – Series A Biological Sciences and Medical Sciences, 79(9). doi: 10.1093/gerona/glae175
· Roseen, E. J., McNaughton, D. T., Harrison, S., Downie, A. S., Øverås, C. K., Nim, C. G., . . . Fink, H. A. (2024). Association of back pain with all-cause and cause-specific mortality among older men: A cohort study. Pain Medicine, 25(8), 505-513. doi: 10.1093/pm/pnae040
· McNaughton, D., Mara, P., & Jones, M. (2024). Highlighting efficiency and redundancy in the Royal Australian College of General Practice standards for accreditation. Australian Health Review, 48(3), 228-234. doi: 10.1071/ah24043
· McNaughton, D., Mara, P., & Jones, M. P. (2024). The impact of self-assessment and surveyor assessment on site visit performance under the National General Practice Accreditation scheme. Australian Health Review, 48(3), 222-227. doi: 10.1071/ah23235
· McNaughton, D. T., Roseen, E. J., Downie, A., Jenkins, H., Øverås, C. K., Young, J. J., . . . Hartvigsen, J. (2024). Stressful life events and low back pain in older men: A cross-sectional and prospective analysis using data from the MrOS study. European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom), 28(2), 263-272. doi: 10.1002/ejp.2174
· Harsted, S., Chang, N. H. S., Nim, C., Young, J. J., McNaughton, D. T., & O’Neill, S. (2024). Exploring the association between patient-drawn pain diagrams and psychological and physical health variables: A large-scale study of patients with low back pain. European Journal of Pain (United Kingdom). doi: 10.1002/ejp.4711
· Jones, M., McNaughton, D., & Mara, P. (2023). General practice accreditation – does time spent on-site matter?. Australian Health Review, 47(6), 689-693. doi: 10.1071/AH23094
· Jenkins, H. J., Downie, A., Wong, J. J., Young, J. J., Roseen, E. J., Nim, C. G., . . . French, S. D. (2023). Patient and provider characteristics associated with therapeutic intervention selection in a chiropractic clinical encounter: A cross-sectional analysis of the COAST and O-COAST study data. Chiropractic and Manual Therapies, 31(1), 1-12. doi: 10.1186/s12998-023-00515-y
· McNaughton, D., Hope, R., Gray, E., Xavier, F., Beath, A., & Jones, M. (2023). Methodological considerations for the force-matching task. Behavior Research Methods, 55(6), 2979-2988. doi: 10.3758/s13428-022-01954-w
· Nim, C. G., Aspinall, S. L., Cook, C. E., Corrêa, L. A., Donaldson, M., Downie, A. S., . . . Juhl, C. B. (2023). The effectiveness of spinal manipulative therapy procedures for spine pain: Protocol for a systematic review and network meta-analysis. Chiropractic and Manual Therapies, 31(1), 1-9. doi: 10.1186/s12998-023-00487-z
· McNaughton, D., Beath, A., Hush, J., & Jones, M. (2022). Perceptual sensory attenuation in chronic pain subjects and healthy controls. Scientific Reports, 12(1), 1-9. doi: 10.1038/s41598-022-13175-4
· McNaughton, D. T., Andreasson, A., Ljótsson, B., Beath, A. P., Hush, J. M., Ljunggren, G., . . . Jones, M. P. (2022). Limited evidence of moderation of the association between gastrointestinal symptoms and prospective healthcare utilisation by quality of life. Alimentary Pharmacology and Therapeutics, 55(3), 311-317. doi: 10.1111/apt.16651
· McNaughton, D., Bacigalupo, C., Georghiades, A., Beath, A., Hush, J., & Jones, M. (2021). Design, development and functionality of a haptic force-matching device for measuring sensory attenuation. Behavior Research Methods, 53(6), 2689-2699. doi: 10.3758/s13428-021-01605-6
· Côté, P., Bussières, A., Cassidy, J. D., Hartvigsen, J., Kawchuk, G. N., Leboeuf-Yde, C., . . . Fernandez, M. (2020). A united statement of the global chiropractic research community against the pseudoscientific claim that chiropractic care boosts immunity. Chiropractic and Manual Therapies, 28, 1-5. doi: 10.1186/s12998-020-00312-x
· McNaughton, D. T., Andreasson, A., Ljótsson, B., Beath, A. P., Hush, J. M., Talley, N. J., . . . Jones, M. P. (2020). Effects of psychology and extragastrointestinal symptoms on health care use by subjects with and without irritable bowel syndrome. Clinical Gastroenterology and Hepatology, 18(4), 847-854. doi: 10.1016/j.cgh.2019.07.019
· Andreasson, A., McNaughton, D., Beath, A., Lodin, K., Wicksell, R. K., Lekander, M., & Jones, M. P. (2020). Properties of the sickness questionnaire in an Australian sample with chronic medically unexplained symptoms. Brain, Behavior, and Immunity – Health, 3, 1-5. doi: 10.1016/j.bbih.2020.100059
· McNaughton, D. T., Hush, J. M., Beath, A. P., Gandy, M., Dear, B. F., & Jones, M. P. (2019). Whether chronic pain is medically explained or not does not moderate the response to cognitive-behavioural therapy. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 121, 29-36. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2019.03.182
· McNaughton, D. T., Hush, J. M., Beath, A. P., Dear, B. F., & Jones, M. P. (2018). No moderating impact of a medically unexplained etiology on the relationship between psychological profile and chronic pain. Journal of Psychosomatic Research, 115, 87-93. doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychores.2018.10.017
· McNaughton, D., Jones, M. P., Beath, A., & Talley, N. J. (2016). Su1557 Somatization Is the Key Link in the Overlap Between Functional Gastrointestinal Disorders and Other Functional Somatic Syndromes. Gastroenterology, 150(4), S525. doi: 10.1016/s0016-5085(16)31810-8