Publications

Jani Mikkonen (D.C., B.Sc. (Hons), DACNB, PhD) is a Helsinki-based chiropractor and researcher specialising in the treatment of dizziness, chronic pain and balance disorders, and in neurological rehabilitation. His research focuses on chronic low back pain, central sensitization, postural control, sleep and the role of breathing in pain management. He graduated as a chiropractor from the University of South Wales in 2007, became a Diplomate of the American Chiropractic Neurology Board (DACNB) in 2018, and earned his PhD at the University of Eastern Finland in 2023 as the first chiropractor to complete a doctorate in Finland. He serves as an expert for the Finnish Dizziness and Menière's Association (Huimaus- ja Menière-liitto).

Research profiles: ORCID · PubMed · Google Scholar · Wikipedia (in Finnish)

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Doctoral dissertation

Peer-reviewed articles

  1. Neblett R, Navarrete J, Knezevic A, … Mikkonen J, … Luciano JV. Development of a Central Sensitization Inventory short form using data from twenty-three countries. J Pain 2026;43:106256. doi · PubMed
    An international short form of the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI), developed with data from 23 countries.
  2. Tuominen R, Saxen J, Jahkola T, Mikkonen J, Arokoski J, Luomajoki H, Vironen J. Rectus diastasis repair with and without mesh at 1 year: randomized clinical trial. Br J Surg 2025;112(11). doi · PubMed · full text (PMC)
    Randomized trial of rectus diastasis repair with and without mesh, with one-year follow-up.
  3. Mikkonen J, Reito A, Luomajoki H, Airaksinen O, Takatalo J, Pesonen J, Leinonen V. Ageing and higher BMI explain movement control impairment distinctly better than chronic pain and its contributing factors: A cross-sectional study of 161 subjects with chronic low back pain and 42 pain-free controls. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil 2025;38(3):605–615. doi · PubMed
    Age and BMI explained impaired movement control clearly better than chronic low back pain and its contributing factors.
  4. Mikkonen J, Martela F, Holopainen R, Ekström K, Goubert L, Leinonen V, Selander T, Airaksinen O, Neblett R. Well-being in pain questionnaire: A novel, reliable, and valid tool for assessment of the personal well-being in individuals with chronic low back pain. Scand J Pain 2025;25(1). doi · PubMed
    A new questionnaire for assessing personal well-being in people with chronic low back pain.
  5. Mikkonen J, Luomajoki H, Airaksinen O, Goubert L, Pratscher S, Leinonen V. Identical movement control exercises with and without synchronized breathing for chronic non-specific low back pain: A randomized pilot trial. J Back Musculoskelet Rehabil 2024;37(6):1561–1571. doi · PubMed · full text (PMC)
    Pilot trial comparing identical movement control exercises with and without synchronized breathing.
  6. Mikkonen J, Leinonen V, Lähdeoja T, Holopainen R, Ekström K, Koho P, Airaksinen O, Luciano JV, Navarrete J, Neblett R. Dimensionality, reliability, and validity of the Finnish version of the pain catastrophizing scale in chronic low back pain. Scand J Pain 2024;24(1). doi · PubMed
    Structure, reliability and validity of the Finnish Pain Catastrophizing Scale (PCS).
  7. Mikkonen J, Kupari S, Tarvainen M, Neblett R, Airaksinen O, Luomajoki H, Leinonen V. To what degree patient-reported symptoms of central sensitization, kinesiophobia, disability, sleep, and life quality associated with 24-h heart rate variability and actigraphy measurements? Pain Pract 2024;24(4):609–619. doi · PubMed
    How patient-reported symptoms relate to 24-hour heart rate variability and actigraphy.
  8. Mikkonen J, Luomajoki H, Airaksinen O, Goubert L, Leinonen V. Protocol of identical exercise programs with and without specific breathing techniques for the treatment of chronic non-specific low back pain: randomized feasibility trial with two-month follow-up. BMC Musculoskelet Disord 2023;24(1):354. doi · PubMed · full text (PMC)
    Study protocol on adding breathing techniques to exercise therapy for low back pain.
  9. Tuominen R, Jahkola T, Mikkonen J, Luomajoki HA, Arokoski JP, Vironen J. Low back pain and motor control dysfunction after pregnancy. Int J Abdom Wall Hernia Surg 2023. doi
    Low back pain and motor control dysfunction after pregnancy.
  10. Mikkonen J, Leinonen V, Kaski D, Hartvigsen J, Luomajoki H, Selander T, Airaksinen O. Postural sway does not differentiate individuals with chronic low back pain, single and multisite chronic musculoskeletal pain, or pain-free controls: a cross-sectional study of 229 subjects. Spine J 2022;22(9):1523–1534. doi · PubMed
    Standing postural sway did not distinguish people with chronic pain from pain-free controls.
  11. Mikkonen J, Leinonen V, Luomajoki H, Kaski D, Kupari S, Tarvainen M, Selander T, Airaksinen O. Cross-Cultural Adaptation, Reliability, and Psychophysical Validation of the Pain and Sleep Questionnaire Three-Item Index in Finnish. J Clin Med 2021;10(21):4887. doi · PubMed · full text (PMC)
    Finnish version of the Pain and Sleep Questionnaire Three-Item Index (PSQ-3).
  12. Mikkonen J, Luomajoki H, Airaksinen O, Neblett R, Selander T, Leinonen V. Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Finnish version of the central sensitization inventory and its relationship with dizziness and postural control. BMC Neurol 2021;21(1):141. doi · PubMed · full text (PMC)
    Finnish version of the Central Sensitization Inventory (CSI) and its relationship with dizziness and postural control.
  13. Mikkonen J, Pedersen P, McCarthy PW. A Survey of Musculoskeletal Injury among Ashtanga Vinyasa Yoga Practitioners. Int J Yoga Therap 2008;18. doi · pdf
    Survey of musculoskeletal injuries among Ashtanga yoga practitioners.

Book chapters

  • Mikkonen J. Die Bedeutung der manuellen Therapie. In: Schmerzbuch Physiotherapie. Elsevier 2023, pp. 237–240. ISBN 978-3-437-45252-9. doi
  • Mikkonen J. Yoga, Atmung und Entspannung. In: Schmerzbuch Physiotherapie. Elsevier 2023, pp. 241–248. ISBN 978-3-437-45252-9. doi
  • Mikkonen J. Hengityksen merkitys kivun hoidossa (chapter 3.12, in Finnish). In: Luomajoki H (ed.) Ammattilaisen kipukirja. VK-Kustannus 2020. ISBN 978-951-9147-81-9.
  • Mikkonen J. Manuaalinen terapia eli käsillä tehtävä hoito (chapter 3.11, in Finnish). In: Luomajoki H (ed.) Ammattilaisen kipukirja. VK-Kustannus 2020. ISBN 978-951-9147-81-9.

Finnish Back Association (Selkäliitto): Hyvä Selkä magazine, Selkäkanava and Vahva selkä podcast (in Finnish)

Finnish Dizziness and Menière's Association (Huimaus- ja Menière-liitto) (in Finnish)

Other professional and popular articles (in Finnish)

Media interviews (in Finnish)

Expert roles and memberships

  • Expert for the Finnish Dizziness and Menière's Association (Huimaus- ja Menière-liitto)
  • Invited member of the Bárány Society, the international society for neuro-otology (2024–)
  • Board member of the Finnish Musculoskeletal Association (Tule ry) 2016–2017 and representative in the Finnish National Musculoskeletal Programme 2020–2025
  • Former board member of the Finnish Chiropractic Union (Kiropraktikkoliitto ry)
  • Participant in the international chiropractic research community's statement against pseudoscientific claims that manual therapy boosts immunity: Côté P et al. Chiropr Man Therap 2020;28(1):48. doi
  • Member of the University of Maryland international Delphi expert panel that developed the CLARIFY reporting guidelines for yoga research: BMJ Open 2021 and BMJ Open 2022.
  • Memberships: Finnish Back Association (Selkäliitto), Finnish Society for Back Research (Selkätutkimusseura), Finnish Society of Telemedicine and eHealth, Finnish Association for the Study of Pain (Kivuntutkimusyhdistys) and the Functional Neurological Disorder Society
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