Anxiety Disorders & Chiropractic

People & Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety attacks can come from the smallest thing or without any trigger. Anxiety disorders are the most common mental issue facing Americans, affecting approximately 40 million adults, or 18 percent of the population.

Unfortunately, given the stigma associated with mental illness, odds are quite good that you most likely have a number of patients in your practice who suffer from some type of anxiety disorder, you may not even know it. The sad fact is that these patients are simply too afraid or ashamed to say anything to you about it.
The good news, however, is that there has been some intriguing research showing that chiropractic can actually help reduce symptoms of panic attacks.

Symptoms Of An Anxiety Attack

Anxiety attack symptoms can be heart palpitations, shortness of breath, sweating, dry mouth, uncontrollable shaking. In severe cases, patients may consider self-harm or suicide.
Treatment involves a mixture of behavioral modification (i.e. meditation or Psychotherapy) and medication. Usually benzodiazepines or selective serotonin   re-uptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Unfortunately, both medication classes can have unpleasant side effects.

Benzodiazepines can cause:

Drowsiness
Memory problems
Dizziness
Stomach upset
Slurred speech
Headache
Blurred vision2

SSRIs can cause:

Fatigue
Insomnia
Nausea
Sexual dysfunction
Agitation
Headaches
Weight gain
Dry mouth
Diarrhea
Increased sweating2

Chiropractic Can Help With Panic Attack Symptoms

It makes sense to search alternative treatment for anxiety disorders. One symptom of a panic disorder is high blood pressure. A case report published in the December 1993 issue of the ACA Journal of Chiropractic compared the blood pressure readings before and after chiropractic adjustments for a patient who suffered from panic disorder.3

One patient underwent both psychotherapy and trials of anti-anxiety medication, but with no change in symptoms. Their blood pressure before the chiropractic adjustment was elevated, at 182/102 mm Hg, with a pulse of 120 beats per minute. Following adjustments to the upper- and mid-cervical, upper- and mid-thoracic, and right sacroiliac fixations, her blood pressure dropped to 140/80 mm Hg, with a pulse of 76 beats per minute.
With continued chiropractic care, she was free of panic attacks for two months.

An article published in 2016, the Annals of Vertebral Sublaxation Research, presented a similar case of a patient who had been suffering from ongoing panic disorder for three years, with no relief under standard care.4 In particular, she suffered from chest pain for the past eight months. She also had a history of trauma.

The patient went through a combination of network spinal analysis/somato respiratory integration to correct the sublaxation and help calm their panic attacks. She started to see a significant reduction in symptoms starting at six weeks after beginning treatment, and resolution of her panic disorder after 14 weeks.

Anxiety disorders and treatment can be difficult for your patients. Medication may relieve the symptoms of anxiety, but the side effects can be just as bad, if not worse, than the actual anxiety symptoms themselves.

Chiropractic treatment can provide a way to help patients manage their anxiety disorder without the harmful side effects from medication.

By Dr. Alex Jimenez