Chiropractic: More Than Just A Spinal Adjustment!

7 Reasons Chiropractic is More Than About Back Pain

As Chiropractors we know the benefits of being under chiropractic care extends well beyond just back pain relief. In an article published by ChiroHosting they give 7 reasons why chiropractic is about your overall wellness.

The core concept of chiropractic is to restore the function of your nervous system so that it can do what’s it’s designed to do: keeping your body healthy and active. Chiropractic is truly about prevention. If you keep your nervous system working smoothly and without interference, many health issues become non-issues!

Don’t take our word for it, though. Over the last few years, there’s been a lot of scientific research that shows that chiropractic is good for much more than just aches and pains. Here’s a review of some of this literature.

1 – Chiropractic Boosts Immune Function

A 2010 study found that chiropractic adjustments actually boosted blood serum levels of some important natural antibodies in patients. The authors suggested that chiropractic adjustments might “prime” the immune system, making it easier to ward off infection and illness.

2 – Chiropractic Reduces Inflammation

Researchers in a 2011 study compared back pain patients to people with no pain and gave both groups chiropractic adjustments. The authors found that the back pain patients who received chiropractic care had dramatically lower levels of a key inflammatory cytokine, known as TNF-?. High levels of TNF-? have been linked to inflammatory diseases like rheumatoid arthritis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis.

3 – Chiropractic Reduces Blood Pressure

Hypertension is a huge public health issue in the US; it’s estimated that about 30% of adults suffer from this serious condition. A 2007 study in the Journal of Human Hypertension looked at a group of patients with high blood pressure. Half received received an adjustment of their atlas, and the other half received a sham adjustment.

The decrease in blood pressure was so dramatic in the patients who received real adjustments that the researchers wrote that it “is similar to that seen by giving two different anti-hypertensive agents simultaneously.” In fact, 85% of the study patients had improvement after just one adjustment!

4 – Chiropractic Reduces Stress

An interesting study by a team of Japanese researchers in 2011 gave chiropractic adjustments to 12 men and examined PET scan images and blood chemistry to examine the effect that chiropractic has on the autonomic nervous system.

After receiving a chiropractic neck adjustment, patients had altered brain activity in the parts of the brain responsible for pain processing and stress reactions. They also had significantly reduced cortisol levels, indicating decreased stress. Participants also reported lower pain scores and a better quality of life after treatment.

5 – Chiropractic Improves Balance

As we age, sometimes we start to lose some of our balance, strength, and flexibility that we had in our youth. Because of this, older folks are vulnerable to serious injuries from trips and falls. Chiropractic helps keep your body active by restoring the normal, healthy functioning of your spine. One of the important roles of your spine is balance, aided by nerves calledproprioceptors. These propriocepters relay information to your brain on the position of your body.

A small study from 2009 found that people who received chiropractic adjustments had reduced dizziness and improved balance. A 2015 review of the literature suggests that chiropractic care might be an effective, natural way to help prevent falls in elderly patients.

6 – Chiropractic Relieves Colic in Babies

In 2012, researchers studied 104 infants who were suffering from colic. One-third of the infants were treated with chiropractic adjustments and the parents were aware of the treatment; one-third were treated and the parents were unaware of the treatment; and one-third were untreated but the parents were unaware.

The authors found that the parents reported a significant decrease in infant crying in the treated babies, compared to the infants who didn’t receive treatment. The knowledge of the parent had no effect on the improvement.

7 – Chiropractic Relieves Asthma Symptoms

A 2013 study reported that chiropractic adjustments were effective at increasing lung functioning, and some recent research9shows that chiropractic care can help reduce the symptoms of asthma in some children.

The Beginner’s Guide to Chiropractic

Narration:
If you’re watching this video, you’re probably curious about chiropractic care and how it can help you and your family, so let’s explore what chiropractic is all about and how it works:

A Chiropractor is a health care professional who specializes in the health and function of the spine and nervous system, Because of this focus on the spine many people think that chiropractors can only help with problems such as back pain, neck pain and headaches and while it is true chiropractors can often help people with pain, there is so much more to chiropractic than just pain.

Chiropractic care is really about total health and well-being, it is about helping people to feel great and get the most out of life by functioning at their optimal potential.

To understand how this works it is important to consider the spines’ role in the body. The spine is there to protect the spinal cord, which is part of the central nervous system, the spine is like a set or armour made up of segments so it can bend and move naturally with the body.

A spinal segment consists of two vertebrae and the joints that connect them; there is a disc in between each vertebra that acts as a cushion.

Underneath that armour a whole lot is happening, messages travel from around the body, up the spinal cord and into the brain, the brain processes those messages and sends replies back down the spinal cord to tell the body how to respond.

The central nervous system is one big information highway and it carries vital messages to every part of your body. Sometimes the wear and tear of everyday life can impact the spine and cause spinal segments to move in a way that is different to normal, in a dysfunctional way. That wear and tear can happen gradually, such as from bad posture or it can happen suddenly, which is common with sports injuries, and because of the close relationship between the spine and the nervous system, everyday strains can actually impact the flow of communication and information, between the brain and the body, messages may not be delivered to the brain, or they may be inaccurate.

When that miscommunication occurs due to abnormal movement in the spine, chiropractors call this a vertebral subluxation, you might hear that term again from your chiropractor, so now you’ll know what it means. By making fast and gentle adjustments to the spine chiropractors restore its’ natural movement. If the central nervous system is like the engine of your body, a chiropractor acts like a mechanic, tuning the spine and central nervous system, so that your body can run like a race car.

Just keep in mind that as you’re adjusted, you may hear a popping sound that can seem a bit strange. In fact it is completely harmless; it’s just the release of gas from in between spinal segments and is no more significant, than any other release of gas from your body.

Are you ready to supercharge your engine?

Chiropractic Treatment Plan

First Chiropractic Exam Video

Most chiropractors begin treatment during the patient’s first visit, although some may wait until the next appointment at the chiropractic clinic.

Chiropractic treatment goals and recommendations may include some or all of the following:

• Adjustments to key joint dysfunctions
• Modalities to improve soft tissue healing and pain control, such as ultrasound, electrical stimulation, and traction
• Strengthening and/or stretching exercises to improve muscle balance, strength, and coordination
• Patient education to improve posture and motor control, as well as possibly reduce anxiety
• Other treatments such as massage, heat/cold application, and education on ergonomics and nutrition.

Goals of Chiropractic Care

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Videos

The chiropractor will establish specific goals for a patient’s individual plan for treatment:

• Short-term goals typically include reducing pain and restoring normal joint function and muscle balance
• Long-term goals include restoring functional independence and tolerance to normal activities of daily living.

To reach these goals, a specific number of chiropractic visits will be recommended.

See How To Select The Best Chiropractor

For most types of lower back pain, a treatment recommendation of 1 to 3 chiropractic visits per week for 2 to 4 weeks will be prescribed, followed by a re-examination by the chiropractor.

What to Expect at the First Chiropractic Consultation

Your First Chiropractic Adjustment: What To Expect Video

Chiropractic Evaluation of the Treatment

At the re-evaluation, the chiropractic doctor will measure the response to treatment and determine whether to:

• Continue chiropractic treatment, if appropriate
• Release the patient from chiropractic care, if treatment goals have been met
• Refer the patient to another health care specialist if treatment goals have not been fulfilled.

Chiropractic adjustment (also referred to as spinal manipulation) is a recognized and popular pain relief treatment for many types of lower back pain, sciatica, and neck pain. Knowing what to expect from the first chiropractic visit can help an individual receive the maximal benefit from chiropractic treatment.

See Understanding Spinal Manipulation

Because this profession has an unusually large variety of practice philosophies and chiropractic techniques, individuals should feel comfortable asking all the questions necessary to understand the chiropractic examination, diagnosis, and treatment program.

Research and locate chiropractors in your area that can help alleviate your back and neck pain.