Could a chiropractor help you? Not sure if it’s right for you? Chiropractic adjustments can help with a wide range of health complaints, far more than treating low back pain, posture problems and providing injury treatment.
More and more studies are published every year testifying to the benefits of chiropractic care on the human body. You might be surprised at some of the benefits of chiropractic care:
- Reduce intensity and frequency of chronic headaches
Chiropractors can help with tension-based headaches that originate through the neck using spinal manipulation.
According to a 2015 survey, 87.2% of chiropractors report treating patients with headache disorders
2. Alleviate discomfort and misalignment caused by “text-neck”
Chiropractors are among the most qualified medical practitioners to correct text neck and associated discomfort. Text neck occurs when the vertebrae in the neck (cervical spine) become misaligned from chronically looking down at phones, tablets and other devices. A chiropractor is trained to safely correct the misalignment in your spine.
3. Decrease degeneration of connective tissues in joints, helping to slow the progression of arthritis
According to a 2013 study into osteoarthritis and cartilage – 12 chiropractic treatments – 2x per week for 6 weeks was found to be more effective for hip osteoarthritis than stretching and patient education alone.
According to assistant professor at New York Chiropractic College chiropractic William Lauretti, DC, patients with arthritis often improve without the need for pain medications.
There hasn’t been a lot of research on the benefits of chiropractic manipulation for osteoarthritis. However, a 2020 animal studyTrusted Source found some evidence that chiropractic manipulation may help slow down the progression of arthritis by improving the status of cartilage, bone, and the joint capsule.
4. Helps with posture related pain/discomfort
More and more of us are working sedentary jobs, like working at a computer all day – which can put a lot of strain on our bodies, especially if we hold a bad posture. Over time the wrong posture can cause a range of pains and discomfort. If misalignment become a problem and stretches and exercise alone does not alleviate the problem then a chiropractor can help.
5. Reduces reliance on opioid pain relievers
People who experience chronic pain may be prescribed painkillers such as opiods to help manage the symptoms. However, chiropractic treatment can provide an alternative pain relief in some instances. A large study in 2020 found that patients who visited a chiropractor were less likely to get an opiod prescription than those who only saw their doctor for their pain.
6. May help athletic performance
There is some belief that spinal adjustments could potentially improve athletic performance. This can be explained by increased joint mobility, reduce pain and less restriction of tissue. However there is limited and mixed evidence about this. A review of studies that was completed in 2019 found that performance didn’t improve in people without symptoms.
Spinal adjustments may potentially improve your athletic performance. This could be due to increased joint mobility, reduced pain, and less tissue restriction.
7. Improves pain from TMJ and helps jaw range of motion.
Approximately 25% of the American poulation have some form of TMJ at any one time and many of them don’t realize that a chiropractor can help with the associated pain.
A 2014 study concluded that: dentists and chiropractors have the potential to help patients improve symptoms through comanagement.
Chiropractic adjustments can help to correct temporomandibular joint misalignment. A chiropractor can help to relax the muscles faster than ice or diet adjustments. A chiropractor can also stimulate trigger points in the jaw and neck to relieve tension in surrounding muscles and joints.
8. Can help with prenatal pain
Pain in the lower back, pelvis, sacroiliac joint and/or hip can be improved during pregnancy with help from a chiropractor, according to a 2007 study. The same study also concluded that regular chiropractic care may improve the probability of a successful birth.
9. Can help with symptoms of stress and anxiety
So many of us experience symptoms of stress, anxiety and depression and especially after the Covid-19 pandemic.
Chiropractic care can help with the symptoms in a number of ways:
a. It can be relaxing
The atmosphere of a chiropractic session can make the patient feel less stressed and his/her muscles more relaxed. Studies that measure electrical activity in muscles found that after a chiropractic adjustment, muscle activity was reduced by 25%. This is great evidence of relaxation during a chiropractic session.
b. It can help reduce muscle tension
c. It can help to lower blood pressure
There is some evidence that chiropractic care can help to lower blood pressure, sometimes a symptom of stress.
Reducing Muscle Tension: Reducing any built-up tension in your muscles can help soothe a tired body and mind.
10. Can help with pain-related sleep problems
If you struggle to sleep because of long-term pain, it may be possible that a visit to a chiropractor can help. If the chiropractor is able to help reduce or remove your pain through various adjustments then you may find that it keeps you awake less.
11. Can help to reduce blood pressure – without medication
A 2007 study found that chiropractic adjustment can significantly reduce high blood pressure with the effect of two blood pressure medications in one as described by the study leader: George Bakris.
After 8 weeks of chiropractic treatment 25 patients with early stage high blood pressure reported significantly lower blood pressure than 25 who had been given a placebo treatment.
This isn’t to suggest that you should stop taking any medication to lower your blood pressure.
Do you think that you could benefit from seeing a chiropractor? Want to find out what else they can help with? Have any specific questions or simply want to schedule an appointment?
For chiropractic in Waterford, WI and surrounding areas contact qualified chiropractor Dr Allexi: (262) 323-2925
