A Healthier Life Through Chiropractic Care

Is getting healthy at the top of your to-do list? If you’re looking to improve your overall wellness but you’re not sure where to start, a good first step is to see a chiropractor.

Chiropractors are licensed medical professionals who use comprehensive care techniques and the therapeutic touch to resolve patient needs. Generally speaking, chiropractic care involves applying gentle force to certain areas of the body to restore position and mobility, as well as reduce pain. However, chiropractors do much more than that. They utilize all keys area of health to help their patients. For example, chiropractors often create care plans that detail chiropractic adjustments, exercise, diet, vaccinations, supplements and massage therapy. They’ve got the big-picture approach to keep you healthy at any age of life.

In addition, chiropractic treatments are all-natural, which can potentially cut out unnecessary painkillers and antibiotics from your life. It’s also less invasive than some traditional medical therapies and it’s considered more cost-effective in the long run. Today, we’ve put together seven reasons why chiropractic care can make you healthier, based on recent research studies.

Get pain relief

Chiropractic care is known to be effective in relieving pain, especially for common complaints like back pain. In fact, studies show that 3-4 chiropractic sessions a week had a significant impact on relieving pain in patients with lower back pain. This is also well-documented with pregnant women and elderly patients with chronic pain. Overall, chiropractic adjustments can play a key role in reducing pain.

Reduce stress and anxiety

Another key benefit of chiropractic care is the way it reduces stress and anxiety. This effect is best studied by looking at blood pressure, as high blood pressure is a common symptom of stress and/or anxiety. Researchers found that blood pressure was reduced after both chiropractic sessions and massage therapy. One study even saw results after only 15 minutes of workplace massage therapy. This shows that chiropractic care can reduce anxiety and stress symptoms.

This effect can also be seen in the way that patients relax during chiropractic sessions. By measuring the electrical activity in muscles during treatment, researchers found that muscle activity was reduced by 25% after chiropractic sessions. This is great evidence that chiropractic care can promote relaxation in patients.

Resolve migraines

Since chiropractic care is involved with reducing muscle tension, it can also help resolve headaches, especially migraines and cervicogenic headaches. Preliminary studies suggest that chiropractic care has shown results in reducing migraines, though more evidence is needed in exactly what situations this is effective.

Sleep better

Studies also suggest that chiropractic care can help you get to sleep. For example, in this study, chiropractic manipulation was shown to improve patient sleep patterns. Massage therapy, which is routinely incorporated in chiropractic care, also has seen good results. Even patients with underlying conditions saw insomnia relief with massage therapy, such as in this study with breast cancer patients. Chiropractic care may make it a little easier for you to get to some z’s.

Improve flexibility and range of motion

Chiropractors are masters of the musculoskeletal system and often use manual adjustments and massage therapy to improve flexibility and range of motion. This was best seen in a study on office massage sessions that showed effective interventions in reducing pain and increasing range of motion with twice a week sessions. In addition to range of motion, chiropractic care is known to improve muscle function.

Aid in certain conditions

New evidence suggests that chiropractic care can help with certain conditions as well. For example, there are studies showing that chiropractic care can be a tool in managing ADHD, caring for pregnant women and preventing falls in elderly people. This is great news for those seeking chiropractic care for specific conditions like these.

Get preventative care

Nowadays, U.S. patients visit more complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) providers than primary care physicians. This trend shows how chiropractic care is taking a leading role in care. Generally speaking, families see chiropractic care as a way to treat common illnesses and prevent health problems before they even start. There’s very little research done on the preventative role of chiropractic care, but anecdotal evidence suggests that it’s becoming a more popular option for this reason.

If you’re interested in chiropractic care, it’s also important to note that recent studies on patient satisfaction in California showed that they were reliability satisfied with their chiropractic care. These kinds of studies are also coupled with evidence that chiropractic visits are on the rise nationwide and show positive increases in quality of life. Worldwide, more and more families are looking to chiropractic care to boost their wellness and cultivate self-care in their lives. Will you be one of them?

Dr. Brent Wells, D.C. is the founder of Better Health Chiropractic & Physical Rehab and has been a chiropractor for over 20 years. His practice includes professional chiropractors, massage therapists, and physical rehab therapists in Anchorage, Juneau, and Wasilla; and has treated thousands of patients from different health problems using various services designed to help give you long-lasting relief.

Dr. Wells is also the author of over 700 online health articles that have been featured on sites such as Dr. Axe and Lifehack. Currently, he works at Studyclerk as a writer and editor.

Photo Sources