Holistic health care practices are growing in popularity through recent years, with more people choosing to see a Chiropractor to assist in maximising their health. This is due to a population shift in awareness of the interconnected nature between physical, chemical and emotional wellbeing. More people are becoming aware of how crucial it is to have a nervous system that functions well, as it is the nervous system that dictates how we respond to everything around us. Chiropractic Adjustments aim to assist the brain’s communication with the rest of the body, and act on this by removing interference placed on nerves through spinal misalignments. The Chiropractic Adjustment can be delivered in a variety of ways, with each Chiropractor completing training in varied modalities, but the intention always remains the same, which is to help the body function at its best.
So, what are the benefits of regular Chiropractic Adjustments?
Enhanced nervous system function
Enhanced nervous system functionThe key aim of chiropractic care is to improve the bodies communication with itself. The Central Nervous System (CNS) is made up of the brain and spinal cord and is the central control for the body, and the Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) is made up of a vast number of nerves that extend out of the CNS into the rest of the body and extremities. Nerves are the bodies way of communicating information back to the brain, and interference on these neves can mean our bodies missread signs and signals of dysfunction. Chiropractic adjustments help to remove this interference and make the body communicate to itself more effectively and help us create a better sense of calm.
Improved joint mobility and flexibility
Chiropractic care has been shown to increase the mobility and flexibility within the joints of the spine and extremities. A study in the Journal of Chiropractic & Manual Therapies showed that Chiropractic Adjustments increase their patient’s range of motion through thoroughly assessing the spine, and then applying a specific thrust to a vertebral segment that is out of alignment, which then allows the vertebral segment to glide better with its surrounding segments and surrounding musculature. Full and pain free cervical range of motion is important for tasks of daily living, such as headchecking when changing lanes when driving or looking up the top shelf in the pantry.Test your cervical range of motion by performing the following movements at home:
Extension: bring your head back to look at the ceiling (you should get 60-80 degrees of motion) Flexion: bring your chin to your chest (you should get 40-60 degrees of motion)
Rotation: turn your head to your shoulder, both left and right (you should get 70-90 degrees of motion)
Lateral flexion: bring your ear to your shoulder, both left and right (you should get 45 degrees of motion)
Effective pain management
Pain can be frustrating and can often impact our ability to work and complete tasks. Chiropractic care works to help our bodies adapt better to pain, by reducing severity and improving the function within the area. Chiropractic adjustments, in their many forms, do this through finding the root cause of the pain, and improving the alignment of the impacted area and reducing the muscle tonicity and spasming that can be occurring. Chiropractic care is a drug free alternative to pain management, and can help most people in reducing their pain symptoms and imporving thier function.
A recent case study showed that a chronic migraine sufferer was able to finally find long term relief from their symptoms following just 11 Chiropractic Adjustments over a period of 3 months. This person was able to dramatically decrease their pain symptoms, improve their range of motion, and lead a more positve life because of Chiropractic care.
Posture improvement
The way we sit, stand and move around all influence the stress that our body is under. Our spine and skull, which keeps our Central Nervous System safe, can often be put under undue stress when we stay in prolonged positions, like sitting at a desk all day. This stress can manifest in different ways such as headaches, shoulder tension, low back discomfort, or lower limb numbness. Chiropractic adjustments and postural advice can help reduce these symptoms and get you functioning at your best. We have three primary curves in our spine and we need to maintain these curves the best we can throughout our lives, to do this we can make sure we are sitting and standing in positions that work with and not against our bodies.
Something to think about when sitting in the car is making sure our hips sit above our knees, so that we are able to utilise our core strength and not slouch into the chair. Movement breaks, such as a 5 minute walk after a period of sitting can be really helpful for our spinal health.
Boosted overall wellbeing
Chiropractic care helps people feel their best, which can look different for everyone. This can be due to many differing factors, like reduction in pain, increased flexibility and mobility, improved sleep, improved stress responce, better mental clarity and more. The better we function, the better we feel, and therefore the better we can complete tasks of daily living and interact with others. We all lead busy lives and stress can add up on us, Chiropractic adjustments can help decrease the stress that the body is experiencing and boost our positive emotions leading to a happier mood.
Conclusion
Chiropractic care is a treatment modality that can rapidly impove our function and decrease our symptoms of pain and discomfort. Through targeted spinal adjustments, Chiropractors are able to help the body communicate better with itself and allow the body to heal effectively.
Chiropractors are trained professionals that can help people maximise their health.
Millan, M., Leboeuf-Yde, C., Budgell, B., Descarreaux, M., & Amorim, M. A. (2012). The effect of spinal manipulative therapy on spinal range of motion: a systematic literature review. Chiropractic & manual therapies, 20(1), 23. https://doi.org/10.1186/2045-709X-20-23
Paige, N. M., Miake-Lye, I. M., Booth, M. S., Beroes, J. M., Mardian, A. S., Dougherty, P., Branson, R., Tang, B., Morton, S. C., & Shekelle, P. G. (2017). Association of Spinal Manipulative Therapy With Clinical Benefit and Harm for Acute Low Back Pain: Systematic Review and Meta-analysis. JAMA, 317(14), 1451–1460. https://doi.org/10.1001/jama.2017.3086Mann, D. J., & Mattox, R. (2018). Chiropractic Management of a Patient With Chronic Pain in a Federally Qualified Health Center: A Case Report. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 17(2), 117–120. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2017.12.002Chaibi, A., & Tuchin, P. J. (2011). Chiropractic spinal manipulative treatment of migraine headache of 40-year duration using Gonstead method: a case study. Journal of chiropractic medicine, 10(3), 189–193. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jcm.2011.02.002