There are those who are skeptical of chiropractic care and the actual benefits it can give a person. Likewise, there are those who think that a chiropractor can only help with back pain. Each of these persons may be surprised to find out how many benefits there are by receiving regular chiropractic care. Let’s take a look at 18 benefits of chiropractic care, which is just scratching the surface to all the wonderful benefits one can experience from visiting a chiropractor often. 

 

18 Benefits of Chiropractic Care

 

1. Relief from back and neck pain

Back pain is the leading cause of disability in the world, and 80% of people will experience it at some point in their lifetime. Neck pain is in the top 5 disorders in America, and also contributes to high medical costs and lost work each year. Chiropractors are trained to treat back and neck pain. Chiropractors use spinal manipulation, known as a chiropractic adjustment, to correct any subluxations, or misalignments, in the spine. These movements gently place the spine back to where it is meant to be. Routinely visiting a chiropractor can help alleviate pain and can help prevent further injury. 

2. Relaxes your body

Chiropractic care can help you relax your body. Adjustments can help reduce the amount of tension in your muscles. Keeping your back in alignment will allow your body to relax, and get the rest you need. 

3. Improves joint mobility

Joint pain is no joke and can prevent you from living your life to the fullest. Chiropractors can help recover lost mobility in your joints. They may gently manipulate the soft tissue surrounding the joint to relax the muscles and relieve tenderness. 

4. Strengthens your immune system

It may sound crazy, but chiropractic care can help keep you from getting sick, and help to boost your immune system. Getting regular chiropractic adjustments can boost your immunity by 200% according to a study done by Dr. Ronald Pero in 1975, who was the chief of cancer prevention in New York’s Preventative Medicine Insitute.  Maintaining your spine’s health is key to staying healthy. Any little misalignments of the spine can block and suppress nerve pathways. This blocks the brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of the body. 

5. Saves money

Chiropractic care is cheaper than conventional medicine. A visit to a chiropractor is much less expensive than a regular family doctor. They work with your body to heal it’s self naturally rather than relying upon expensive medications which can cause harmful side effects and become addictive. 

6. Reduces inflammation

A study performed in Canada found that after several spinal manipulation adjustments participants experienced a decrease in the production of Tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α).  This is one of the main components of chronic inflammation. Subsequently, this means that not only was the amount of inflammation in the affected area (the lower back) decreased, but also throughout the entire body. The study, however, did point out that more research was needed to prove this point completely, but it is a good sign. Check out our blog post about how chiropractic care can lower inflammation to learn more. 

7. Improves athletic ability

Keeping your spine in alignment is crucial for optimal performance in any sport. Many of the world’s best athletes rely upon chiropractic care to keep them in tip-top shape. When injuries occur, they work with chiropractors instead of relying upon conventional medicine and surgery in order to heal quicker and retain their strength and speed. Chiropractic adjustments also help to prevent future injuries. All of the NFL teams employ an on-staff chiropractic team, and so do the majority of the NBA, MLB and NHL teams. 

8. Chiropractic care is preventative care

Receiving regular chiropractic adjustments can prevent illness by boosting your immune system, prevent you from re-injuring an old injury, and even prevent new injuries. An adjustment can help you sleep better which can help you manage daily stresses better. It can also prevent headaches. 

9. It helps prevent and alleviate headaches

Everyone will experience a headache at some point in their lifetime. Headaches are a distraction and prevent you from doing the things you love and things that need to get done. Chiropractic adjustments can help prevent and alleviate headaches by fixing any misalignments in your back and neck.

10. Can help you sleep better

The cause of most peoples’ sleep troubles stems from having back pain. Therefore, back pain can keep you uncomfortable all night long. Receiving a chiropractic adjustment regularly will not only keep your spine and neck in balance, but it will also help you relax and reduce everyday stress. This allows you to fall into a deeper and more restful sleep. For more tips on how to fall asleep quicker, check out our blog post. 

11. No one is excluded

From 8 days old to 80 years old, everyone can experience the benefits of chiropractic care. No matter how young or old you are, chiropractic care is safe for you. Kids can benefit from the immune boost a balanced spine can give. Older adults can also benefit from the improvement of range of motion in their spine, neck, and extremities.  

12. Fixes the cause of pain, not the symptoms

Chiropractic care fixes the problem and allows your body to heal the way it was meant to. It doesn’t treat certain symptoms, but looks at your body as a whole, and seeks to make you as healthy and functional as possible.

13. Quicker recovery from whiplash

When you receive a chiropractic adjustment after suffering from whiplash, your chiropractor will work to align and organize the scar tissue by manipulating the spine. The pain and symptoms associated with whiplash will consequently diminish. Chiropractors will adjust the patient’s neck and help keep it moving. Movement and stretching are crucial to the healing process from whiplash. To learn more about how chiropractic care can help you recover from whiplash, check out our blog post. 

14. Can help pregnant women manage back pain

It’s no secret that pregnant women suffer from back pain. This is caused by the increased stress placed on the lumbar spine which is the part of the spine that is just above the pelvis. Changes to her center of gravity and also the changes in her gate, or the way she walks, will cause added stress to her spine. All this stress can cause not only her spine to pop out of alignment but also muscle spasms. Chiropractors are specifically trained to treat pregnant women and their spines. Getting a chiropractic adjustment often during pregnancy can help alleviate the pain caused by the changes in her body. To learn more about how chiropractic can help pregnant women, check out our blog post. 

15. Can help prevent c-sections

 As much as 4.6% of the babies born in the world are breech. Many of these births require a cesarean delivery or a c-section. The Webster Technique is a particular chiropractic adjustment that has been known to flip babies in the correct position 92% of the time. This technique brings balance to the mother’s pelvis and corresponding muscles and relieves tension in her uterus; thus giving her baby enough room in the womb to assume the correct position.

16. Babies can find relief from colic

The process of being born can be hard on little babies and can cause their little spines to become misaligned. This can be the cause of many sleepless nights for babies and their parents. Colic in little babies is also a cause of sleepless nights for new parents. Colic is when a healthy baby cries for more than 3 hours a day. A study done in Denmark proved that spinal manipulation performed by a chiropractor was more effective in relieving colic than conventional medicine. Chiropractic care can give relief to little babies and their families by gently guiding their spine back into alignment.

17. It helps regulate high blood pressure

A study showed that chiropractic care can help lower high blood pressure. Researchers found that by keeping the Atlas vertebrae in alignment, it can help lower high blood pressure significantly. The Atlas vertebrae holds your head up. When it is out of line, it can affect the blood flow at the base of the skull. This can lead the arteries to contract and lead to high blood pressure if left unchecked. Chiropractors are trained to keep your spine and thus vertebrae in alignment and in balance. 

18. Can help ear infections

Ear infections plague many of today’s youth. Generally speaking, antibiotics are prescribed to help get rid of ear infections. However, if used too often the antibiotics can lead to more ear infections and create a vicious cycle of ear infection after ear infection. Chiropractic care may be able to help children who suffer from this ailment. Chiropractors seek to allow your child to function at their highest capacity. Keeping their little spines free from subluxations to allow their nerves to flow freely in their body can help prevent ear infections. Check out these testimonials from parents of children who suffered from chronic ear infections. 

 

In short, these are just a few of the many benefits chiropractic care has to offer. If better health is what you are seeking, stop by Midvale Chiropractic for a visit. Contact our office to schedule your appointment today! 

 

References:

https://www.acatoday.org/Patients/Health-Wellness-Information/Back-Pain-Facts-and-statistics

http://www.chirojournal.com/newsletter.php?nl=149585&ar=3228

https://www.webmd.com/hypertension-high-blood-pressure/news/20070316/chiropractic-cuts-blood-pressure#1

https://www.arthritis.org/living-with-arthritis/treatments/natural/other-therapies/chiropractic-medicine.php

https://cdn.vortala.com/childsites/uploads/43/files/Immune_system.pdf

https://blogs.palmer.edu/askpalmer/2016/07/01/why-do-athletes-often-rely-on-chiropractic-care/

https://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/Chiropractic/chiropractic-and-ear-infections-what-we-offer-makes-a-difference.html

https://100percentchiropractic.com/chiropractic-for-the-elderly-a-guide/

https://www.jmptonline.org/article/S0161-4754(99)70003-5/abstract

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2647084/

https://pathwaystofamilywellness.org/Chiropractic/chiropractic-and-ear-infections-what-we-offer-makes-a-difference.html