Chiropractors for over a century have been adjusting subluxations to improve health and healing from the inside out, and from this they have witnessed improvements in many health issues. Similarly, if you improve your fitness level, or nutrition, anything that helps your body as a whole function better, the impact of that improvement can be very far reaching on your health. These lifestyle improvements can have specific effects on a condition like blood pressure, cortisol levels, blood sugar, etc. despite not being a treatment for those conditions.
Chiropractic care is similar. For some people, pain relief is all they know about chiropractic care, they may even be skeptical that helping your spine and nerve system can improve other parts of their body that don’t hurt. It is really important to know that discussing brain and full body changes from adjustments is based on physiology, over 130 years of clinical outcomes, and in the past few decades research is revealing more and more of the benefits of chiropractic care. Many of these studies show the atlas, the top bone in your neck, to be a major influence on full body changes with adjustments. This is why I always assess and correct your atlas as part of each visit.
An example of research showing changes in health from adjustments is a randomized placebo controlled double blind clinical trial titled “Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertension patients.” (Bakris et al. Journal Human Hypertension. 2007) It helps solidify that our heart and cardiovascular system are remarkably influenced by a chiropractic adjustment. This study showed the direct link between upper cervical adjustments and their effects on blood pressure.
- This research was done at the reputable Rush Hypertension Center in Chicago.
- Researchers split subjects into two groups: One group was given a real chiropractic adjustment and the other group received a placebo adjustment.
- Upper cervical analysis was used to assess and adjust the subluxation.
- The group who received the real adjustment averaged a decrease in systolic blood pressure of 17 mmHg and 10 mmHg diastolic.
- The authors noted that it would take two medications given in combination to achieve these same results with standard drug therapy but this comes with side effects and long term known and unknown health implications
- One of the most important parts of this research was the stipulations required to be eligible for the study. Any subject who had current or previous back or neck pain was removed during the screening process. They did not want pain to be a factor in creating the stress hormones and increased blood pressure. They wanted to measure the effect the adjustment was having on the heart only, not on pain!
- The blood pressure-based results originated from subjects who have never had back or neck pain, proving again that the benefits of Chiropractic care go much beyond pain relief.
- The use of x-rays to determine significant bio-mechanical findings, regardless of symptoms, proved to be helpful and effective in achieving desired outcomes.
This study showed that regular adjustments did not result in any adverse effects, whereas regular use of pharmaceutical drugs comes with a lengthy list of side effects. Millions of people suffer from high blood pressure and unwanted symptoms that accompany the condition and the medical treatment for the condition. Studies and research continue to prove that back and neck problems are only a few of the endless benefits available through regular adjustments at the hands of a nerve system focused chiropractor.
Obviously your spine is not the only thing that affects your blood pressure but research shows that the spine does influence the heart and vessels often, just like other systems of our body. Who do you know who needs to improve their spine and nerve system to improve their health? Check out our online new patient special.
An example from one of our patients: “I initially started coming to you concerning my back pain. I was not aware of what an impact the adjustments made to the whole body. My blood pressure was 182/90 and now my pressure taken at C.O.A.C.H. this morning was 152/82…not perfect yet… My medication has been changed from 14mg to 4 mg. I feel with my adjustments I will be in the normal range soon.”