5 Proven Benefits of Chiropractic Care

In 1895 a natural healing philosopher named  D. D. Palmer noted a spinal bone out of alignment on a partially deaf man named Harvey Lillard. He delivered an adjustment to the affected vertebra to restore the motion and alignment of the spinal bone. The next day Mr. Lillard reported back stating his hearing was restored.

Since that fateful birth-day in chiropractic history, it has slowly emerged as an integral part of the healthcare community with new benefits of regular chiropractic care being discovered with every study conducted.

Below are 5 benefits of utilizing chiropractic care.

1. Reduction in Acute Lower Back Pain

In February 2017 the American College of Physicians (ACP) altered recommendations for care of acute and subacute lower back pain with a heavy emphasis on non-drug therapy such as spinal manipulation – a service that chiropractors and osteopathic doctors are trained to provide.  

Long before this overdue recommendation was emphasized in the medical community, numerous studies within chiropractic have shown that chiropractic care can effectively reduce lower back and neck pain.

2. Increased Spinal Joint Motion

"After spinal joints become immobilized (stuck) for 4 weeks they undergo medium adhesion development..." 

Loss of proper joint motion where spinal bones connect to one another (called a subluxation) can be due to a past or recent injury, or years of repetitive micro-traumas to the spine. The result of this joint motion deficit can lead to inflammation that affects the surrounding joints, discs, and nerves that are all closely housed to one another.

The goal of a chiropractor is to determine the underlying cause of the problem and correct it by restoring the proper motion in the affected joints and making appropriate lifestyle recommendations to prevent it from reoccurring in the future.

3. Improve Aging

A 1996 Rand study found that senior citizens who receive chiropractic care report better overall health, fewer symptomatic chronic conditions, fewer days in the hospital and less arthritis in addition to other benefits.

Other since studies have mirrored these findings indicating that people receiving chiropractic care seem to ‘age’ better when compared to with other US citizens of the same or similar age.

4. Better Sleep

As a practicing chiropractor, I am continuously asking patients about changes they have noticed beyond the relief of their back and neck pain. A very common response to this question is “improved sleep.”

It seems research supports the feedback I receive in the clinical setting. For example, a study conducted by the American Sleep Research Institute found that the test subjects receiving chiropractic care experienced improved subjective sleep quality as measured on the Epworth Sleepiness Scale.

5. Improvement in Wellbeing

When you are in pain or your body is not functioning at its best you suffer.  This may cause you not to be able to function optimally at work, to exercise like you want, perform your activities of daily living as well as you need or hundreds of other deficits.

It may affect your posture or ability to sleep which can leave you with decreased energy or mental fatigue which over time can impact your state of wellbeing. 

The good news is that studies show chiropractic care delivers profound and consistent improvements in energy, spinal flexibility, mental and work-related focus, self-esteem and depression.

The ultimate goal of a chiropractor is to detect and correct spinal bones that have become dysfunctional over time, not just put a band-aid the pain or chase symptoms with medications. Check with your local chiropractor to see if his or her services may be of benefit to your spine. 

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1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_chiropractic

2. https://www.acponline.org/acp-newsroom/american-college-of-physicians-is...

3. Cramer GD, Henderson CNR. Little JW, et al; Zygapophyseal Joint Adhesions after Induced Hypomobility.  JMPT 2010;33(7); 508

4. Chiropractic Patients in a Comprehensive Home-Based Geriatric Assessment, Follow-up, and Health Promotion Program. Topics In Clinical Chiropractic 1996 (Jun):   3 (2):   46–55

5. Sleep Quality improvement in chiropractic patients: A Pilot Study. American Sleep Research Institute Lincoln, Nebraska March 2010

6. Blanks RH, Boone WR, Schmidt S, Dobson M, Network Care: A retrospective outcomes assessment, 1996