Each year, millions of people visit a chiropractor to heal back pain. While this may be a chiropractor’s specialty, a chiropractor can also help a patient with a variety of ills. They can also help treat headaches, shoulder, and neck pain as well as numbness and tingling. In fact, in a Gallup Poll survey done in 2016 discovered that 35 million adults admitted to having seen a chiropractor in the previous year.
If you’ve ever thought about seeing a chiropractor, perhaps you should. According to Palmer College of Chiropractic in Davenport, Iowa found that 77% of people who visited a chiropractor found the care to have been “very effective.”
Dr. Dominquez, a practicing chiropractor, says, “If you haven’t ever seen a chiropractor there are numerous reasons why you should see one this year.”
Relieve Sciatica Pain
A study published in the European Spine Journal revealed that chiropractic adjustments resulted in a 72% success rate in treating the symptoms relating to sciatica. Compare this with a 20% success rate for physical therapy and a 50% success rate with corticosteroid injections. On top of this, patients reported no adverse side effects.
Relieve Migraines and Headaches
For migraines and headaches stemming from a neck injury, poor sleep, or stress, and even those related to whiplash injuries, a visit to the chiropractor can help. Chiropractors treat recurring headaches by utilizing spinal manipulation and massage. They can also use low-load craniocervical mobilization for chronic tension headaches. Joint mobilization and deep neck flexor exercises can help all types of headaches.
Improve Sleep
According to the National Sleep Foundation, 60% of American adults experience sleep problems. Another study found that 37% said that lower back pain interferes with sleep. Chiropractic adjustments help with blood flow, which is essential for good sleep. A chiropractic adjustment can correct misalignments in the spine, which can increase stress response, which can interfere with good sleep.
Lower Blood Pressure
George Bakris is the world’s leading expert on blood pressure. He published a study in the Human Journal of Hypertension, proving that just one cervical chiropractic adjustment had the same effect as two blood pressure-lowering drugs. Even better, the effects of the adjustment lasted six months.
Boost The Immune System
Because the nervous system and the immune system are intertwined, it is believed that when you tweak one, you tweak the other at the same time. Using chiropractic adjustments is not a new idea, either. The treatment was used in the 1912 Spanish Influenza epidemic. Another study published by the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics showed that several kinds of immune cells showed activity after an adjustment.
These are just five good reasons to see a chiropractor. Other upsides are increased sports performance, fewer doctor’s visits, and reduced joint pain. Some patients also report that a chiropractic visit during pregnancy also helped with the lower back pain and hip pain. Additionally, chiropractic care aims to treat the source of the problem rather than the symptoms.