Chiropractic is an incredible, drug-free alternative to traditional health care. Millions of people around the world have experienced the amazing benefits of chiropractic and have reported incredible benefits. Most of the benefits of seeing a doctor of chiropractic come from chiropractic adjustments.
A chiropractic adjustment aims to remove a vertebral subluxation from the spine. Vertebral subluxations can be caused by:
- Misalignments in the vertebra due to a slip or fall
- An inflammatory response caused by poor diet, stress, or dehydration
- Poor posture
- Joint swelling
- Trigger points or tight muscles pulling the vertebrae out of place
Chiropractic is about far more than treating back pain — a great chiropractor treats the whole patient. Here are some of the amazing results from years of medical research, and the studies that show the proven benefits of chiropractic:
1. Sciatica
The European Spine Journal published findings from a clinical trial last year that stated that chiropractic adjustments resulted in a 72 percent success rate in treating sciatica and other related symptoms, compared to the 20 percent success rate from physical therapy, and 50 percent success rate from corticosteroid injections.
Chiropractic care offers a natural, safe, and effective way to treat sciatica pain!
2. Low Back Pain and Neck Pain
The British Medical Journal released a study in 2003 that focused on 183 patients with neck pain. These patients were randomly assigned to manual therapy (spinal mobilization), physiotherapy (primarily exercise), or general practitioner care (counseling, education, and drugs) in a year long study.
The clinical results showed that chiropractic adjustments resulted in faster recovery than both physiotherapy and general practitioner care. Also, the total costs of the patients treated with chiropractic was 1/3 the costs of physiotherapy or general practitioner care!
In a study funded by NIH’s National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine to test the effectiveness of different approaches for treating neck pain, 272 study participants were split into three groups. One group received spinal manipulative therapy from a doctor of chiropractic, one group received pain medication (over-the-counter, narcotics, and muscle relaxants), and one group was given exercise recommendations.
After 12 weeks, nearly 57 percent of study participants who met with chiropractors, and 48 percent who exercised, reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain. Only 33 percent of people in the medication group reported at least a 75 percent reduction in pain.
After one year, nearly 53 percent of participants in the drug-free groups still reported at least a 75 percent pain reduction, while only 38 percent of those who took medication reported the same.
3. Athletic Performance
Did you know that every single NFL team has a chiropractor on staff? And that incredible athletes such as Michael Phelps and Jordan Spieth are under regular chiropractic care?
Chiropractic is incredibly effective at pain-based and pathological conditions. Studies have proven that regular chiropractic care can:
- Reduce inflammation
- Boost the immune system
- Enhance pulmonary function
- Decrease mental and oxidative stress
- Relieve muscle tension
- Increase energy levels
Wouldn’t your athletic performance improve with those results?
4. Scoliosis
Chiropractic adjustments, coupled with muscular rehabilitation, may help prevent the progression of scoliosis. Chiropractic adjustments and therapies help to improve form and function, and induce mobility to the joints. These improvements can decrease pain, increase comfort and improve posture.
An expert in the musculoskeletal system, your Dr. Hohn offers invaluable insight and treatment options for his patients. Chiropractic care can help stop or diminish further degeneration of the spine, while helping improve overall function of the body.
5. Headaches
Headaches are the second most common condition chiropractors regularly manage (back pain is the first). There are over 230 peer-reviewed research articles out there that reference chiropractic’s ability to help cure, prevent, and ease headaches and migraines!
One trial found that 22 percent of patients who received chiropractic treatment saw the number of headaches drop by 90 percent. NINETY PERCENT! In that same study, 49 percent of patients said they had an incredible reduction in headache pain intensity.
6. Colic and Ear Infections
The Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapeutics found that chiropractic adjustments greatly reduced colic symptoms. It’s truly incredible how the nervous system controls every single cell in the body, and if a child’s spine is out of alignment, their body cannot function the way it was intended!
Also, scores of case studies have been conducted that describe how children suffering from ear infections, acid reflux, and colic experience incredible relief from chiropractic adjustments. With ear infections being the number one reason children visit the pediatrician, it’s time to give chiropractic the chance to heal the body naturally, and without the side effects of antibiotics.
7. Frozen Shoulder
Frozen shoulder is stiffness, pain, and limited range of movement in the shoulder. It can happen as the result of an injury, from overuse, from a stroke, or even from diabetes. The tissues around the shoulder joint stiffen, scar tissue forms, and shoulder movement becomes incredibly difficult and painful.
A clinical trial was published last year that showed how patients suffering from frozen shoulder responded to chiropractic care. 50 patients were studied. 16 patients saw their frozen shoulder completely resolved. 25 patients showed a 75-90 percent improvement. 8 showed a 50 percent to 75 percent improvement. Only 1 patient showed 0 to 50 percent improvement.
8. Surgery Prevention
Chiropractic has long been hailed by natural healthcare professionals as a natural method to prevent back surgery. According to the American Chiropractic Association, workers with back injuries whose first point of contact was a surgeon or MD had a 42.7 percent likelihood of having surgery, while those who saw a chiropractic as a first point of contact only had a 1.5 percent chance of surgery!
9. Blood Pressure
In 2007, George Bakris, an expert in the field of hypertension, published a study with a team of researchers from the Human Journal of Hypertension. This study found that just one upper cervical chiropractic adjustment had the same effect as two blood pressure-lowering drugs! AND the effects of just one adjustment lasted more than 6 months!
Patients who received chiropractic adjustments compared to those who received placebo treatments saw an average 14mm Hg greater drop in systolic blood pressure (top number in blood pressure count) and an average 8 mm Hg greater drop in diastolic blood pressure (bottom number in blood pressure count).
10. Neurological Conditions
Current and ongoing research via upright MRIs shows how upper cervical adjustments affect various brain-based conditions. So far, MRI scans have revealed that cerebral spinal fluid and blood flow are markedly increased after a chiropractic adjustment, and that cerebellar invagination (where the cerebellum drops down below the skull line) is being reversed, while brain plaquing, common among multiple sclerosis patients, is disappearing altogether.
If you’re curious about what benefits chiropractic care can have in your life, please give us a call today! We’d love to help you along in your wellness journey — (810) 588-4036
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