More than 35 million Americans visit a chiropractor every year, according to a study by the American Chiropractic Association. There are many different reasons to visit a chiropractor, whether it be muscle or spine-related, and there are even more benefits to doing so.
If you have aches and pains in your body and your doctor has suggested a chiropractor, you could be one step away from receiving amazing benefits that your body will thank you for. Still don’t believe the advantages of chiropractic care? Read on to learn 11 benefits that will have your body screaming “thank you”!
1. Boost Immune System
In the midst of the crazy 2020, most everyone wants their immune system to be boosted. Getting chiropractic care is a great way to do so naturally. Getting a chiropractic adjustment could trigger a boost to antibodies and a down regulating for pro-inflammatory cytokines.
It may also increase production of leukocytes, which assist blood cells in fending off disease. This occurs without having to take any pills or vitamins, while also easing other aches and pains in your body.
Along with this, because our immune system is directly linked to your spine, having an aligned spine can also boost your immune system. The function of your nerve system is improved by aligning your spinal bones and protecting your spinal cord. This will ensure that your system is powering as it should, and is not thrown off track by a misalignment in your body.
2. Reduce Digestive Problems
One of the most common bodily problems humans face is digestive issues. If there is an alignment issue in certain parts of your body it can cause problems with digestion. Getting realigned can help reduce this inflammation and promote better digestion, specifically if you consistently see a chiropractor.
Many chiropractors also offer nutritional care, which can help aid you in your digestive journey. After taking preliminary tests and seeing where the problem may lay, getting adjustments combined with nutritional changes can ease your digestive problems.
3. Reduce Blood Pressure
If you have a spine that is not aligned correctly, it can cause other parts of your body to not work correctly as well. This can cause pressure to build up on other bodily functions, such as your blood pressure, and can increase the risk for high blood pressure. Getting your spine or neck aligned correctly within different treatment plans can improve this or prevent it altogether.
4. Improve Sleep
Sleep is surely one of the essential aspects of being human and keeping healthy. Having a sore neck, constant headaches, and back or spinal pain can affect your sleep negatively.
In fact, if you are suffering from these aches and not sleeping, your aches will only get worse, and you will be stuck in a spiral. Getting your body properly aligned will reduce inflammation and can ease these aches, allowing you to get a more restful sleep.
5. Improve Balance
This benefit focuses directly on your spine. The healthier and more durable your spine is, the more likely you will be to have a strong back. This makes having good balance easier, which will reduce your likeliness of falling or injuring yourself.
If your spine, neck, or pelvis is misaligned, your balance can be way off and can lead to other injuries. Getting these aligned fixes more than just your balance, and can keep you from having to get back surgery in the future. This is also true for people who suffer from arthritis or osteoporosis. These diseases can affect balance as well as mobility, particularly for elderly people. Getting adjustments to help aid these problems can increase balance for elderly people as well.
6. Straightens Scoliosis
Scoliosis is a very common disease, characterized by the sideways curve of the spine, most commonly found in children right before they experience puberty. Though the cause of Scoliosis is unknown, chiropractic care has been proven to treat it safely.
Getting chiropractic realignments can reduce the pressure on the nervous system and strengthen your body’s core, which will reduce the effects of Scoliosis. Chiropractic care can be a great alternative to getting spinal surgery, and though it might not completely cure Scoliosis, it can reduce the side effects and can possibly reduce the curve of the spine without any medication.
7. Reduce Neck Pain
Treating neck pain is one of the most popular reasons people visit the chiropractor. Your neck is very susceptible to injury because of its flexibility and the weight of your head it holds up. Depending on what caused your neck pain, a chiropractor will be able to treat it without any medication using neck adjustments.
Neck adjustments focus on the joints in your neck and are usually done by hand with quick, swift movements. After one adjustment you will typically feel a larger range of motion and less soreness, but it will usually take more than one treatment for your neck pain to be completely cured.
8. Treats Sciatica
Your sciatica nerve is located through your lower back down into the back of your legs. This pain typically occurs when a herniated disk puts pressure on this nerve and can be debilitating depending on how bad the pressure is.
Chiropractic adjustments can help reduce the pressure on the nerve and the inflammation it causes, without having to take any steroids or get any procedures. This could be adjustments to your spine, lower back, or hips depending on where your pain occurs, and often takes a program of treatments. Finding a specific chiropractor for sciatica can be one of the best options to make sure you are getting the best treatment possible.
9. Reduce Lower Back Pain
Lower back pain can be caused by a multitude of reasons. Oftentimes, bad posture can be the culprit, a lifetime of athletics, or perhaps a personal injury. Pressure can be put on your lower back when your spine is out of alignment, or different joints of muscles are not properly positioned. Chiropractors can take tests such as X-rays to see exactly where your problem is and realign you accordingly. If you have had back surgery and still feel back pain, this can be a great solution without costing you extra money.
10. Reduce Headaches
If you constantly suffer from intense migraines, something in your body could be misaligned and putting pressure on something it shouldn’t be. If your spine is misaligned, it could be causing pressure and inflammation to form on your neck and head. This is also true if your neck needs adjustment.
Consider chiropractic care if other treatments have not worked for you and if you have other pains that could coincide. Many chiropractors also offer alternative care to solve headaches that don’t involve adjustments, such as providing nutritional advice, as food can be an important trigger for headaches.
11. Increase Relaxation
In the year 2020, everyone could use more relaxation. If you do suffer from any neck or back pain, getting these problems solved will provide you with the ability to relax better. However, even if you don’t suffer from any of those aches and pains, chiropractic care can still help you relax.
Your heart rate variability (HRV) is a measure of your body’s relaxation. The higher HRV, the better for your overall health. Visiting a chiropractor and getting an adjustment in your back can increase your HRV, which will promote your body’s relaxation and reduce stress levels. It can even reduce the possibility of heart attacks, and increase recovery times for surgical patients. If you feel stressed and need to relax, consider getting a lumbar adjustment as an alternative to other remedies.
Using A Chiropractor For Care
Though these benefits may seem like a magical fix to your problems, it’s important to note that it is most often not a one-time fix. It will take many visits to your chiropractor before your pain is fixed, and it oftentimes requires consistent visits throughout many years.
You will need a preliminary visit for your chiropractor to discover where your pain is coming from, and then scheduled visits to keep up with your pain. Your chiropractor will have suggestions for how to keep your pain maintained, and you will have to keep up with your visits in order for the treatment to be effective.
Soon, you’ll feel much better and be so glad you did see a chiropractor! Read more of our health and fitness articles for extra frugal tips and tricks you can put to good use.
