Top 10 Benefits of Seeing a Chiropractor

You’ve probably considered chiropractic care as a treatment option for issues like joint and muscle pain and poor posture, but did you know it can do so much more for your health? Chiropractic adjustments help reset your body and encourage proper functioning of all your systems, from digestion to immunity. After all, everything radiates from the spine.

Continue reading to learn the top 10 benefits of chiropractic care and how it can help you live a healthier, more comfortable life.

1. Improved Immune System Function

Regular chiropractic care can boost your body’s ability to heal and recover properly. Your nervous system controls every cell, tissue, and organ in your body, including the endocrine system (responsible for hormones) and the immune system. Both of these structures are necessary to resolve inflammation and illness.

However, subluxations or misalignments in the spine impact the brain’s ability to communicate with the rest of the body and initiate the immune response. This decreased function makes it harder to fight off illness.

Chiropractic adjustments correct any misalignments to encourage proper communication within the nervous system. Not to mention, this treatment can ease stress, a known contributor to illness.

2. Improved Digestion

Certain areas of the spine regulate how quickly your food is digested, and how well your body can absorb key minerals, vitamins, and nutrients. Misalignments in these areas, and even muscle tension in the stomach, can contribute to GI problems, including heartburn, acid reflux, gas and bloating, constipation, and more.

If your digestive troubles stem from inflammation, as is the case with some IBS and Crohn’s Disease patients, chiropractic care may work hand in hand with your traditional treatment methods to resolve this irritation and reduce your symptoms.

When you use chiropractic to fix digestion problems, you can look forward to increased regularity and intestinal comfort. 

3. Better Sleep

Why do you sleep better after the chiropractor? Well, chiropractic care improves sleep in a few ways. Not only does chiropractic care soothe the pain and tension that often keep you awake, but it also fixes the misalignments in the neck that cause jaw tightness and subsequent snoring or sleep apnea.

Chiropractic care for sleep also improves blood flow and encourages relaxation for a good night’s rest. It’s no secret that general chiropractic for sleep can help balance the stress hormone cortisol. Your cortisol levels naturally rise during the day, but they should fall at night when it’s time to wind down. If they don’t, you’ll find it hard to fall asleep and even harder to wake up refreshed. Each adjustment helps to lower your cortisol levels, and regular chiropractic visits can keep them in check.

Your chiropractor will also suggest sleeping positions, pillow types, and other tips to help you sleep as part of this holistic treatment plan. For an additional boost, try adding on a massage service to your chiropractic visit. Many patients find massages so relaxing that they fall asleep on the table and experience greater, more refreshing rest in the days following their session. 

4. Healthier Pregnancies

From nausea to swelling, expectant mothers deal with a lot of discomforts. The increased weight in the midsection and looser ligaments in the pelvis also put more pressure on the spine, making low back pain one of the most common complaints during this time. Visiting a chiropractor during pregnancy can offer near-immediate relief by improving your posture. Plus, a balanced pelvis typically decreases labor time and makes delivery easier.

Continuing chiropractic care after pregnancy may also assist with recovery and ease pain related to postural problems while breastfeeding.

5. Improved Athletic Performance

Whether you’re a part-time athlete or simply like to stay active, chiropractic care can enhance your game and aid in your recovery in several ways:

• Improves range of motion and flexibility to reduce injuries and help you play better
• Addresses strained and sprained joints and ligaments to get you back in the game sooner
• Directs blood flow to injury sites to promote proper and complete healing
• Reduces inflammation after hard sessions.

Many athletes use chiropractic care and massage therapy in their pre- and post-game routines.

6. Headache Relief

Other than back pain, headaches are one of the most common complaints for chiropractic patients.

Neck, back, and spinal tension are the main culprits of most headaches. However, additional factors like stress, hormonal imbalances, genetics, and more can also be to blame. Your chiropractor for headache relief will work with you to pinpoint the cause of your headaches and provide targeted treatment. Generally, these spinal manipulations will soothe tension, rebalance hormones, and ease stress to reduce the frequency, severity, and duration of your headache episodes.

Your Bend chiropractor for headache relief may also suggest massage therapy as part of your individualized treatment plan. You can also stimulate certain pressure points at home to keep attacks at bay even after your session.

7. Reduces Inflammation

Inflammation is a common side effect of countless conditions. While acute inflammation is normal and necessary for your body to repair itself, chronic and uncontrolled inflammation can be painful.

Your chiropractor aims to address the source of your inflammation rather than putting a band-aid on the associated symptoms. Evidence suggests that chiropractic care can stop the production of neuropeptides and decrease the production of cytokines, proteins that regulate immune cells. When cytokines build up, it exacerbates the immune response and leads to excessive inflammation.

Chiropractic care, in conjunction with massage therapy, also resolves inflammation by encouraging blood flow to the injured site. This action can help the affected area to heal itself and decrease swelling in acute situations.

8. Lowered Blood Pressure

Almost half of the adult population experiences high blood pressure. While many people rely on traditional medications, many patients wonder, “can a chiropractor help lower blood pressure?” In short, yes. In fact, research published in the Journal of Human Hypertension showed that an 8-week chiropractic treatment had the same effect as some high blood pressure medications. Those effects can even continue for up to 6 months after treatment!

The best part of seeing a chiropractor for high blood pressure is that it doesn’t have the same side effects as common medications, like excessive urination and decreased sex drive.

Misalignments can also cause arteries to contract, which has a negative impact on blood flow and increases blood pressure. During your session, your chiropractor will target the nerves in the upper neck, as this area is most associated with hypertension.

9. Sciatica Relief

As many as 40% of people will experience sciatica in their life. This condition occurs when the sciatic nerve is compressed or surrounded by inflammation. Because the sciatic nerve stretches from the back to the feet, you may experience radiating pain in the legs, back, and glutes. Fortunately, a chiropractor can help with sciatic pain!

When you see a chiropractor for sciatica, they will realign the vertebrae to remove pressure off the nerve. This type of spinal manipulation can also increase the circulation of blood and healing agents to the area to resolve inflammation. These techniques work to restore mobility in the back, hips, pelvis and low back. Patients report a decrease in the severity and number of pain days when seeing a chiropractor for sciatica.

Your chiropractor can also give you stretches to target this area between sessions.

10. Pain Relief for the Body

Of course, chiropractic care offers a top solution when it comes to general body pain. Whether your pain stems from arthritis, pinched nerves, herniated disks, tendonitis, or any other common causes, there’s a tailor-made solution for you.

Chiropractic care can also function as part of a healthy way of life, and is especially helpful for:

• Desk workers and those with sedentary lifestyles
• Manual laborers
• Athletes and highly active individuals
• Expectant and postpartum mothers
• Those with injuries from sports or car accidents
• Gardeners and others who complete yardwork

Our everyday routines naturally put stress on the muscles in the neck, back, and shoulders. So, regularly seeing a chiropractor for back pain not only eases your discomfort, but it can also reduce your chances of experiencing these aches in the first place. As you build a consistent routine, your body will begin to hold onto its adjustments, allowing you to experience long-term comfort.

Your chiropractor for neck pain releases built-up tension and relaxes contracted muscles. Depending on the cause of your pain, more advanced methods, like the Graston technique and shockwave therapy, can even address older injuries and pockets of scar tissue.

The greatest benefit of seeing a chiropractor for back pain is its natural and holistic nature. It offers a non-invasive, non-addictive solution with very few side effects. At Total Body, we look at all aspects of your lifestyle, including your diet, sleep patterns, stress levels, and exercise habits, to provide total relief and enhance your comfort. We also offer acupuncture and massage therapy services to bolster the effects of your adjustment and help you feel your best even after you leave our office. Schedule your appointment today and see how chiropractic care can help you.