Chronic Conditions That Can be Improved with Chiropractic
Treat Your Chronic Conditions with Chiropractic Care
Back and neck pain relief isn't the only benefit of visiting the chiropractor. Chiropractic treatment also offers an effective way to treat many chronic conditions that can affect your health or cause chronic pain. These conditions are among the many ailments that your chiropractor treats.
Frequent Headaches and Migraines
Chiropractic care offers an alternative to over-the-counter and prescription medications used to treat headaches and migraines. If you're worried about the long-term health consequences of taking over-the-counter drugs or prescription medications that make you feel nauseated and tired, chiropractic treatment offers a better solution. Treatment not only eases your pain but can also reduce the number of headaches you get every month.
Asthma
Problems with the alignment of your spine could be making your asthma symptoms worse. Vertebrae, the small bones that make up your spine, can become misaligned due to injuries, stress, poor lifting, improper exercise techniques, or even poor posture. Ligaments, muscles, and tendons often become stiff and tight due to spinal misalignments, a problem chiropractors call "subluxations."
Realigning your spine with chiropractic treatments loosens the muscles you use for breathing, allowing you to take deeper breaths. Treatments also make it easier for your brain to send messages to your lungs via your nerves.
Temporomandibular Joint Dysfunction (TMJ)
TMJ causes jaw pain and stiffness, clicking or popping sounds, headaches, muscle spasms, and ear pain. The condition affects the bones, muscles, ligaments, and tendons in your hinged jaw joints and can make chewing painful.
Your symptoms could be caused by a misalignment of the bones in the joint. Your chiropractor can gently move the bones back into place, relieving your symptoms. Chiropractic treatment can also break apart scar tissue and loosen tight muscles in your jaw.
Gastroesophageal Reflux Disorder (GERD)
GERD occurs when stomach acids flow backward into your esophagus. The acids irritate the sensitive lining of the esophagus causing heartburn, hoarseness, chest pain, bad breath, trouble swallowing, and other symptoms. GERD can happen if the sphincter between the stomach and esophagus is weak or doesn't close completely, It can also be triggered by wearing tight belts or clothing, lying down soon after eating, or gaining weight.
Subluxations that press on nerves in the stomach and other parts of the gastrointestinal system could increase your risk of GERD or worsen it. Spinal manipulation, a hands-on treatment that realigns your spine, reduces pressure on nerves. Your chiropractor may also recommend exercises that will strengthen your back. When your back muscles are strong, you may notice less pressure on your stomach and fewer GERD symptoms.
Insomnia
Poor sleep is a common complaint in the U.S. In fact, 10 to 30 percent of Americans have chronic insomnia, according to the Sleep Foundation. Your risk of sleep troubles increases the older you get. No matter what your age, it's difficult to function during the day if you have trouble falling or staying asleep.
Chiropractic treatment helps you sleep by relieving pain and easing stress, two factors in poor sleep quality. Treatments also spur your body to produce more serotonin, a hormone that makes you feel calm, happy, and relaxed.
High Blood Pressure
Your risk of blood pressure increases if someone in your family has the condition or if you're overweight, stressed, don't exercise enough, or eat an unhealthy diet. In some cases, high blood pressure can also be related to neck subluxation.
In a UChicago Medicine study, patients who had a misalignment of the vertebrae in their neck and also had high blood pressure saw their blood pressure drop after spinal manipulation treatment. The study participants had misalignments of the C-1 vertebrae, located at the base of the head. Because a misalignment in this area usually doesn't cause pain, you may have a subluxation and not realize that anything is wrong.
Are you tired of dealing with the symptoms of a chronic condition? Chiropractic treatment offers an effective way to manage many diseases and conditions. If you'd like to relieve your symptoms naturally, contact our office to schedule an appointment.
Sources:
Sleep Foundation: Sleep Statistics, 2/8/21
Canadian Chiropractic Association: 3 Things You Need to Know About TMJ Pain, 5/13/20