The Long-Term Benefits of Chiropractic Care

December 15, 2018

The Long-Term Benefits of Chiropractic Care

Many patients come in for their initial visit with a clear short-term goal: pain relief. Unfortunately, if that remains their only goal, they miss out on some of the benefits of chiropractic care beyond pain relief.

Keeping your body in alignment over the long term can have a positive impact on other aspects of your health, including:

  • Reaction time
  • Visual acuity
  • Cardiovascular health
  • Lung capacity
  • Balance

These are just a few of the benefits you can reap from long-term care.

Of course, when you are suffering with low back pain, neck pain or tension headache, it is completely understandable that you have one overriding goal – stop the pain. However, once this short-term goal has been accomplished, it is time to consider your long-term spinal health goals. In formulating your long-term goals, it is essential to understand that spinal health is about more than getting rid of pain. Spinal health has a long-term impact on every function affected by the spinal nerves, which influence every organ system in your body.

How Proper Alignment Helps Your Body

There are several ways in which keeping your body in alignment and your spine free of interference can have a positive impact on your overall health. Chiropractic care can:

  • Support organ health – Since adjustments have a direct impact on your nervous system and each spinal nerve has a direct line of communication to specific organ systems, a properly aligned spine will help your organs to function at their very best. This can decrease your chances of suffering from illness and chronic disease.
  • Improve immune system health – If your nervous system is able to send and receive messages free from interference caused by subluxations, it means your immune system will be functioning at its best. This can help you stay healthy all year long.
  • Improved range of motion – Your chiropractor doesn’t simply adjust your spine; they also help to keep the soft tissue surrounding your spinal joints free of restriction. This can result in a better range of motion and increased flexibility, which helps to keep pain at bay and reduces your chance of injury.
  • Increased lung capacity – This may not be one of the first things you think of when you think of chiropractic care, but the truth is studies have found chiropractic care can help to increase lung capacity. This reduces your risk of heart attack, stroke and other cardiovascular issues that may be life threatening.

If you began seeing your chiropractor for a specific problem, you might be tempted to discontinue care once the pain has subsided. That plan may be something you want to reconsider. Once you are free of pain your chiropractor will consider maintenance care, a plan that you can see has many benefits beyond keeping you free from pain.

Call Pyatetsky Family Chiropractic today at 724.962.2070

References

  1. Masarsky CS, Weber M. Chiropractic management of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. JMPT, December 1988;11(6):505-10.
  2. Masarsky CS, Weber M. Somatic dyspnea and the orthopedics of respiration. Chiropractic Technique, 1991;3:26.
  3. Beatty TH, et al. Effects of pulmonary function on morbidity. J Chron Dis, 1985;38:703.
  4. Van Der Palen J, Rea TD, et al. Respiratory muscle strength and the risk of incident cardiovascular events. Thorax, 2004;59:1063-7.
  5. Hozawa A, Billings JL, et al. Lung function and ischemic stroke incidence: the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities Study. Chest, December 2006;130(6):1642-9.
  6. Guo X, Pantoni L, et al. Midlife respiratory function related to white matter lesions and lacunar infarcts in late life: the Prospective Population Study of Women in Gothenburg, Sweden. Stroke, July 2006;37(7):1658-162.
  7. Lauro A, Mouch B. Chiropractic effects on athletic ability. Chiropractic: The Journal of Research and Chiropractic Clinical Investigation, 1991;6:84.
  8. Kessinger R, Boneva D. Changes in visual acuity in patients receiving upper cervical chiropractic care. Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, 1998;2(1):43.
  9. https://www.dynamicchiropractic.com/mpacms/dc/article.php?id=54048
  10. https://www.thejoint.com/florida/st-petersburg/st-petersburg-27005/192891-advantages-long-term-chiropractic-care

 

 

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