It’s common knowledge that chiropractic adjustments work wonders for neck pain and back pain. But, did you know that they offer several more benefits you might not be aware of? Here’s just 9 reasons to get regular chiropractic adjustments and why your body will thank you for it. You might be surprised at all of the many benefits, so read on!

What Is A Chiropractic Adjustment?

Before we discuss all of the awesome benefits, it’s important to understand what exactly a chiropractic adjustment is. A chiropractic adjustment, also known as spinal manipulation, is simply a procedure where a licensed chiropractor uses their hands, small instruments, or both to apply a controlled, sudden force to the vertebrae that have abnormal movement patterns or fail to function normally. This process is done to correct your spine’s alignment, increase range of motion, reduce nerve irritability, and improve function. 

Top 9 Reasons to Get Regular Chiropractic Adjustments

Stress Relief

Chiropractic adjustments help to combat both the symptoms of stress and the physical stress placed on your body when you’re misaligned. 

When your musculoskeletal system is out of alignment, this not only causes a large amount of tension and stress on your body, but it also puts lots of unnecessary pressure on your muscles and bones. Consider it this way: like all things in this world, when one part isn’t working properly, additional pressure must be placed on another part to compensate, which is often damaging to that part. The same applies to your musculoskeletal system. Adjusting your spine and setting it back into proper alignment releases that unnecessary, potentially harmful tension and pressure, which increases the circulation of blood and relaxes your body. This helps you feel less tense or “on-edge.”

Chiropractic adjustments also combat the symptoms of stress. It’s no secret that stress can wreak havoc on your body. Stress causes muscles to tense and contract, which can result in misalignment, back pain, neck pain, muscle tightness, and much more. As previously mentioned, chiropractic adjustments release this tension and realign your body, soothing these negative symptoms and allowing you to feel more at ease. 

Improved Mental Health

Chiropractic adjustments don’t just provide physical benefits, but also mental and emotional ones, too. 

One prominent study found that chiropractic adjustments trigger an increase in positive hormones like neurotensin, oxytocin, and cortisol, which promote a better mood. Neurotensin neutralizes stress-induced pain; oxytocin boosts neuro-communication and feelings of social bonding; and cortisol blocks pain deriving from inflammation. 

Chiropractic adjustments also indirectly enhance mental health by alleviating pain, discomfort, and muscle tension that may interfere with your mood and overall quality of life.  

Regulated Blood Pressure

If you struggle with hypertension or hypotension, a trip to the chiropractor might be just what you need to eliminate this issue. 

One study conducted at the University of Chicago Hypertension Center discovered that chiropractic adjustments can have the same effect as taking not one, but two high blood pressure medications given in combination. This is because adjustments target the C-1 and C-2 vertebrae in the upper neck, which, when misaligned, can have a significant effect on blood pressure. This same study also showed that these beneficial effects lasted 6 months after the adjustment. Patients with hypotension (low blood pressure) can also benefit, as chiropractic adjustments have been found to raise blood pressure to normal levels, too. 

It is important to note that there are many other factors that can affect your blood pressure, too, such as diet, lifestyle, physical activity levels, medications, hormonal imbalances, and your emotional well-being. So, while chiropractic adjustments do help regulate your blood pressure, there are plenty of additional factors that can reverse these positive effects and subsequently affect your blood pressure. 

Reduced Inflammation

Inflammation is one of the main contributors of joint pain and muscle tension. Fortunately, several studies have shown that chiropractic adjustments help to reduce inflammation. By realigning the spine and eliminating unnecessary pressure on your nerves, this promotes a healthy nervous system, which allows your body’s biomechanics to work at its best. When your body’s biomechanics are functioning optimally, this ensures that the production of molecules like neuropeptide and cytokines are regulated, which can help reduce inflammation. 

Reduced inflammation promotes a variety of benefits your body will appreciate, such as a lower risk of developing diseases linked to high inflammation, joint pain relief, and reduced muscle tension. 

Improved Sleep

Countless individuals around the world unfortunately suffer from insomnia and other sleep-related problems. However, with chiropractic care, getting to sleep might just be a little easier. 

Several studies published in the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine found that chiropractic adjustments may improve sleep patterns. While further research is needed to solidify these claims, it is known that chiropractic adjustments do alleviate the pain and stress on the body that can easily interfere with sleep. So, it is very likely that regular adjustments can help improve the quality of your sleep by not only improving your sleep patterns, but by also allowing your body to truly rest, free of pain. 

Enhanced Athletic Performance

Chiropractic care is extremely common in the athletic world, and for good reason. A study conducted in 2002 showed that chiropractic treatments significantly helped players perform better and heal faster. That’s why nearly every professional sports team nowadays, like the NFL and NBA, employ chiropractors to not only help athletes recover from injuries and perform at their best, but to also prevent injuries from happening in the first place. As previously mentioned, regular adjustments also help to reduce inflammation, combat muscle tension, and alleviate neck and back pain, which all help to boost an athlete’s performance.

Improved Posture 

Chiropractic adjustments help to correct curves and misalignments of the spine and neck. This not only improves your posture, but also eliminates neck and back pain associated with poor posture. This is especially important for the younger generation especially, who spends an increasing amount of time looking down at their cell phone or computer. Looking down at a screen for prolonged periods of time can negatively affect your posture and even create neck and back pain. Fortunately, regular adjustments can help combat these effects and encourage good posture.

Decreased Neck and Back Pain

Millions of individuals each year visit a chiropractor to achieve relief from neck or lower back pain. Instead of turning to expensive, invasive, and potentially dangerous medications and surgeries, many individuals turn to the safer and much more affordable option of chiropractic care. 

Several studies show that chiropractic adjustments are highly effective in eliminating neck and lower back pain, too. In fact, one study reported that “Chiropractic techniques are 40% more effective than medical care for treating lower back pain.” This sounds like a win-win to us: reduce your chronic pain, while also reducing your medical costs! 

Headache Prevention and Relief

Last but not least, chiropractic adjustments have been found to be highly effective at relieving headaches. In fact, there are over 200 studies that have been conducted that highlight the effectiveness of adjustments in treating headaches, which is why, aside from back pain, headaches are one of the top ailments chiropractors treat.

As you most likely are already aware of, headaches and migraines can be caused by spinal issues, misalignment, muscle tension, and back pain. If this tension and misalignment is left untreated, the tension is likely to continue to build, which may cause more frequent and more painful headaches. A simple adjustment can eliminate all of these issues, relieving the tension and realigning your spine, allowing you to enjoy a headache-free life. 

Enjoy All of the Benefits of Regular Chiropractic Adjustments at The Naylor Clinic!

Whether you’d like to relieve muscle tension, eliminate back pain, lower your blood pressure, or simply become the healthiest version of yourself, Dr. Naylor is here to help! With over 40 years of experience in chiropractic care, Dr. Naylor provides excellent chiropractic adjustments in Burlington to help you feel your best. Complete our online contact form or give us a call at (336) 229-4266 to schedule your adjustment today!