CHIROPRACTIC EFFECTS ON HEART HEALTH

Most people are aware that diet and exercise are key components of preventing heart disease, however less people are aware that chiropractic treatment is effectively used as a tool to prevent heart disease. Research reveals that certain chiropractic procedures help to improve the function and overall heart health.  Research also shows that adjustments to the spine lower blood pressure in individuals suffering from hypertension and provide a better heart rate.

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Protect your heart
In addition to scientifically observed changes in heart function with chiropractic adjustments, other qualitative effects are noted when patients engage in regular chiropractic treatment.  First, seeing a chiropractor gives you access to real advice from a trained professional. Second, a team of supportive healthcare practitioners can provide you with the support you need to change and implement new health strategies.  At Living Well Dallas our team is passionate about healthy living and help inspire you to take action.  Finally, regular chiropractic care offers you an opportunity to relax, knowing your body is functioning at its best.  Regular chiropractic treatment combined with proper nutrition and exercise can prove to be your powerful ally in preventing heart disease.  To have you spine checked with Dr. Lizie Pilicy, call our office today 972-930-0260.

Systolic Blood Pressure
Systolic blood pressure is the topmost number in a blood pressure reading. It's the pressure felt along the arterial walls when the heart contracts. There is a link between compression of the vertebral artery in the neck and an unhealthy elevation in blood pressure. Proper alignment of the atlas vertebrae, also known as the C1 vertebrae of the cervical spine, can help to lower systolic blood pressure in people suffering from hypertension (study conducted by the Department of Preventive Medicine at Rush University, 2007). By aligning the C1 vertebrae in the neck, restriction along the arterial wall is relieved and you may experience a decrease in blood pressure.

Diastolic Blood Pressure
Diastolic blood pressure is the bottom number in a blood pressure reading that indicates arterial pressure when the heart is at rest. The same principles apply to the effect that arterial compression within the spine could lead to an elevation in diastolic blood pressure. The same study conducted by the Department of Preventive Medicine at Rush University also found that alignment of the C1 vertebrae affects diastolic blood pressure. When the C1 is aligned, the compression is removed from the artery and thereby diastolic blood pressure is lowered.   Other studies have shown that adjustment of the vertebrae in the neck and lower back can activate specific nervous system reflexes, leading to a decrease in overall heart rate and blood pressure.  

Heartrate
Also, adjustments to the cervical spine, which are the seven vertebrae found in the neck, may help lower your heart rate. This is largely due to the eight pairs of cervical nerves located within this area of the spine. The Upper Cervical Health Centers of America believe that interferences (subluxations) within these nerves cause many health conditions, including those that affect the heart. When the cervical spine is placed in alignment, the nervous system is allowed to better communicate with the rest of the body. In relation to the heart, the improved communication can help bring your heart rate down to a healthy level.

Heart Disease
Heart disease is thought as the ‘silent killer,’ because there are few warning signs indicating that a heart is unhealthy. Often times the first indication of heart disease is a heart attack.  An unhealthy spine can have a negative impact on not only heart health, but also the overall health of a person. Henry Winsor, M.D. questioned how Chiropractic might improve health and decided to perform an experiment: he dissected human and animal cadavers to see if there was a relationship between diseased organs (discovered on autopsy) and the vertebrae and nerves that supply information to those organs. In a series of three studies, he dissected a total of 75 human and 72 cat cadavers. He found a nearly 100% correlation between "minor curvatures" of the vertebrae and diseases of the internal organs.  In the area of heart disease, all 20 cases with heart and pericardium conditions had misalignments of the upper five thoracic vertebrae (T1-5).

References

1. "Journal of Human Hypertension;" Atlas Vertebra Realignment and Achievement of Arterial Pressure Goal in Hypertensive Patients; G. Bakris, et.al.; May 2007
2. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics; Practice-Based Randomized Controlled-Comparison Clinical Trial of Chiropractic Adjustments; G. Plaugher, et.al.; May 2002
3. Upper Cervical Health Centers of America: A New Approach to Health
4. Medical Times, Nov. 1921, 49, pp. 267-271.