Can Chiropractic Care Prevent Cardiovascular Disease?

Why is adding chiropractic care to your prevention or treatment of cardiovascular disease is a smart idea? Cardiovascular disease is a leading cause of death of people in the United States.

It’s so common in fact that heart health is at the forefront of most American’s health concerns. People understand that it is important to take proper actions to prevent cardiovascular disease for a long and healthy life.

Chiropractic care can significantly help prevent heart disease and improve heart conditions. I recommend getting adjusted to help with overall health, especially for people with heart palpitations, anxiety, asthma, blood pressure issues, bronchitis, chronic coughs, heart rhythm issues, hypertension, light-headedness, shortness of breath, vertigo and syncope (fainting). These types of symptoms are signs that the nerves are not functioning properly, a sign there is an interference in nervous system function. If there is a nerve interference, a chiropractic adjustment removes that interference to improve the function of the nerves. In other words, Chiropractic assists with regulating all the functions in the body. 

How Chiropractic Care Helps Your Heart
The heart and blood vessels are connected to the central nervous system by millions of tiny connections. One major nerve is the vagus nerve (from the brain) and the autonomic nervous system (provides input to the entire body). The nerves that power the heart are located in the lower neck and upper portion of the mid back (C8-T4 Nerve Roots).

These nerves control heart rate and blood pressure, both essential factors for heart health. Since chiropractic care positively impacts these nerves and helps them function properly, its benefits to the heart are tremendous.

6 Heart Health Benefits
There are six proven ways chiropractic care helps prevent or improves cardiovascular function:

• Lowers blood pressure – studies show a significant improvement in blood pressure when chiropractors adjust the 1st vertebra, called the Atlas (1).
• Improves nerve function of the heart – this is called the autonomic tone, and it impacts the heart, lungs, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, bladder, sex organs and just about every other part of the body (2).
• Decreases blood markers of inflammation – the more inflammation, the greater your risk of cardiovascular events (3).
• Improves heart rate variability – the more your heart rate bounces around, the longer you will live. Many people with severe heart issues have problems in this area (4).
• Decreases chest pain – millions of hospital visits for chest pain can be avoided by referral or chiropractic care (5). A huge reason I recommend chiropractic is that chest pain is often related to issues relating to the musculo-skeletal system. Most people can be quickly assessed and once a doctor determines that the heart is not involved, curative therapy from a doctor of chiropractic is imperative. People do not need the “million dollar work-up”, they need an adjustment to correct the nerve function. Costochondritis, rib misalignment, or thoracic vertebrae subluxation are all causes of chest pain and shortness of breath that will improve with chiropractic care.
• Improves lung function – chiropractic care has been proven effective in people with asthma and emphysema (6) and poor lung function has been linked to heart failure.

Other Health Benefits of Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care can benefit more than just your heart and cardiovascular system. You name the disease, chiropractic care has a role because the nervous system touches every cell in the body. The nerves travel from the brain, down the spine and to the rest of the body. If the bones of the spine are mis-aligned, symptoms and disease occur. If you have ever fallen out of bed, been in a car accident, or played sports, I assure you that your spine has misalignments. It's a good idea to have your spine checked to see if mis-alignements (subluxations) are affecting your health.

A series of adjustments to correct the cause of the problem is a simple and non-invasive approach, rather than a short term pain-pill, spinal surgery or other short term approaches to mask symptoms, such as epidural injections or cortico-steroids. Don’t you agree?

I recommend for everyone to have a periodic chiropractic care regime, and at least to have your spine checked every 30 days.  It’s good for your heart, it’s good for your health, and it’s good for your body. #getadjusted, #addisonchiropractic
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1. J Hum Hypertens. 2007 May; 21(5): 347-52
2. J Chiropr Med. 2008 Sep;7(3):86-93.
3. J Chiropr Med. 2010 Sep;9(3):107-14
4. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2006 May;29(4):267-74.
5. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2012 Jan;35(1):7-17
6. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Sep;17(9):797-801.

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