Chiropractic Care Impacts Every Cell, Tissue and Organ
The general public typically doesn’t understand the impact chiropractic care has on every cell, tissue, and organ in our bodies. As they discover this truth, many lives are now being improved and even saved. Take for example the topic of mental health. Many people suffer from things like anxiety, depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia to name a few, but most people don’t realize there are alternative options to help improve your mental health naturally. Chiropractic care isn’t usually an alternative option to mental health that people think about. The truth is, chiropractic care has been improving mental health of many people since the early twentieth century.
Mind and Body
“Chiropractors correct abnormalities of the intellect as well as those of the body,” stated the father of chiropractic, Daniel David Palmer (DD Palmer). Since the early 1920’s the Chiropractic profession has been growing and provoking the interest of many optimistic pioneers eager to challenge the stronghold of the medical profession. One of these pioneers was Gerald Pothoff, a graduate of Palmer College of Chiropractic in 1922. Dr. Pothoff was convinced spinal adjustments offered far more medical treatment for psychiatric disorders than traditional medicine. He was said to have experienced numerous cures with severely mentally ill patients under chiropractic care at the first ever Chiropractic Psychiatric Hospital, Forest Park Sanitarium, which he opened in 1922. It is pioneers such as Pothoff that has introduced a paradigm shift of the way society looks at healing and alternative options for health care.
Pothoff wasn’t the only chiropractic pioneer convinced of the benefits of subluxation treatment on mental health. In 1926 B.J. Palmer opened another chiropractic psychiatric hospital, the Clear Water Sanitarium, in Devonport, Iowa, the birthplace of chiropractic. By the year 1952 cases of schizophrenia, depression, and bipolar disorder saw significant improvement after being under chiropractic care at the hospital. Of the 80% of patients admitted with schizophrenia, 70% of them were released and socially restored after their subluxations were treated at the Clear Water Sanitarium. Of the 8% of patients admitted with affective disorders (i.e. bipolar disorder) 33% of them were released and socially restored, and of the 8% admitted with brain syndromes 33% of them were released and socially restored. These findings revealed the treatment of subluxation in these patients was a successful alternative option to healing mental illness naturally with no need for traditional western medicine.
The studies of chiropractic and mental health didn’t stop there. In 2004 a case study was published regarding a 19 year old female who suffered from anxiety. Prior to seeking chiropractic care, the patient had visited a neurologist who diagnosed her with General Anxiety Disorder (GAD) and prescribed Paxil, a common pharmaceutical drug used for relief of symptoms of anxiety. The patient reported the medication produced side effects with only minor relief, and resulted in decreased quality of life and added stress on her relationships. Soon after, she sought chiropractic care. Following her first chiropractic adjustment she experienced a 50% decrease in her anxiety, 30% reduction in her headache symptoms, and improvement in her range of motion within her neck. Within four months of chiropractic care treating her subluxations, the patient was able to discontinue her prescribed medication successfully, and her symptoms of anxiety were reduced by 80% with increased function and quality of life noted. Although our society and traditional medical system treats symptoms with medications, chiropractic has opened the eyes of many to the alternative options for promoting one’s own health without the need for drugs and surgery.
Chiropractic Care Can Help with Anxiety
Anxiety isn’t the only mental illness chiropractic care has found to help. In 2010 another case study was published about a 49 year old female who had a history of depression. The data collected through the duration of her chiropractic care showed significant improvement in the patient’s physical, mental, and social well being indicating the correction of her vertebral subluxations improved her quality of life naturally without any medications needed.
Dr. Seymour Lemeshow states “By reducing interference of nervous activity by manual means and helping to restore the body to normal functioning, beneficial behavioral changes do occur.” Spinal adjustments remove nerve interference, significantly reduce muscle tension, relax the body, and stop the cycle of after effects between the spinal cord, tense muscles, and the reticular activating system (RAS). The RAS is a loose network of neurons in the brain stem which functions in the control of sleep, walking, sex, eating, elimination, and overall consciousness. The brain stem and therefore the RAS, anatomically sits inside the first cervical vertebrae known as the atlas.
Be Aware of Your Options
We all experience increased stress at times which can bring about insecurities, doubts, and symptoms of many different mental illnesses. It is important to be aware of options when these mental states surface in your own life, and not just resort to your physician to give you temporary relief by introduction of synthetic medications. Our bodies innate wisdom is designed to heal and regulate itself. So rather than just consulting your physician for medications which will most likely create adverse effects, educate yourself of your options and be sure to get your spine checked. You could have experienced traumas in your life that have caused misalignments in your spine and changes in your body you may not be aware of. Follow the link below or call 970-377-3557 to schedule a complimentary spinal screening to see if we can help you with.
Spears Chiropractic Hospital Video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z9g35De0tFg
Powerpoint about Dr. Pothoff and psychiatric treatment with chiropractic
Article of 2002 Study of alternative health care and mental illness
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/full/10.2105/AJPH.92.10.1600
