Chiropractic is more than back pain relief, it's the natural approach to whole body wellness.
Medical studies show that chiropractic is effective for headache, migraine, dizziness, and neck pain. Patients with auto injuries, tinnitus, jaw disorders, fibromyalgia, and shoulder pain have also found relief with chiropractic.
It can also be beneficial for conditions associated with aging like scoliosis, spinal degeneration, and osteoarthritis in the knee, hip, and hands. By easing pressure on irritated nerves, chiropractic adjustments can alleviate nerve impingement, radicular pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, and sciatica. Chiropractic care can also help with pregnancy-related pain and discomfort in addition to correcting dysfunctions in the sacroiliac joint and pelvis.
And while chiropractic can relieve a number of pain conditions, it can also improve your overall health. Research shows that spinal adjustments can reduce blood pressure, sooth stress hormones, and boost immunity.
References:
Cervicogenic Headache
Haas M, Spegman A, Peterson D, Aickin M, Vavrek D. Dose response and efficacy of spinal manipulation for chronic cervicogenic headache: a pilot randomized controlled trial. The Spine Journal 2010; 10: 117-128.
Migraine
Tuchin P, Pollard H, Bonello R. A randomized controlled trial of chiropractic spinal manipulative therapy for migraine. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2000; 23 (2): 91-95.
Headache
Jull G, Trott P, Potter H, et al. A randomized controlled trail of exercise and manipulative therapy for cervicogenic headache. Spine 2002; 27(17):1835-1843.
Dizziness Lystad RP, Bell G, et al. Manual therapy with and without vestibular rehabilitation for cervicogenic dizziness: a systematic review. Chiropractic and Manual Therapies 2011;19(1):21
TMJ disorders
Alcantara J, Plaugher G, Klemp DD, Salem C. Chiropractic care of a patient with temporomandibular disorder and atlas subluxation. Journal of Maniuplative and Physiological Therapeutics 2002; 25(1):63-70.
Tinnitus/TMJ
DeVocht JW, Schaeffer W, Lawrence DJ. Chiropractic treatment of temporomandibular disorders using the activator adjusting instrument and protocol. Alternative Therapies in Health and Medicine 2005; 11(6):70-3.
Neck pain
Bronfort G, Evans R, Anderson A, Svendsen K, Bracha Y, and Grimm R. Spinal Manipulation, medication, or home exercise with advice for acute and subacute neck pain: a randomized trial. Annals of Internal Medicine 2012; 156 (1): 1-10.
Whiplash
Woodward MN, Cook JCH, Gargan MF, Bannister GC. Chiropractic treatment of chronic ‘whiplash’ injuries. Injury: International Journal of the Care of the Injured 1996;27(9):643-645.
Shoulder Pain
Boyles RE, Ritland BM, Miracle BM, Barclay DM, Faul MS, Moore JH, et al. The short-term effects of thoracic spine thrust manipulation on patients with shoulder impingement syndrome. Manual Therapy 2009;14:375–80
Back Pain
Balthazard P, et al. Manual therapy followed by specific active exercises versus a placebo followed by specific active exercises on the improvement of functional disability in patients with chronic non specific low back pain: a randomized controlled trial. BMC Musculoskeletal Disorders 2012; 13: 162. doi:10.1186/1471-2474-13-162.
Cifuentes M, Willetts J, Wasiak R. Health maintenance care in work-related low back pain and its association with disability recurrence. Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 2011; 53(4): 396-404.
von Heymann W, Schloemer P, et al. Spinal HVLA-manipulation in acute nonspecific LBP: A double blinded randomized controlled trial in
comparison with diclofenac and placebo. Spine 2012; doi:
10.1097/BRS.0b013e318275d09c.
Immunity
Teodorczyk-Injeyan JA, McGregor M, Ruegg R, Injeyan HS. Interleukin 2-regulated in vitro antibody production following a single spinal manipulative treatment in normal subjects. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010; 18:26.
Blood Pressure
Bakris G, Dickholtz M, Meyer PM, Kravitz G, et al. Atlas vertebra realignment and achievement of arterial pressure goal in hypertensive patients: a pilot study. Journal of Human Hypertension 2007;21:347-352.
Stress
Ogura, Takeshi and Manabu Tashiro, Mehedi,Shoichi Watanuki, Katsuhiko Shibuya, Keiichiro Yamaguchi, Masatoshi Itoh, Hiroshi Fukuda, Kazuhiko Yanai. Cerebral metabolic changes in men after chiropractic spinal manipulation for neck pain. Alternative Therapies. 2011; 17 (6): 12-17.
Carpal Tunnel Syndrome/Wrist Pain
De-la-llave-Rincon, A. Response of pain intensity to soft tissue mobilization and neurodynamic technique: a series of 18 patients with chronic carpal tunnel syndrome. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2012; doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2012.06.002.
Knee Osteoarthritis
Pollard H, Ward G, Hoskins W, and Hardy K. The effect of a manual therapy knee protocol on osteoarthritic knee pain: a randomised controlled trial. The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association 2008; 52(4):229-42.
Hip Osteoarthritis
Brantingham JW, Globe GA, Cassa TK, et al. A single-group pretest posttest design using full kinetic chain manipulative therapy with rehabilitation in the treatment of 18 patients with hip osteoarthritis. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapy 2012; 33(6): 445-57
Hand/Thumb Osteoarthritis
Villafañe JH, Silva GB, and Chiarotto A. Effects of passive upper extremity joint mobilization on pain sensitivity and function in participants with secondary carpometacarpal osteoarthritis: a case series. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2012; 35(9): 735-42.
Scoliosis
Morningstar, Mark W. “Outcomes for adult scoliosis patients receiving chiropractic rehabilitation: a 24-month retrospective analysis.” Journal of Chiropractic Medicine 2011; 10: 179-184.
Sciatica
McMorland G, Suter E, Casha S, du Plessis SJ, Hurlbert RJ. Manipulation or microdiskectomy for sciatica? A prospective randomized clinical study. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics 2010; 33(8): 576-584.
Pelvic Pain
Howell ER. Pregnancy-related symphysis pubis dysfunction management and postpartum rehabilitation:two case reports. Journal of Canadian Chiropractic Association 2012; 56 (2):102-111.
Sacroiliac Joint Dysfunction
Kamali, Fahimeh and Esmaeil Shokri. The effect of two manipulative therapy techniques and their outcome in patients with sacroiliac joint syndrome. Journal of Bodywork and Movement Therapies 2012; 16: 29-35.
Nerve Impingement
Christensen KD, Buswell K. Chiropractic outcomes managing radiculopathy in a hospital setting: a retrospective review of 162 patients. Journal of Chiropractic Medicine 2008; 7 (3): 115-25.
Radicular Pain
Rodine RJ, Vernon H. Cervical radiculopathy: a systematic review on treatment by spinal manipulation and measurement with the Neck Disability Index. Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association 2012;56(1):18-28.
Fibromyalgia
Panton LB, Figueroa A, Kingsley JD, et al. Effects of resistance training and chiropractic treatment in women with fibromyalgia. Journal of Alternative and Complementary Medicine 2009;15(3):321-328.