Most people who first walk into a chiropractic clinic only have a single short-term goal: pain relief. In most cases this is certainly attainable, but after they have the initial issue resolved, they often neglect following up with their chiropractor again until they have more aches and pains.
There are some benefits to chiropractic care beyond pain relief. We are certainly not going to convince everyone to get regular chiropractic treatments, but there are a few benefits that most people are unaware of before now.
The dentist comparison
Some people look at those who receive regular chiropractic adjustments as ‘strange’. However, those same people do not find it strange that we regularly perform basic maintenance on a car, or that an optometrist suggests regular visits to ensure that there are no developing issues. They do not think twice about regular visits to their dentist to guarantee good oral health for as long as possible.
In order to maintain good spinal health in the long term, a doctor of chiropractic should recommend regular visits. Again, those that come in with tension headaches, neck pain, or lower back pain often only have a single overriding goal – make the pain go away.
However, it is important to remember that every organ system in the body is influenced by our spinal nerves. This means that long-term spinal health (facilitated by chiropractic care) is going to be beneficial to your long-term health goals. This is not about getting rid of immediate pain – it is about preventative maintenance.
An example of long-term benefits
If you asked people to mention 15 different benefits of good spinal health, chances are that breathing is not a function that most people would identify. However, a 53-year-old man who had a 20-year history of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease is a great example of how our spinal health can have long-lasting benefits. The man received chiropractic care for more than 14 months, and the amount of air that he was forcibly able to exhale in a single complete breath and the amount of air he could take in had greatly improved.
This is just one case in a growing body of work that suggests that chiropractic care and improved spinal health can lead to improving lung volumes. The long-term implications of the link between lung volumes and chiropractic care cannot be overemphasized.
Most people (even those that do not have to contend with pulmonary disease) find that their lung volumes tend to decline as they become older. Lower than normal lung volumes are associated with shorter lifespans. They have even been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular problems that might shorten life expectancy, heart attack, and stroke.
Conversely, studies show that our life expectancy increases if our lung volumes do. Additional biological functions that appear to benefit from improved spinal health include improved vision, balance, and reaction time. This is just something to consider if your chiropractor recommends regular follow-up visits.
Pain reduction
One of the benefits of long-term chiropractic care includes the reduction of symptomatic musculoskeletal complaints. A study published in The Journal of the Canadian Chiropractic Association in 1999 revealed that chiropractic manipulative therapy was able to increase range of neck motion and reduce pain intensity in patients who struggled
with acute neck pain.
Additional studies also reveal that long-term chiropractic adjustments are effective in the treatment of lower back pain. A study published in the British Medical Journal in 1995 reveals that when compared to treatment from hospital therapists, those patients who received chiropractic care for lower back pain felt more satisfied with their treatment. The researchers of that study suggested that long-term chiropractic care for lower back pain was more effective than treatment in the short term.
Learn more about what you can achieve
Once the initial discomfort is dealt with and the body has been given a chance to heal, it is possible to ensure that these physical issues do not return with routine chiropractic care. However, in order to remain pain/symptom free, it is important to focus on increasing your overall health. This can be through a healthy diet, improved posture, reducing stress, and various other methods
Long-term chiropractic care is not necessarily about adding or removing something to your system – it is about ensuring that possible complications are discovered and resolved before they ever become an issue. It means that instead of recovering from issues, you are actively doing your best to prevent them. If you are interested in learning more about the long-term benefits of chiropractic care, or would like to know how it could benefit you, make sure that you visit Total Back Care today. Call 8357 8211 now to set up an appointment and find out more about the long-term benefits of chiropractic.
