Don't Forget About Your Spine

Good health depends greatly on our physical structure. Our basic structural system is our skeletal system which foundationally the spine. The spine holds a key to health. Health includes an optimally functioning body. Our central nervous system (CNS), which is our brain and spinal cord, directs and controls body function. Spinal bones or vertebrae encase our spinal cord and our spinal nerves. Abnormal function with the spinal vertebrae will interfere with the CNS by interfering with the messages the spinal and peripheral nerves are taking to the organs, cells and tissues. These interferences result in abnormal body function, improper healing and decreased health. The converse of this is the key. Removing the interference of the nervous system increases health. This is why chiropractic care is so important to a healthy lifestyle. An interesting study reported in the Journal of Neuroscience in 2004 clearly connects a decrease in the grey matter of the cerebral cortex (part of the brain) to people who experienced chronic lower back pain.1 The study revealed how chronic pain caused brain destruction. This is a good reason for getting rid of back pain rather than learning to live with it.


Consider how living things heal. We don’t have to think about it for it to happen. In this same way the heart beats, the liver cleanses, and the blood circulates. It all happens without thought. This is all possible because of our nervous systems direction. This is why being well adjusted is paramount to health. Chiropractic is all about wellness by maximizing the expression of an individual’s CNS over a lifetime. Many people receive these benefits without realization because they chose to get adjusted due to a pain syndrome. It is a smart choice to choose chiropractic for treatment of chronic spinal pain according to a study reported in the journal Spine 2003. This study compared chiropractic spinal adjusting, needle acupuncture and the drugs Celebrex and Vioxx. The results revealed that chiropractic care was more than 5 times effective than drugs and nearly 3 times more effective as acupuncture for the treatment of chronic spinal pain.2 This study was followed up a year later. The follow-up results showed that the patients who had received chiropractic care still had a reduction of pain while those who had received drugs or acupuncture had a return of symptoms once their treatment ended.3 Although, to experience the optimum benefits of chiropractic care is go beyond pain relief and to continue to occasionally be adjusted for maximum wellness. Many people do not realize that chiropractors are licensed doctors who have completed a course of training which is very similar to medical doctors. Chiropractors are trained in knowing when to refer to medical doctors. The premise of chiropractic care is that it is effective by removing the cause of a problem rather than suppressing the symptoms. This natural care is a more frequent choice of people who desire drug free conservative care. Not all chiropractors practice the same way. If you have had an experience that was undesirable don’t lose out on the potential benefits; just seek out a chiropractor whose practice style better suits your needs.

In conclusion, it is my hope that this information is a blessing to you and your family. It is probably best to make changes over a couple of months and not try to embrace it all at once. Perhaps this 21 Day Journey to Health can serve as a wellness coach for you as you set out to raise the level of your families’ health. Don’t just read this once. Return to this information until it becomes a part of your life. Remember, every step taken to a healthier life is a step forward. Momentum builds with persistence. Enjoy the process!

Resources:
1. Apkarian, Vania. "Chronic Back Pain is Associated with Decrease Prefrontal and Thalamic Gray Matter Density." Journal of Neuroscience os 24 (2004): 1410-1415.
2. Giles, Lgf. "Chronic Spinal Pain: a Randomized Clinical Trial Comparing Medication, Acupuncture, and Spinal Manipulation." Spine os 28 (2003): 1490-1502.
3. Muller, Phd., Reinhold. "Long-Term Follow-Up of a Randomized Clinical Trial Assessing the Efficacy of Medication, Acupuncture, and Spinal Manipulation for Chronic Mechanical Spinal Pain Syndromes." Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Theraputics os 28 (2005).