For years, athletes and medical professionals alike have never really agreed on whether chiropractic treatments are beneficial. Many people even fear the chiropractor. But most people realize once they make an appointment that back adjustments seem a lot scarier than they actually are.

So, do chiropractic appointments have health benefits? The short answer is yes, they do. Routine chiropractic appointments can ease headaches, backaches, body tension, and intense injury.

So how is a visit to the chiropractor beneficial?

For your pain or tension, you’ll want to make an appointment with a well-rounded local chiropractor and avoid athletic-based practices.

Once you find a center, here are just a few ways that chiropractic care can help you, and what ailments it can treat.

1. Relieve Lower Back and Neck Pain

Some past studies have indicated that proper chiropractic treatment can help heal neck and back pain. Sometimes it even works better than other common treatments, like physiotherapy and medication. With the right chiropractor, the techniques used can provide a quicker path to healing and relief.

If you need a fast way to heal that doesn’t require medication, a chiropractor visit could be perfect for you. It’s a great way to reduce pain and inflammation in your neck and lower back.

2. Headache Relief

Headaches (specifically migraine and tension headaches) are among the conditions most widely treated by chiropractic work.

Chiropractors work to relieve the strain and tension in your back and spine. Both can contribute significantly to painful headaches that can’t be treated by medicine.

Almost all other common headache treatments are drug related, but chiropractic appointments can initiate headache relief naturally.

3. Lower Blood Pressure

Something interesting to note comes from a commonly quoted 2007 study, written by the world’s leading expert on hypertension. It was found that one professionally administered chiropractic adjustment was just as effective as two blood pressure lowering medications. Even more telling, the effects of the single adjustment lasted significantly longer than the medicine.

Essentially, chiropractic adjustments fix points of tension and disruption like vertebral subluxations. This allows the body to reach homeostasis faster, and balance out hypertension.

4. Improve Athletic Performance

Athletes often have their own personal chiropractor on call, and most advocate heavily for check-ups with a chiropractor. Over half of all NFL teams have chiropractors on staff to treat their pain and pathological conditions.

A good session can:

  • Relieve muscle tension
  • Increase energy levels
  • Boost the immune system
  • Reduce inflammation
  • Improve performance

An adjustment can also do wonders when treating sports-related injuries, as well prevent potential injury during play. Many chiropractic offices like Bellevue Chiropractic will even curate their services towards specific treatment such as athlete injury.

5. Treat Neurological Conditions

Our spine is a direct link to our brains. It’s no wonder that a chiropractor can treat neurological conditions.

Many of brain-related conditions are related to spinal injuries or deformities. Chiropractic treatments are usually centered on treating and correcting the spine. Recent upright MRI scans have indicated that cerebral spinal fluid and blood flow are significantly better after a proper adjustment. Major neurological symptoms like brain plaguing (related to multiple sclerosis) and cerebellar invagination (which has to do with the cerebellum dropping) are disappearing from these patients.

There are also indicators that correcting the vertebrae of the spine can help with epilepsy and seizures.

Conclusion

The thought of someone cracking your back can sound intimidating, but the fact is that a visit to the chiropractor can provide crucial health benefits you may otherwise miss out on. Do your research, and consider booking yourself a chiropractic appointment to see what pain relief it can bring you!