Does Chiropractic Cure Disease?

Many of our patients are surprised to learn that chiropractic doesn’t cure anything. Nor is it a treatment for disease!

Yet, name virtually any disease or health problem and a chiropractic patient somewhere has seen it resolve after receiving chiropractic care. So, how do you explain that cases of asthma, acid reflux or sinus problems have been known to improve with chiropractic care?

It starts with the fundamental truth that health is normal. If you're not healthy, something is interfering with this state of normalcy. Since doctors (or drugs) don't heal, the only thing that the best doctors (of any type) can do is to remove interferences that may be preventing your body from expressing your normal health potential.

That’s why our focus is on your nervous system, which controls and regulates every aspect of your health and well-being. If controlling and regulating nerve impulses are compromised somewhere between your brain and your body (often along the spine), then restoring better brain/body communications can permit a more normal expression of health. The fact that your headache, back pain or allergic reaction may improve in the process is wonderful, unpredictable, highly likely and merely an expression of better nervous system control of your body.

Thus, chiropractic doesn't cure anything. Only you can do that. If there isn't any interference!

Shock Absorbers of the Spine

They bulge, herniate, degenerate and tear, but they don’t “slip.”

Discs, along with the curves of the spine, serve as the “shock absorbers” of your body. Separating each vertebra, they create the necessary spacing for nerves to exit the spinal cord to service the organs and tissues of your body. Rings of fibrous tissue called the annulus contain a soft jelly center.

We generally see two types of disc problems:

Bulging Disc

A weakened area of the annulus can allow the softer center of the disc to bulge out like a balloon. This can put pressure on nearby nerves. Bulging discs respond well to chiropractic care. With improved spinal function we’ve seen many cases in which surgery was threatened, resolve nicely.

Herniated Disc

A herniated or ruptured disc is more serious. It can occur anywhere in the spine, but seems most common in the lower back. This is when part of the soft center pushes out through a weakened area due to trauma or degeneration, putting pressure on the spinal cord.

Chiropractic care, along with simple exercises, such as walking, increased water intake and improved nutrition offer a natural, non-surgical resolution for many disc problems.

Stomach Bleeding and Kidney Damage

While the unintended deaths from high profile prescription drugs continue to make front-page news, there may be a far more dangerous drug problem lurking in your medicine cabinet.

Every day, millions of people take an NSAID (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) for quick, easy pain relief. Because these drugs are easily accessible and can be very effective, there is a dangerous misperception that they are risk-free. Problems can range from mild stomach upset to stomach bleeding and ulcers. This can happen because NSAIDs prevent prostaglandins from doing their job of protecting the lining of your stomach. At the same time, NSAIDs prevent the body's normal ability to stop bleeding.

Pain medications such as aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen, are the leading cause of stomach ulcers and have been associated with side effects ranging from stomach upset to stomach bleeding, which can be life threatening. In fact, NSAID use leads to more than 103,000 hospitalizations and 16,500 deaths each year in the United States alone!

Prostaglandins are also essential for the proper function of your kidneys. The elderly are especially susceptible to kidney damage from NSAID use. In fact, a recent study of 114 elderly men and women who had just begun taking ibuprofen, a popular NSAID, showed that 13% were experiencing reduced kidney function. When taken in high doses, NSAIDs can permanently damage your kidneys, requiring dialysis.

Before relying on a drug and its potential side effects, stop in for a chiropractic adjustment. Side effects include improved energy, increased vitality and enhanced well-being!