The bones and joints of the spine exist to move while protecting the spinal cord. Regular spinal adjustments reduce the slow, steady degenerative changes which occur in the spine with age. Movement helps create a strong, well-functioning relationship within a joint. The spine consists of close to 40% of the joints found in the entire body. Chiropractic care ensures that every joint is aligned and moving optimally.

Specific nerve firing triggers into the brain and central nervous system when a spinal vertebra loses normal positioning and mobility. The body responds by experiencing stress in areas of the body specific to the parts of the spine being affected. The spinal joint becomes compromised while the brain experiences neurological interference and deficit. Research shows that degenerative changes begin occurring within hours and days of a vertebra losing the ability to move properly.

A direct relationship exists between immobile joints and escalated wear. A study which used animals as subjects recorded an increase in scar tissue around areas of immobility in the spine. The scar tissue created adhesions that reduced mobility even further. The deterioration eventually reached a period of time when bony changes began to take form. The onset of irreversible damage due to immobility occurred in as little as four to eight weeks. Appropriate assessment and regular movement proved critical to avoiding the degenerative process.

Chiropractic adjustments help reduce degeneration and improve mobility by creating motion in fixated bones of the spine (called subluxations). Regular adjustments and movement in these subluxations re-establish mobility and gently breaking up adhesions. Every individual maintains a unique threshold for adhesion formation and permanent degenerative change. The study highlights the need for regular assessment of spinal joints to address any fixated vertebra.

Subluxations and immobility in the spine lasting longer than four to eight weeks run a higher risk of permanent degenerative change. Implementing a health care plan that involves regular Chiropractic adjustments ensure the long-term health of the spine and body. Waiting for pain and discomfort to form in joints tends to signal advanced stages which cannot be fully restored. Chiropractors recommend proactive care of the spine and nervous system to ensure long term health, mobility, and quality of life for the whole family.

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“Those who sat four or more hours a day were more likely to have developed heart disease, diabetes, or another chronic disease than those who sat less than four hours a day.”   –International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 2013

“Sitting is responsible for 170,000 cases of cancer every year.”   -American Journal of Epidemiology

“Sitting is the New Smoking.”   –Ann Intern Med. 2015;162(2):123-132.

Exhibiting good posture pleases the eyes and speaks volumes about a person’s attention to detail. Good posture stands out so dominantly today because of the rarity with which people concern themselves with this important aspect of total body health. Increased amounts of time on phones and computers for males and females of all ages play a huge role in the poor posture epidemic.

Centuries of mothers and grandmothers collectively cringe at the visual landscape of poor posture roaming through society. Family matriarchs often demand better posture due to the poor appearance of slouching and hunching but the true effects of poor posture impact overall health and well-being more than appearances. One study determined that people who sat four or more hours a day were more likely to develop heart disease, diabetes, or other chronic diseases than people who sat less than four hours a day.

Another study concluded that slumped forward shoulder posture specifically associates with an increased rate of death due to atherosclerosis. Atherosclerosis impacts the arteries characterized by the deposit of plaques on the inner walls of the vessels. These important findings illuminate the value of good posture habits and measures. The threat of a back or neck pain problem represents only a portion of the health risks involved with bad posture. The majority of negative health outcomes associated with poor posture involve internal issues related to organs and systems, such as increased death rates due to atherosclerosis.

Everyone body functions better with optimal posture yet most people experience a deterioration of good posture at varying degrees. The majority of people only focus on posture as it pertains to cosmetics and appearances, unaware of the negatively influence impacting organ function.

Regular Chiropractic adjustments help change the spine and posture as it relates to function, and better education serves to share the postural benefits Chiropractic care offers every member of the family. Every Chiropractic technique helps improve posture by correcting areas of spinal stress called subluxations.

Other keys to improving posture include:

1) Make simple changes to the home or work station which ensures good posture and spinal support when sitting in front of a computer.

2) Watch less TV.

3) Take 2 brief walks per day – studies show that more frequent brief walks provide better benefits than one longer walk. (Set a reminder to take 2-3 brief walks per day).

4) Maintain regular Chiropractic visits to ensure better alignment and nervous system balance.

5) Drink more water throughout the day to lubricate the body’s discs and joints while forcing more movement with regular trips to the bathroom.

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The latest research on headaches and depression reports that, “autonomic dysfunction plays a role in the pathogenesis of tension-type headaches and depressive disorders.” The research indicates why so many people suffering from headaches find relief through Chiropractic adjustments.  Also, it indicates that people coping with depression often turn to Chiropractic for long term relief and resolve which cannot be provided by drugs and prescriptions.

Chiropractic care focuses on the spine and nervous system.

Scientific evidence proves that small misalignments of spinal vertebrae coupled with altered mobility create stress in the nervous system. The nervous system stress also referred to as autonomic dysfunction, increases stress hormones in the blood and body. A sustained increase in stress hormones creates an environment for symptoms such as headaches, pain, and even depression. The most powerful medications in the world do not relieve the nervous system stress. As a result, many of the unwanted symptoms associated with headaches and depressed mood disorders are still prevalent.

Chiropractors do not pursue the resolution of a specific disorder through an adjustment.

Chiropractors assess, locate, and adjust areas of nervous system stress and misalignment. The outcome focuses on restoring normal function and tone in the brain and nervous system. This results in a powerful environment of healing and wellness. Allowing the body to function and heal at optimal levels often leads to the resolution of symptoms, ranging from headaches and pain to organ function and even depressive-type conditions.

An estimated 80%-90% percent of the population will suffer from headaches at some point.

Approximately 15% of people experience a headache at any given time. Headaches, mental health, and many other conditions benefit from spinal adjustments all over the world. Drug therapy serves as the most prescribed form of relief from headaches, but people deserve to know, understand, and experience the benefits of chiropractic care. The medical community often prescribes powerful drugs with dangerous side effects which offer no permanent solution to these conditions. Chiropractic care focuses on long-term and permanent healing.

Research from June of 2018 showed Chiropractic adjustments helped with chronic headaches of more than two years in duration.

The improvement of headaches was achieved by reducing stress in the autonomic nervous system. Headache relief also accompanied reduced feelings of sadness and decreased bouts of extremely low moods. Participants also reported a decrease in thoughts of death and suicide. Many study participants previously sought relief through physical therapy, acupuncture, traditional Chinese therapy, and even six-month regimens of various drug treatments. Results of previous interventions yielded little to no benefits. The study concluded after six months of Chiropractic care which focused on restoring function and healing. All participants reported a decreased or absent presence of headache pain and depressive-type symptoms as well as the reduction or elimination of medication use.

The benefits of removing interference from the nervous system through gentle and precise adjustments to the spine often result in a reduction or elimination of symptoms.

The body possesses powerful innate intelligence that always strives for adaptation and balance. The majority of unwelcome symptoms occur due to interference in the body. A significant form of interference in the nervous system comes from spinal bones being misaligned or not moving appropriately. This interference (called subluxation) occurs in much of the population due to stress. People routinely care for their cardiovascular system, digestive system, and immune system but overlook the need for routine nervous system care and maintenance. The irony being that the nervous system regulates the health of all other systems. Every adult and child deserve a health care plan involving nervous system care.

The post New Research on Headaches, Depression and Chiropractic first appeared on Chiropractor Broken Arrow.

What is a subluxation?

To put it plainly, it’s when a vertebra has lost its normal position. This loss of position interferes with the function of the surrounding joints and/or tissues. A more in-depth explanation: A subluxation (which can result from physical, chemical, and mental stressors) occurs when one or more spinal vertebrae move out of position and create stress or irritation on nearby nerves, preventing the body from functioning optimally. The goal of the chiropractic adjustment is to remove or correct subluxations, which eliminates any interference to the nervous system and improve spinal function and overall health.

How do I know if I have a subluxation?

It’s critical to understand that subluxations are often painless and they can occur at any time or age. The only way to accurately determine if you have a subluxation in your spine is through a chiropractic evaluation with your doctor of chiropractic.

What are the symptoms of subluxation?

While you can have a subluxation(s) without any noticeable symptoms, there are some indicators or symptoms of subluxation, such as neck pain, back pain, headaches, dizziness or balance issues, muscle spasms, tightness or weakness, reduced mobility, joint pain, numbness or tingling in extremities, low energy and more.

As a profession, we’ve just scratched the surface as to the possible effects subluxation can have on the body. Spinal health is directly related to the health and function of your central nervous system and the removal of subluxations are critical to your overall spinal health. We know that subluxation:

• Create dis-ease in the body, decreasing its ability to adapt to stress
• Decrease the body’s ability to function at its optimal potential
• Accelerate joint aging and cause joint degeneration
• Can cause a chain reaction of other health issues
• Can cause biostructural and postural problems

Who can treat subluxations?

Chiropractors are the only healthcare providers trained to diagnose and treat subluxations. Experts in the musculoskeletal systems, chiropractic physicians go through years of education and training to learn how to accurately identify and correct subluxations in the spine.

How do chiropractors treat subluxations?

Subluxations are treated using chiropractic adjustment. Highly educated and trained chiropractic physicians perform the adjustment to the spine using their hands or a small instrument. Using a quick and gentle movement, chiropractors apply a specific amount of sudden force to a specific joint to help remove the subluxation, increase the mobility of the joints and improve overall spinal function.

If you have never been to a chiropractor or it’s been a long time, we would love to sit down with you to answer all the questions you have regarding subluxations and your health.  We truly believe that everybody should have a chiropractor they know, like and trust.  If you would like to schedule your first appointment to see how chiropractic can help what you are going through, please give us a call at 918-940-4630 and set up your consultation with Dr. Ring today!!

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