Can Chiropractic Help My Blood Pressure?
About one-third of American adults have high blood pressure. In 2017, nearly half a million people died in the US alone due to high blood pressure as a primary or contributing factor. Only about half of people with documented hypertension have it under control, and their primary means of managing it is medication. While medication does lower blood pressure, it doesn’t usually bring it to an ideal level, and if the medication is stopped, the blood pressure will go right back up, meaning the problem isn’t actually corrected but rather covered up.
With high blood pressure being such a problem in America, what else can be done to improve the issue? In addition to eating a well-balanced diet, staying active, and maintaining a healthy weight, what else will help lower blood pressure naturally? The answer may surprise you: chiropractic care. Dr. Paige Roth is a Des Moines chiropractor who can not only help you improve your overall health, but who can also aid you in alleviating certain ailments or concerns that you’re facing, such as high blood pressure.
How Does Chiropractic Care Impact Blood Pressure?
Most people know of chiropractors as neck and back pain experts, and they are. But neurologically-based chiropractors, like Dr. Paige in Des Moines, focus on the entire central nervous system, which controls every system and part of your entire body. A misalignment of the spine leads to nerves and blood vessels that are less effective, meaning the body has to work harder to pump blood through them, which increases blood pressure. When the spine is properly aligned, the central nervous system is able to send messages correctly and they travel along their neuropathways effectively, allowing the body to function optimally.
Blood Pressure Studies Prove Chiropractic Care Is Effective
A study done in 2007 proved what chiropractors have known for decades: that chiropractic adjustments are incredibly effective at reducing blood pressure. A total of 50 individuals with high blood pressure were separated into two groups, one of which received real chiropractic adjustments and the other received sham adjustments. After eight weeks, all of the patients receiving the real adjustments saw a significant drop in their blood pressure—an average of 14 points in their systolic blood pressure and 8 points in their diastolic pressure. The medical doctor who reviewed the results was shocked and stated that it was “almost too good to be true”—except that it was completely true! It would take two different medications to bring about the results from this study, but those in the study took no blood pressure medications during the trial period. Additionally, there were zero side effects from this form of treatment, which is certainly not the case with blood pressure medications that come with a slew of possible side effects.
While this study was focused on adjusting the atlas, the top bone in the spine, all chiropractic adjustments can play a role in overall spinal and whole-body health. If you or a loved one has high blood pressure and want a natural way to improve it without medication, turn to Des Moines chiropractor Dr. Paige Roth at True Roots Chiropractic. Contact her office today to learn more about chiropractic care and improving your health.