Regular Chiropractic Care Proves to Be One of the Greatest Health Investments

Regular Chiropractic Care Proves to Be One of the Greatest Health Investments

Chiropractic has been proven beneficial for long term wellness. Research shows that regular chiropractic improves the health and longevity of the spine, diminishes the risk of joint degeneration, increases mobility, and boosts overall function of the body by reducing stress from the brain and central nervous system. This study evaluated the necessity and value of on-going regular chiropractic adjustments for the prevention of  on-going regular chiropractic adjustments for the prevention of spinal immobility and degenerative changes. The results were as follows:

- Wellness or maintenance care optimises levels of function and provides a process for achieving the best possible health. This care may include chiropractic adjustments in addition to exercise, diet, nutritional counselling and lifestyle coaching.

- The purpose of chiropractic maintenance care is to optimise spinal function.

- In animal studies, fixation of facet joints for 4-8 weeks causes degenerative changes in osteophyte formation of articular surfaces. These findings may provide an explanation for why patients report increased well-being and decreased incidence of spinal complains with once per month preventative wellness adjustments.

- Facet joint fixation also resulted in synovial fold fibrotic adhesions that progressed to mild adhesions in 4 weeks, moderate adhesions at 8 weeks, and severe adhesions after 12 weeks. In humans, it can be hypothesised that there is a period where the adhesions are forming without clinical symptoms. This would support the common once per month maintenance spinal adjustment.

- It has been demonstrated that lumbar spinal adjustment gaps the facet joints which may break up adhesions.

- Four weeks of joint immobilisation has been found to cause a time dependent loss of neurons that becomes progressively worse thereafter. An increase in neurons occurs after release of the fixation.

- Such immobilisation also causes time-dependent muscle weakness, and atrophy and fatty deposition of the multifidi muscles.

- There may also be a possibility of reversal of the neuronal degeneration and muscular weakness through adjustments and re-mobilisation of the joint.

- Evidence clearly demonstrates that the clinical consensus of maintenance spinal adjustive care has been found to be most beneficial at an average of once every 2 to 4 weeks. We also see that it closely correlates with the studies that show onset of joint degeneration, neutral degeneration, neuroplastic changes and muscular atrophy and weakness at n average of 2 to 4 weeks. 

- Taking into account the neurological and bio-mechanical consequences of spinal adjustive care, it is possible to hypothesise the monthly chiropractic adjustments retard the progression of adhesion formation, joint degeneration, neuronal changes, and changes in muscular strength and recruitment patterns. This could result in improved function, decreased episodes of injuries, and improved sense of well-being.

One of the greatest benefits of chiropractic is he ability to prevent spinal degeneration from occurring through regular checkups and adjustments when necessary. Research reveals that checkups every two to four weeks is ideal in preventing degeneration and maintaining spinal heath. Wellness chiropractic care is a lot like regularly changing oil in a car, brushing teeth, exercising, weeding the garden, updating a computer or improving car axel alignment. The quality and quantity of life for a car, computer, human body, garden, or tires is directly dependent on how it is treated and maintained. The spine is no different. Research like this help show the value of regular chiropractic care for prevention just as much as it helps to resolve pain or problems after they have already occurred.

A study published in the Journal of Chiropractic Humanities called “A theoretical basis for maintenance spinal manipulative therapy for the chiropractic profession”.