Where does your stress go? Neck? Upper back? Head? Low back? Do you want
some assistance in relaxing? Chiropractic spinal manipulation may
well produce relaxing effects especially when directed
to the cervical and thoracic spine regions. Moses Chiropractic observes
stress daily. Moses Chiropractic hears our West Palm Beach
chiropractic patients request more spine treatment once they experience
how good it is! Astute chiropractic patients!
MEASURING RESPONSES TO SPINAL MANIPULATION: STRESS
First, how do we respond to
stress? Sweaty palms. Rapid pulse and heart rate. We can feel these responses.
Researchers strive to measure these responses. Measuring
heart rate variability, blood pressure,
heart rate, and numeric pain scale after treating upper and lower cervical
spine segments of healthy and neck pain patients, researchers discovered
that upper cervical manipulation boosted
parasympathetic (calming) system and lower cervical manipulation improved
sympathetic (fight or flight) activity. Interestingly, neck
pain patients’ parasympathetic activity was enhanced by
both upper and lower cervical manipulation. (1) Moses Chiropractic notices
that the effect of touch alone is powerful.
EFFECTS OF MANIPULATION ON STRESS RESPONSES
The body responds to all types of stimuli.
Researchers attempt to document how. One
group did a meta-analysis of multiple studies regarding
the effect of spinal manipulation and mobilization on cardiovascular responses.
Variations in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure
and heart rate were charted. They concluded
that spinal manipulation and mobilization may bring about a
significant decrease of systolic as well as diastolic blood
pressure. (2) An analysis of articles about the effect of spinal manipulation
on heart rate variability stated that a greater
parasympathetic response was seen when cervical and lumbar spine
areas were treated while a larger sympathetic response was seen
when the thoracic spine was treated. (3) Another study linked
pain response to resting blood pressure pre- and post-cervical spine non-thrust
manipulation. Non-chronic neck pain patients who underwent such manipulation had
reduced short-term pain and decreased systolic blood
pressure. (4) There is
something to manipulation beyond pain relief, and Moses Chiropractic is thrilled
to present the research as it comes available.
SPINAL MANIPULATION TREATMENT
Moses Chiropractic uses gentle spinal manipulation
applied to the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine areas to reduce
pain. Spinal manipulation of the thoracic spine effectively influences
painful mechanical thoracic spine pain better than placebo treatment. (5) Effects
of thoracic manipulation transcend the thoracic spine. Advantages
of manipulation of the thoracic spine reach the cervical spine
for patients with bilateral chronic mechanical neck pain. Thoracic thrust manipulation
and non-thrust mobilization deliver similar changes in patients’
pressure pain thresholds and reduce neck pain intensity. (6) These
are benefits of West Palm Beach chiropractic care Moses Chiropractic is well-trained
to provide.
CONTACT Moses Chiropractic
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. James Cox on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
describes how chiropractic and The Cox® Technic
System of Spinal Pain Management may well attune parasympathetic
and sympathetic as well as pain responses in the body.
Schedule your next West Palm Beach
chiropractic appointment soon. Your neck and shoulders and upper
back will appreciate the attention as will your reduced
pain and heart rate and blood pressure after a gentle West Palm Beach spinal
manipulation session.