Blood pressure and chiropractic

You hear a lot about the health of your heart and for very good reason. I doubt there is a single person who doesn't realize how astronomically important our heart is to our ability to function. Stop the heart, stop the body.

Cholesterol and blood pressure are two of the most common problems we hear about when referring to the heart. High blood pressure is common, especially among those in poor health, or facing a barrage of stressful situations.

Blood pressure fluctuates, but can propel itself to unsafe heights and endanger the health of your body as a whole.

There are many factors that can lead to high blood pressure along with many available treatments to combat the problem. More and more, studies are showing us that people are able to put down medication in exchange for less invasive treatments.

In 1999, the American Heart Association in Atlanta released a study that compared blood pressure between two groups of stockbrokers (a high stress endeavor). One group was given a dog or cat as a pet and the other was given the medication Lisinopril. Through a series of stress tests and 6 months time, the group of pet owners showed lower blood pressure spikes than those who were medicated.

Similar findings have popped up in the field of chiropractic care. Take a look at this study:

• A study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics in December, 1988 reports that patients under active chiropractic care experienced significant decreases in elevated blood pressure.

• In the study, each patient was randomly assigned to one of three groups: those receiving active chiropractic care, placebo chiropractic care, or no chiropractic care.

• According to the authors, results indicated that elevated "blood pressure decreased significantly in the active [chiropractic care group], whereas no significant changes occurred in the placebo and control [groups]."

• An October, 1993 study in the same journal reports that patients under chiropractic care, who are taking high blood pressure medication, may experience their blood pressure dropping too far below normal.

• As a result of this study, the authors advised that these patients should be monitored by their medical doctor for any downward adjustments in their medication.

Chiropractic care works on a simple notion. The brain is the control center for the body and supplies our cells, tissues, and organs with important messages that allow them to function properly. These messages travel down the spinal cord and out to the rest of the body.

For a variety of reasons (one of them being stress) the spinal bones that house and protect our spinal cord can move out of position, placing pressure on the sensitive nerves that exit between the bones.

This pressure on the nerves decreases their ability to function and reduces your brain's ability to regulate important bodily functions properly.

By removing these problems through a noninvasive chiropractic adjustment, the important lines of communication are restored. This allows your body to function at its optimal level.

While there are a number of ways to combat high blood pressure, many are proving to require less harm to your body than others. Whether it is a new pet to help keep you calm, or an adjustment to restore your proper bodily function, there are many ways to combat high blood pressure.

If you would like more information, give us a call at (208) 762-1414. You can find us on the web at www.CDAHealth.com, or on facebook and twitter by searching "Spoelstra Family Chiropractic."