Where does your stress settle? Neck? Upper back? Head? Low back? Would you like
some help relaxing? Chiropractic spinal manipulation may
well produce relaxing effects especially when directed
to the cervical and thoracic spine areas. Cross Chiropractic Center observes
stress every day. Cross Chiropractic Center hears our Sandy Springs
chiropractic patients request more spine treatment once they experience
it! Astute chiropractic patients!
MEASURING RESPONSES TO SPINAL MANIPULATION: STRESS
Initially, how do we respond to
stress? Sweaty palms. Rapid pulse and heart rate. We can feel these responses.
Researchers want to measure these responses. Measuring
blood pressure, heart rate variability,
heart rate, and numeric pain scale after treating upper and lower cervical
spine segments of healthy and neck pain patients, researchers found
that upper cervical manipulation boosted
parasympathetic (calming) system and lower cervical manipulation enhanced
sympathetic (fight or flight) activity. Curiously, neck
pain patients’ parasympathetic activity was improved by
both upper and lower cervical manipulation. (1) Cross Chiropractic Center notes
that just the effect of touch is powerful.
EFFECTS OF MANIPULATION ON STRESS RESPONSES
The body responds to all types of stimuli.
Researchers strive to document how. One
group performed a meta-analysis of multiple studies about
the effect of spinal manipulation and mobilization on cardiovascular responses.
Changes in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure
and heart rate were documented. They concluded
that spinal manipulation and mobilization may result in a
significant decrease of systolic together with diastolic blood
pressure. (2) An analysis of articles about the effect of spinal manipulation
on heart rate variability reported that a greater
parasympathetic response was noted when cervical and lumbar spine
areas were treated while a greater 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 experienced
reduced short-term pain and reduced systolic blood
pressure. (4) There is
something to manipulation beyond pain relief, and Cross Chiropractic Center is happy
to share the research as it is made available.
SPINAL MANIPULATION TREATMENT
Cross Chiropractic Center utilizes gentle spinal manipulation
applied to the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine areas to decrease
pain. Spinal manipulation of the thoracic spine efficiently influences
painful mechanical thoracic spine pain better than placebo treatment. (5) Effects
of thoracic manipulation transcend the thoracic spine. Benefits
of manipulation of the thoracic spine extend to 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 decrease neck pain intensity. (6) These
are benefits of Sandy Springs chiropractic care Cross Chiropractic Center is well-equipped
to provide.
CONTACT Cross Chiropractic Center
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 address parasympathetic
and sympathetic and pain responses in the body.
Schedule your next Sandy Springs
chiropractic appointment now. Your neck and shoulders and upper
back will be grateful for the attention as will your reduced
pain and heart rate and blood pressure after a gentle Sandy Springs spinal
manipulation session.