The Main Reasons to Visit a Chiropractor: Part 1 of 4

At McAndrew Chiropractic, our mission is to help patients who seek alternative methods for their health and well-being when surgery or medication are not the best treatments. In many cases this is a chronic ailment, or recent injury that causes our patients pain. Generally speaking, this is why so many patients equate Chiropractors with only pain treatment, despite there being so many other core benefits not usually associated with the practice. This month we are starting a 4 part set of articles going into many of the other reasons to speak with our chiropractor when pain is not the main concern. These topics will range from inflammation and flexibility to depression and injury prevention. To start off, we have been hearing a lot of scientific interest in the connection between gut health and brain health and decided to talk about the Chiropractic affect on a patient's gut.

If you've been following McAndrew's Facebook account, you'll have seen some of our recent posts regarding the affects Chiropractic treatment can have on gut health. Repeated visits to a Chiropractor have been shown to not only increase healthy digestion for those dealing with recurring upset stomach issues, but it can also be potentially used for more severe disorders such as acid reflux and ulcers. More studies have indicated that manual adjustments also help to facilitate better digestion, prevention of constipation and a healthier microbiota of the gut. This essentially means, spinal manipulation has a role to play in intestinal issues and can even be employed to ensure the environment within the gut stays balanced - possibly due to stress relief which comes with regular Chiropractic visits. How does this relate to mental health? Further studies have been conducted to link gut health and diet to decreased risk of depression and even noticeable improvement for those suffering from depression. This is theorized as a relationship between the aforementioned microbiota and serotonin (the chemical which makes us happy). In layman's terms: a healthy gut without a chronic ailment combined with balanced digestion bacteria means more happiness or rather the correct amount of serotonin. With Chiropractic adjustments now being associated with gut health, we advise patients to do a bit of research themselves and see if Chiropractic treatment may be a good way to combat more than just pain.

This is not to say we are definitive on a link between Chiropractic treatment and depression, but rather that science is indicating gut health is important and recent studies are showing how much the gut benefits from manual adjustments. If a patient is experiencing digestion issues or a chronic gut ailment, Chiropractic may be an avenue to treat this patient without relying solely on prescriptions. Combined with a healthy diet, Chiropractic adjustments can also be used to help patients maintain an already balanced gut to prevent any future issues that may arise. Read our article next month to learn about how blood pressure and inflammation can be treated with Chiropractic techniques.