Where does your stress go? Neck? Upper back? Head? Low back? Would you like
some assistance in relaxing? Chiropractic spinal manipulation may
well produce relaxing effects particularly when directed
to the cervical and thoracic spine areas. Vancouver Disc Centers sees
stress daily. Vancouver Disc Centers hears our Vancouver
chiropractic patients request more spine treatment once they feel
how good it is! Wise 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 strive 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 improved
sympathetic (fight or flight) activity. Interestingly, neck
pain patients’ parasympathetic activity was boosted by
both upper and lower cervical manipulation. (1) Vancouver Disc Centers notes
that the effect of touch alone is powerful.
EFFECTS OF MANIPULATION ON STRESS RESPONSES
The body responds to all types of stimuli.
Researchers do their best to see how. One
group did a meta-analysis of multiple studies about
the effect of spinal manipulation and mobilization on cardiovascular responses.
Variations in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure
and heart rate were charted. They determined
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 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 tied
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 reduced systolic blood
pressure. (4) There is
something to manipulation beyond pain relief, and Vancouver Disc Centers is pleased
to present the research as it comes available.
SPINAL MANIPULATION TREATMENT
Vancouver Disc Centers uses gentle spinal manipulation
applied to the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine areas to reduce
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. 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 produce similar changes in patients’
pressure pain thresholds and reduce neck pain intensity. (6) These
are benefits of Vancouver chiropractic care Vancouver Disc Centers is well-equipped
to provide.
CONTACT Vancouver Disc Centers
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 as well as pain responses in the body.
Make your next Vancouver
chiropractic appointment today. Your neck and shoulders and upper
back will be grateful for the attention as will your decreased
pain and heart rate and blood pressure after a gentle Vancouver spinal
manipulation session.