Chiropractic Research
What research tells us about chiropractic
Chiropractic doesn't just remove pain and muscle tension, it has many positive effects on normalizing brain and body functions.
- Chiropractic helps with your general wellbeing.
- Energy levels increase after treatment, perhaps because less muscle spasm (contraction) uses less energy.
- Sleep often improves as pain decreases and is no longer keeping you awake.
- Balance and concentration may be a lot better after the brain and nervous system are calmed by the treatment.
- Chiropractic can help the prefrontal cortex of the brain. The significance of this is highlighted in detail below.
Chiropractic Enhances Brain Function
This recent study discusses the beneficial effects of chiropractic adjustment on the human brain. The facts listed below can be found on page seven of the research article by Dina Lelic:
- Improved brain function due to chiropractic treatment is brought about at least in part by changes to the prefrontal cortex.
. This area is important for what is referred to as 'executive function' of the brain which is the coordination and integration of more than one neural system. Executive function occurs when we achieve goals and solve problems based on constant environmental change.
How does the prefrontal cortex help with achieving goals ? It does this by allowing us to plan a lot of smaller sub-tasks to reach a particular goal. It lets us to focus on relevant information and dismiss that which is irrelevant. It helps us switch between tasks, monitor our memory, initiate activity and respond to stimuli.
This research supports the improvement in brain function that many chiropractic patients have noticed after receiving treatment. Examples of these functions include:
* joint position sense error * reaction time
* cortical processing * cortical sensorimotor integration
* reflex excitability * motor control
* lower limb strength
In summary, chiropractic treatment, by treating joint dysfunction, appears to have benefits that go far beyond pain reduction and improvement of muscle function - we now have proof that it improves processes governed by the prefrontal cortex.
Lelic, Dina et al. "Manipulation Of Dysfunctional Spinal Joints Affects Sensorimotor Integration In The Prefrontal Cortex: A Brain Source Localization Study". Neural Plasticity 2016 (2016): 1-9. Web. 6 May 2016.