Chiropractic and Blood Pressure

There was a very interesting article published in March on the popular health information website Web MD. The research study pointed to the effects of a specific upper cervical (upper neck) adjustment on high blood pressure. In fact, it was shown to be as effective as not one, but two blood pressure medications. They also found a way to give a "sham" adjustment to make sure the patients were unaware of the treatment they were receiving. The procedure they used in the research study is the same one we use in our clinic (NUCCA) and one of the authors of the study is someone that taught in our chiropractic school.

The lead medical doctor involved in the study was surprised as the results and was quoted as saying, "when the statistician brought me the data, I actually didn't believe it. It was way too good to be true... we saw no side effects and no problems," says Dr. George Bakris of the University of Chicago hypertension clinic.

Chiropractors have known for over a century that adjusting the spine has an effect on the autonomic nervous system. This study has created a buzz in our industry because of the involvement of the medical community with this project and the ability to "fake" an adjustment to prove results. There are also case studies available on other visceral effects like heartburn, menstrual discomfort and ear infections with kids.

So is chiropractic a treatment for high blood pressure? We have to be careful with statements like this because I am sure there are people out there with high blood pressure who wouldn't see much change from undergoing chiropractic care. We would rather think of it using the law of cause and effect. If the body is out of alignment it will put some sort of stress on the nervous system. Sometimes this can be felt through symptoms like headaches or sciatic nerve pain, other times it goes unnoticed (like an internal malfunction such as hypertension). Whether it is felt or not, it has an effect that over time will affect the function of the body.

Our profession is holistic in that we look for the cause of the problem and not merely treat symptoms. We are happy to have researchers in our profession who attempt to verify anecdotal changes that occur daily in practices all over the world. Very few people know that chiropractic has been around for over a hundred years and that approximately 4 million Canadians see chiropractors each year. Could 4 million people be wrong? (Not including the rest of the people around the globe who are also currently under chiropractic care). Our satisfaction rates are extremely high among recent users (90th percentile) and we are gaining more and more momentum. Remember that we do not have the leverage, money or power that the pharmaceutical industry has, yet we are still growing.

Have you tried chiropractic yet? Add this as part of your regimen and I am confident you will like the results. To learn more about this research study or NUCCA you can go to our website at www.novaspinalcare.ca and look under topics/events.

Dr. Jason Plotsky