High Blood Pressure and Chiropractic

Raise your hand if you know someone taking drugs to lower their blood pressure. Well. That's about 100%. We ALL know someone doing that. And, I guess we all know why. "Unresolved" chronic high blood pressure can supposedly cause stroke, congestive heart failure and kidney failure. In other words, modern Medicine must coerce people through fear to take drugs to control a body function.

Unfortunately, those prescribing drugs for high blood pressure rarely know what is causing a patient's problem. In fact, they may not even stop to think that there may be a GOOD reason for a person's elevated blood pressure. It just might be that there is some condition causing their body to NEED more blood. Most prescriptions for blood pressure medications rarely consider the CAUSE of the problem, whatsoever.

Virtually all prescriptions for blood pressure drugs come in one of four categories: diuretics, beta-blockers, ACE inhibitors and calcium channel blockers. And remember, these drugs only mask the symptom of some unknown condition while having NO healing properties AND even the least toxic ones can have deadly side effects.

So, the title of this article implies that high blood pressure can be positively affected by chiropractic care. You might be asking "What the heck does chiropractic have to do with high blood pressure?" I'm glad you asked. While some folks think chiropractic may be great for back pain, they rarely consider that what chiropractic adjustments really do is take pressure off either specific nerve roots or off the entire nerve system altogether, or both. For our purposes here, I want you to consider something called the Vagus Nerve.

The Vagus Nerve is a very special nerve located in an area called the brain stem. The brain stem is located just below the brain and just above the spinal cord. One of its jobs is to regulate your heart rate, blood pressure, digestion and many other functions. In fact, the Vagus Nerve is kind of like the reset switch on your computer. When things lock up, one of the first things you try is the reset button. Most times, that resolves the problem.

Everyone's heard of the body's "fight or flight" mechanism where you gear up for a fight or an to escape a life threatening situation. In our rushed and harried world, many of us stay in this "fight or flight" mode due to chronic stress. Over time, this causes chronic high blood pressure. Our diet and lack of exercise also contribute to the problem. Yet, few doctors recommend stress reduction, diet and exercise as a means of dealing with high blood pressure.

So, how do chiropractic adjustments help lower blood pressure? Specific adjustments of the bone at the top of the neck, called the Atlas, can help reduce stress on the brain stem. Reducing stress on the brain stem can stimulate the Vagus Nerve, helping to slow down your heart rate and lower the blood pressure. There are lots of technical explanations for this. But, this article is directed at people who want to get off drugs and lower the blood pressure naturally, not someone looking to justify the use of drugs. In short, chiropractic adjustments of the upper cervical spine stimulate what's called the parasympathetic nervous system, or the reset button for the "fight or flight" mechanism.

While any good chiropractor can adjust the upper cervical spine, I believe the best results come from specific upper cervical adjustments. And you just might realize other benefits from upper cervical chiropractic adjustments, like better sleep, digestion and elimination. maybe even better sex. But, that's a topic for another day.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) and Chiropractic

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is a common disorder, affecting some 58 million Americans. Yet it's also one that many people aren't comfortable talking about because the signs and symptoms may be embarrassing. Some signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome are:

• Abdominal cramping
• Bloating and gas
• Diarrhea, constipation or both

Many people have only mild signs and symptoms of irritable bowel syndrome. Sometimes the problems can be disabling, however. In some cases, you might have severe signs and symptoms that don't respond well to medical treatment.

For most people, IBS is a chronic condition, although there will likely be times when the signs and symptoms are worse and times when they improve or even disappear completely.

No one knows exactly what causes irritable bowel syndrome. Some researchers believe it's is caused by changes in the nerves that control sensation or muscle contractions in the bowel. Others believe the central nervous system may affect the colon. And because women are twice as likely to be diagnosed with IBS, researchers believe that hormonal changes might also play a role.

Irritable Bowel symptoms can be triggered by a range of things from gas or pressure on your intestines to certain foods, medications or emotions. Many people have an intolerance for dairy products. If you suffer from IBS, you'll know shortly after eating or drinking dairy products. Another trigger is stress. Most people with IBS find that their signs and symptoms are worse or more frequent during stressful events, such as a change in their daily routine or family arguments.

Because it's not clear what causes irritable bowel syndrome, medical treatment tends to focus on the relief of symptoms. Some of the treatments include anti-diarhheal drugs, anticholinergic (these drugs suppress the nervous system) drugs and even anti-depressants. Bear in mind, all of these drugs have side effects, some even fatal.

The most effective means of prevention of IBS symptoms has been stress reduction and management. Some forms of achieving stress reduction is psychological counseling, biofeedback, exercise, yoga, massage, meditation, deep breathing exercises and even hypnosis.

One of the most telling realizations about Irritable Bowel Syndrome is that no one knows what causes it, yet it is usually made worse with stress and better when stress is reduced. As with seizures and high blood pressure, specific chiropractic adjustments (that affect the parasympathetic nervous system) have helped many individuals suffering from IBS, even ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

If you're suffering from these chronic (and sometimes debilitating) condition, wouldn't it be worth giving chiropractic a try? No drugs, no side effects. If you'd like to give chiropractic a try to help restore some balance in your life and health, let me know. If I'm not in your area, I'll be glad to help you find a good chiropractor near you.