Seeing Chiropractic Clearly for Better Vision

By Krista Elliott

When you think of the benefits of chiropractic care, you probably think of things like reduced back pain and improved joint mobility. While those are definitely two of the more common benefits, there are other, less obvious advantages to regular chiropractic care. They're not right in front of your eyes, though. They ARE your eyes. 

"My eyes?" you may ask. "What in blue blazes does chiropractic care have to do with my eyes?" 

Well, as it turns out, the health of your spine and joints and the health of your eyes has a much stronger link than you might imagine. 

How Your Vision Affects Your Joints

Yes, it sounds a bit odd, but your vision really does affect your overall musculo-skeletal health. As someone who is horrendously nearsighted, I've noticed myself doing something when my prescription isn't strong enough, or if one of my contact lenses has decided to shift: I jut my head forward. And to my farsighted brethren: How many times, when reading something, do you pull your head back to help the words come into focus? Now, think about what happens to people who have mild cases of nearsightedness or farsightedness, but who have not yet sought vision correction? That's right, they're constantly holding their head out of optimal alignment in an effort to see better. 

Now, what do you think that does to the muscles of your neck and shoulders? Nothing good, that's for certain. By repeatedly holding your head in poor alignment, you're creating muscular imbalances and strain, setting the stage for vertebral misalignment and subluxations. 

However, by ensuring that you get regular eye exams and that your prescription is kept up-to-date, your vision will be clear and you'll be able to relax your neck and shoulders, allowing your spine to remain in a biomechanically optimal position. 

How Your Joints Affect Your Vision

This one may not seem as obvious, but again, it makes sense when you think about it. Your spine contains your spinal cord, which is the main pathway for your body's entire nervous system. These delicate nerves also include — you guessed it — the optic nerves, which control the function and movement of your eyes. 

Chiropractic treatment is not solely about relieving pain, but also about restoring optimal alignment to the spine, removing any impediments to the nervous system's natural function. In 1995, a chiropractor and an opthamologist teamed up to research the effects of spinal health on the health of the eye, and found remarkable results. Numerous ocular conditions were effectively treated through chiropractic manipulation, cementing the theory that spinal health has a significant health benefit on the central nervous system and therefore, the health of the eye. 

Our bodily systems are not independent of each other. They are all meant to work in concert, with the health of one part affecting the other. And with a healthy spine, treated by professionals like the ones at The Joint Chiropractic, you're doing the best thing possible for your overall health. And that's easy to see!