How Chiropractics May Be Able to Help Your Anxiety
In the United States, 14.8 million adults suffer from depression, and 40 million suffer from anxiety. A lot of the time people are plagued with a combination of the two conditions, making it almost impossible to get through the day. It goes without saying that depression and anxiety greatly affect a person’s quality of life.
These conditions can leave you feeling unmotivated, reclusive, hopeless, alone, scared and overwhelmingly sad. Living with either condition makes completing the most basic of daily tasks difficult, such as eating, bathing, going to work and interacting with people in society. Most of the time antipsychotic and antidepressant medications are prescribed to treat these mental conditions. However, these prescriptions are intense, and usually accompanied by multiple unpleasant side effects. If seeking out a more natural form of treatment may be more suited, then chiropractic care may be beneficial.
A study published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research found that patients who underwent chiropractic treatments reported a change in their mental state as well as physical. These patients were known to be suffering from depression and anxiety and were looking for treatments that didn’t entail harsh medications. Along with their emotional problems, these participants also had problems with musculoskeletal pain, asthma, hypertension gastrointestinal issues and sleeping disorders.
The six participants were given twelve chiropractic sessions over a six week time frame. The chiropractors focused on corrected subluxations, otherwise known as blockages or dysfunctions in the vertebrae, in all of the patients. All except one participant (who was unable to complete the study due to personal reasons) were found to have a reduction of nerve interference from reducing the spinal subluxations. They also unanimously reported having a significant decrease in their depression and anxiety symptoms.
Four out of the six participants felt so much better with their emotional issues that they felt strongly enough to recommend chiropractic treatments to others who were struggling with anxiety and depression. The physical health problems of all the participants were alleviated as well.
The chiropractic treatments focused on treating the upper cervical neck. When the subluxations in this area were corrected, then the participants reported feeling an overall feeling of self improvement, in both the mental and physical states. The chiropractors treated the participants with chiropractic manipulations alone. Their treatment plans were not supplemented with prescribed medications in any way. This all-natural way of treating people for their emotional issues may be a safe alternative for people of all ages, since it is generally low-risk, natural and does not require any invasive procedures.
Used under Creative Commons Licensing courtesy of Jake Stimpson