How Neurologically-Based Chiropractic can Improve Depression in PEACHTREE CORNERS GA

Depression affects roughly 9% +/- of the US population at any given time. (1) It frequently affects Americans worse during the wintertime. Chiropractic focuses on balancing the nervous system, the end goal is to positively affect the communication between the brain and the body. Stress can also negatively affect the nervous system. It can cause tense muscles, push us to skip meals, and miss out on sleep if we spend too much time ruminating in the evening time. The negative impact of stress on the nervous system can contribute to depression, because over time the potentially decreased nervous function will have a deleterious effect on brain health.

Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to release endorphins, similar in the way that chocolate and exercise both cause an excitatory affect on people. Endorphins are responsible for pleasure and can help us feel lighter, more satisfied, and less stressed. Endorphins are also responsible for relieving pain. Research has shown that people who have a higher level of endorphins rushing through their body experience less pain and less stress in their daily life. They feel more at ease and less tense. (2)

Nervous System

The autonomic nervous system, which is the "automatic" portion of the nervous system, is related to stress management. Impingement of nerves in the upper cervical spine can cause an increase in stress within the nerves further downstream. This impingement can cause a disconnect between the mind and body, inhibiting our natural life force within us. Chiropractic adjustments can help relieve this tension on the autonomic nervous system and allow us to loosen up and be more flexible in both mind and body. (3)

An example of this would be a patient who is experiencing elevated blood pressure which returns to normal after an adjustment. This can be monitored by taking blood pressure before and after being treated by the chiropractor.

A few causes of stress within the spine are as follows:

* Poor posture

*Poor sleep habits

*Sitting at a desk for hours

*Looking down at a cell phone or laptop

*Inflexibility

*Internalizing stress

*Motor vehicle accidents

Reducing stress in the body through chiropractic adjustments can lead to less muscle tension and rigidity can allow other stresses from daily life to pass through us much quicker without affecting our well-being. Chiropractic evaluation and adjustments post-injury to improve mobility of the spine and lower muscle tension will have a positive impact on the patient's mentality. Our goal is to bring the patient's quality of life back as quick as possible to limit the fear of missing out on what our patients enjoy from their favorite activities. (3)

Chiropractic can positively impact side effects of being depressed. Patients living in pain from injuries or patients who are not able to tackle all of their favorite activities related to musculoskeletal issues may be of the best benefit to chiropractic. (4)

A patient who was injured in a car accident, suffering from injuries, would greatly benefit from chiropractic care. The goal of the chiropractor is to improve nervous system function throughout the spine and body.

Author: Aaron Strickland

Aaron is a current DC student at Life University. He has completed his certification in Applied Kinesiology. He hopes to graduate in the Fall of 2024.

References:

(1).Goodwin RD, Dierker LC, Wu M, Galea S, Hoven CW, Weinberger AH. Trends in U.S. Depression Prevalence From 2015 to 2020: The Widening Treatment Gap. Am J Prev Med. 2022 Nov;63(5):726-733. doi: 10.1016/j.amepre.2022.05.014. Epub 2022 Sep 19. PMID: 36272761; PMCID: PMC9483000.

(2)Sprouse-Blum AS, Smith G, Sugai D, Parsa FD. Understanding endorphins and their importance in pain management. Hawaii Med J. 2010 Mar;69(3):70-1. PMID: 20397507; PMCID: PMC3104618.

(3) Kiani AK, Maltese PE, Dautaj A, Paolacci S, Kurti D, Picotti PM, Bertelli M. Neurobiological basis of chiropractic manipulative treatment of the spine in the care of major depression. Acta Biomed. 2020 Nov 9;91(13-S):e2020006. doi: 10.23750/abm.v91i13-S.10536. PMID: 33170171; PMCID: PMC8023121.

(4)Chu ECP, Ng M. Long-term relief from tension-type headache and major depression following chiropractic treatment. J Family Med Prim Care. 2018 May-Jun;7(3):629-631. doi: 10.4103/jfmpc.jfmpc_68_18. PMID: 30112321; PMCID: PMC6069670.