New Research Sheds Light on Chiropractic, Anxiety & Depression
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“Research is revealing that there is a relationship between abnormalities in the spine, the nervous system, brain and mental health” stated Dr. Matthew McCoy, a chiropractor, public health researcher and editor of the journal that published the study. “Basic science research shows that the proper development and function of the brain relies on proper structure and movement of the spine from an early age.”
Research has shown not only that the developing brain relies on normal structural integrity and joint movement, but that complex neurochemical communication and pathways involved in helping humans to “feel good” are tied into spinal biomechanics and their related neurological pathways.
“It makes perfect sense once you understand the neurological connections between the spine, the brain and how we feel good stated McCoy. “The seat of human emotion is the Limbic System and we know that this system extends all the way down the spinal cord. By normalizing interference there, things like anxiety and a sense of well being are affected.”
Even beyond anxiety and depression, researchers believe that the increase in the diagnosis of such disorders as ADHD, pervasive developmental disorder, Tourette’s Syndrome, obsessive compulsive disorder and other mental health issues, have their root in a “perfect storm” of abnormal spinal development.
For decades mental health specialists have strived to find an answer for patients suffering from a multitude of anxiety related disorders. We now know many naturally occurring brain and spinal cord substances play a role in both emotions, anxiety and pain reduction, leading to an increased sense of wellbeing.
The patient reported on in this study was a 30-year-old woman suffering with a clinical diagnosis of depression and anxiety for over 8 years. She was experiencing panic attacks, had no energy, couldn't sleep and was on multiple medications to no avail.
The woman was examined by the chiropractor who took x-rays and found a loss of the normal curve in the neck, forward head posture and structural shifts in her spine. These structural shifts can lead to obstruction of the nerves and it is this obstruction, called vertebral subluxations, that chiropractors correct. Nerve testing confirmed obstruction of the nerves.
Following chiropractic care her depression and anxiety resolved, she was happy, had an increase in energy, her sleep improved and she was able to stop all medications for anxiety and depression.
The study’s authors call for more research on the effects of chiropractic in mental health challenges.
Contact Information:
Matthew McCoy DC, MPH
Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research
https://www.vertebralsubluxationresearch.com/vertebral-subluxation-research-1/
support@vertebralsubluxationresearch.com
