Nutrition and Chiropractic care

Nutritional therapy and Chiropractic care go hand in hand.

The doctor of the future will give no medicine, but will interest his patients in the care of the human frame, in proper diet, and in the cause and prevention of disease.

                                                                                              Thomas Edison, US Inventor 1847-1931

I became interested in Chiropractic care after suffering from a bad back in my early 20’s following a fall from a horse when I was younger. However, I have continued seeing chiropractors from that point onwards as I came to understand that it is the alignment, positioning and function of the joints that directly affects the flow of nerves from your brain to all parts of your body.

Chemical reactions and bodily functions are controlled by your brain and communicated through the spinal cord so regular Chiropractic care allows these messages to be communicated and helps the body reconnect with its innate potential to heal itself. In essence, Chiropractic care is not just for bad backs! 

Nutritional therapy looks at addressing nutritional imbalances which also affects chemical reactions and bodily functions, and works with clients on many levels to support the body towards healing itself.  Co-management of certain clients therefore makes sense and I think Chiropractic care and Nutritional therapy naturally go hand in hand. 

For those already suffering from musculoskeletal complaints, dietary modification could help with pain management. For example, insulin resistance (a precursor to diabetes) is implicated in the pathophysiology of Metabolic Syndrome (a collection of risk factors that can lead to diabetes, stroke and heart diseases) which may be linked to musculoskeletal pain (Seaman & Palombo, 2014).

An elevated body mass index could also indicate a pro-inflammatory body chemistry and be seen as a potential initiator/promoter of pain too (Seaman, 2013) and it therefore may be incumbent upon chiropractors to identify those at risk and refer them on.

Insulin resistance, weight gain and other conditions can be reversed with the help of a nutritional therapist through the use of multiple strategies such as dietary and lifestyle modifications. This, along with regular chiropractic care, can allow your body to heal itself and achieve good health and hopefully prevent chronic disease. 

References

Seaman, D. (2013) ‘Body mass index and musculoskeletal pain: is there a connection?’ Chiropractic & Manual Therapies. 21:15

Seaman, D. and Palombo, A. (2014) ‘An overview of the identification and management of the metabolic syndrome in chiropractic practice’ Journal of Chiropractic Medicine 13(3): 210-9