What is Chiropractic Care and Why it Matters as a Part of Functional Medicine?

What is Chiropractic Care and Why it Matters as a Part of Functional Medicine? As functional medicine practitioners, our job is to have as many tools in our toolbox as possible and to know which is appropriate to use and when. One tool we use at The Healing Center is chiropractic care. A chiropractic adjustment is a manual therapy technique we often think of as treating pain. Chiropractic is amazing at getting rid of neck pain and headaches, pain and stiffness in your jaw, shoulders, elbows, and wrists, as well as pain in the hips, pelvis, knees, and ankles. But it is much more than just that. When you are adjusted it resets the nervous system so your brain can properly see what is happening throughout the body and recalibrate function as needed. Research shows adjustments positively affect immune function, blood pressure, and stress responses, actually, all things your nervous system regulates are impacted by an adjustment. You are an intricately self-regulated system and to heal we don't want interference at the level of the nervous system. Pain is just the last resort to tell you to pay attention…much like the oil light in your car. Stiffness and tightness are the first indicators of dysfunction at the level of the spine which affects the nervous system input and output and eventually leads to issues in the gut, thyroid, pancreas, etc. Misalignments or restrictions in the spine, called subluxations, can interfere with the normal function of the nervous system and surrounding tissues. Chiropractic adjustments aim to correct these misalignments or restrictions, thereby reducing nerve irritation and restoring proper joint function. This can alleviate pain,...