Chiropractic adjustment has long been recognized for correcting spinal alignment issues, reducing musculoskeletal discomfort and optimizing whole body performance. Many people already know that Chiropractic care can offer relief from backaches, neck pain and pinched nerves. However, more and more people are experiencing relief and help with other issues beyond neuromusckuloskeletal challenges.
Today, the connection between the spine and the nervous system is becoming better understood. A spinal misalignment that obstructs normal nerve function, known as subluxation, can impact every system of the body. This is why Chiropractic adjustment has proven to be so effective at helping patients heal from a broad range of health issues from the inside out.
Gonstead Chiropractic Method
Some believe that Chiropractors specializing in the Gonstead Method have a unique ability to provide relief from a wider range of symptoms. This may be because Gonstead chiropractors objectively treat the whole spine. It may also be since, unlike most chiropractors, those practicing the Gonstead Method utilize modern diagnostic tools, including full-spine digital x-rays and spinal thermography, to pinpoint the underlying issue. Or it may be owing to the fact that Gonstead chiropractors master many additional methods of chiropractic adjustment and specialize in more targeted adjustments overall.
Below, we take a practical look the benefits of chiropractic care and six specific ailments you will probably be surprised to know that a Chiropractic adjustment may help to alleviate.
1. Constipation
2. Bed-Wetting and Bladder Control
3. Sciatica
4. Migraines and Headaches
5. Acid Reflux/Heartburn/GERD
6. Asthma
Constipation
Chiropractic adjustments help deal with constipation. The digestive system, starting from the mouth and ending in the anus, is a long smooth musclar tube that contracts regularly when it’s functioning normally (peristalsis); this pushes the digested food down and allows for normal bowel movements.
Structural shifts on the spine in the middle back, lower back and tailbone can interfere with the spinal nerve messages going from the brain and spinal cord to the colon and rectum. For everything to work smoothly, these nerves need to communicate well to the rectum and colon. When your spine gets out of alignment, it disrupts this communication pathway and can lead to constipation.
There are special cells, called ganglion cells, in your intestine muscles that help push stool through. These cells connect to the celiac ganglion, which is linked to various digestive organs and your spine and brain through spinal cord nerve roots. If the vertebrae in this area have are not aligned properly, it can obstruct these nerve roots, causing problems with your bowels and other digestive issues.
A Chiropractic adjustment can help to fix these misalignments. By doing so, they eliminate the interference with the nerves, making your intestines work more normally again. This is a common issue in many individuals but even more so in young children.
As children learn to walk many times they fall repeatedly on the bottom of their spine which disturbs the nerves going to the colon and rectum. Children see favorable results with gentle and specific Chiropractic adjustments. They even experience better coordination, considering that this region of the spine also houses the nerves which control the legs, knees and feet.
Bed-Wetting and Bladder Control
Regarding bed-wetting and bladder control, the key is understanding how the body regulates itself during sleep. There are two different issues which may occur.
The Phrenic Reflex, responsible for keeping carbon dioxide levels in check, plays an essential role. However, when there is nerve interference in the upper neck, this reflex gets disrupted, leading to a buildup of carbon dioxide. High carbon dioxide levels cause the smooth muscles, including the bladder control valve, to relax excessively, resulting in bed-wetting.
Another mechanism is via the bottom of the spine. The sacral nerves located at the base of the spine travel to the bladder and can be interfered with by minor shifts in the tailbone (sacrum). This can interfere with the normal tone and control of the bladder when a child is sleeping and thus leading to bedwetting.
A Chiropractic adjustment, specifically targeting the upper part of the spine in the neck region or in the tailbone region, address the impinged nerves, restoring proper Phrenic Reflex and sacral reflex function. This can translate to improved bladder control and reduced bed-wetting episodes or cessation all together.
Sciatica
Chiropractic care can effectively help your body relieve and overcome sciatica, a condition caused by the pinched sciatic nerve in the lower back, resulting in pain radiating down the back of the leg. Our Gonstead Chiropractors use precise adjustments to the spine to target the main cause of sciatica, aiming to reduce the pressure on the sciatic nerve and help restore the body to a state of ease.
These adjustments are about getting the spine and spinal cord system to function optimally and adapt to life’s demands. This relieves the compression and irritation of sciatic nerve. The goal is more than just to deal with the symptoms by relieving pain and discomfort. The goal is to tackle the root issues contributing to sciatic pain in the first place. This will both provide relief and also improve the overall function of the affected nerve, so you can get back to your regular activities pain free and with better mobility and adaptability.
Chiropractic care for sciatica is never a one-size-fits-all approach. It involves a personalized treatment plan that can only be developed after a thorough case history and spinal analysis.
Most patients who started Gonstead Chiropractic care that are suffering from sciatic pain have shared that they experienced significant improvements in their symptoms and overall quality of life.
Migraines and Headaches
Chiropractic care goes beyond back issues — it can also help with headaches and migraines for all ages. The connection between your spine and nervous system is key, as misalignments may contribute to or cause headaches.
Our Gonstead Chiropractors provide a thorough assessment, including x-rays. After identifying the area of nerve interference caused by a shift in the spine (vertebral subluxation) that is the culprit, targeted adjustments are administered. This adjustments are done by hand with the goal if restoring normal function to the nerves and can both reduce current headaches and even prevent future ones as your body starts to experience it’s real normal and new state of health.
By tackling the underlying causes of headaches and migraines, our chiropractors can help give you lasting relief so that you can live your best life. Many adults and children report significant improvements in frequency and intensity after non-invasive chiropractic adjustments.
Acid Reflux/ Heartburn/ GERD
Chiropractic care can help with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), which causes digestive discomfort. Issues like acid reflux and heartburn may be linked to pinched nerves or a misalignment of your spine adding pressure to the nerves that control the stomach and esophagus. Specific adjustments to your spine reduce disruptions to spinal nerves that control these areas of the digestive system. This give normal tone and vigor to the smooth muscle sphincter of the esophagus which normally prevents acid from coming back up from the stomach when it is functioning normally. This can improve your digestive system, and ease symptoms related to GERD and heartburn/acid reflux.
Our Gonstead Chiropractors take a thorough approach, looking at onset, symptoms, posture, and a thorough diagnosis, to determine if your digestive problems may be related to a spinal issue.
While everyone’s experience differs, some people experience signficant relief from digestive issues after starting chiropractic care. It’s a non-invasive approach that can in many cases provide long-term relief and more importantly, ensure that the neuro-digestive system is functioning optimally for years to come. More and more people are trying Gonstead Chiropractic for themselves and their children as they prefer to try a natural approach before jumping to more invasive traditional methods, and medications, for managing acid reflux, heartburn, and GERD.
Asthma
Chiropractic care offers notable benefits for people with asthma by helping to restore the normal integrity to the nerves supplying the lungs and combat poor posture which may be compressing the lungs. This approach allows the smooth muscle in the lungs and airways lungs, as well as the muscles of the ribcage to contract and expand fully, optimizing air intake.
Beyond immediate relief in some cases, continued chiropractic treatment can bring long-term benefits. Misalignments in the spine impact energy flow through nerve endings (vertebral subluxations), a critical aspect of asthma management that is overlooked by mainstream health care.
Regular chiropractic adjustments can help restore structural integrity to the spine and nerves over time, enhancing lung function and potentially reducing the frequency of asthma attacks and their severity.
Additionally, proper spinal alignment and function is crucial for the effective function of the airway and diaphragm, promoting better airflow and providing relief for individuals with asthma. Correcting back issues with Chiropractic adjustment has a positive impact on the nervous system and contributes to a strengthened immune system, further lowering the risk of asthma attacks.
Gonstead Chiropractors at Nordik Chiropractic
Chiropractic Adjustment at Nordic Chiropractic
Since 1895, Chiropractic care has effectively helped millions of people tackle a surprisingly broad spectrum of health issues from the inside out by restoring the body’s control over it’s nerve system. Whether it’s sciatica, migraines, acid reflux, asthma, constipation, bed-wetting, or bladder control problems, Gonstead can offer a practical and non-invasive approach.
If you are looking for alternatives to traditional treatments, exploring the possibilities of chiropractic care might reveal a valuable resource for achieving optimal well-being.
To start this journey, consider contacting us here at Nordik Chiropractic, where our experienced practitioners are ready to guide you toward a healthier, happier future.
We employ the Gonstead Method to evaluate and help overcome a variety of issues.
Our chiropractors focus on spine, joint and nervous system health, offering posture advice to prevent tension headaches and much more. Our holistic approach considers a variety of contributing factors to common ailments, providing non-invasive care plans that prioritize natural relief without pharmaceuticals.
