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Chiropractic, for more than just pain?

If you are like most people, the thought to visit a chiropractor only arises when pain does.  Could this leave you missing out on something more?

Brain function can be affected before you notice pain

Brain function can be affected before you notice pain leave you missing out on something more?

Recent studies are shedding light on the impact of the spine on cognitive function – basically the mental processes of perception, memory and reasoning. One particular study looked at a group of people with what we call subclinical neck pain, meaning they had very low level pain or a history of neck pain but not to the extent that clinical tests would indicate significant findings.

Compared to healthy individuals, the subclinical neck pain group didn’t do as well on the cognitive or mental processing tasks. Interestingly there was a significant improvement in ability after 4 weeks of chiropractic care compared to the group that didn’t receive chiropractic care. This study went on to speculate that subclinical neck pain could increase workplace errors, affecting safety and productivity.

Obviously, pain is going to impair our mental capabilities, and if you’ve been in pain you will be well aware of this!  It is interesting to note that even though the group didn’t currently have pain, their cognitive ability still suffered.

It is an important factor to consider that the function of our body declines before pain starts to emerge.  Being proactive can protect our health and maintain function.

At HealthGuard Wellness, our Chiropractors are highly trained to assess your spine for functional issues and address them even before pain emerges. If you feel you are struggling with remembering or learning tasks, it might be time to make another appointment.

To Your Greatest Health!

Dr James MacKay

Get to know Dr James:
” With the desire to dedicate myself to a career that would be fulfilling each and every day, I chose 
Chiropractic. Chiropractic is about helping your body run at its best so you can heal and deal with everything life throws at you.”

Dr James’ passions are Chiropractic, motorbikes, power lifting and most importantly – food!


References:

Haavik H, Murphy B (2012), “The role of spinal manipulation in addressing disordered sensorimotor integration and altered motor control,” J Electromyogr Kinesiol, 22(2012) pp.768-776).

Luke M (2016), “Subclinical neck pain impairs cognitive ability which can be improved by chiropractic treatment: a four week longitudinal study with a healthy control group comparison,” Journal of Pain and Relief, DOI: 10.4172/2167-0846.C1.012

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