Lung function is considered by many health professionals to be an excellent measurement of the overall health of an individual. As a Chiropractor we realize that the nervous system controls the function of the lungs and diaphragm and therefore the function of the nervous system is an even better measurement for overall health.
Our primary treatment, the chiropractic adjustment, applies a specific force, at a specific location, in a specific direction to assist the body in “righting” itself. Quite simply we supply the energy at the right time and place so your body can utilize it. Many people wonder how can such a simple treatment really helps to improve overall health. Consider the following study, which looks at how chiropractic adjustments affect breathing over a two week period.
The study was conducted on 58 patients to determine how a single knee-chest (upper-cervical) adjustment influenced pulmonary (lung) function. The two measurements that were used to identify changes in lung function during this test were the Forced Expiratory Volume in one second (FEV-1 – this is how much air a person can exhale in 1 second), and the Forced Vital Capacity (FVC – this is the maximum amount of air the lungs can exchange). These were measured both before the first chiropractic adjustment and after two weeks of regular chiropractic adjustments using a computerized spirometer.
Analysis of the spirometry measurements revealed statistically significant changes in both the FVC and FEV-1 values. Of the 58 patients, 33 (57%) were considered to have “abnormal” lung function before care. The rest were within the normal range. After receiving two weeks of regular chiropractic adjustments the abnormal group showed the greatest increases in FVC and FEV-1 with average increase being 9% and 8%, respectively. The “normal” group also showed improvements in both values after just two weeks of regular chiropractic care.
The study shows that regular chiropractic care, even after just two weeks, demonstrates that it can help improve lung function. As we said initially, many health professionals consider lung function to be an excellent measure of ones overall health. Therefore, we could easily conclude that regular chiropractic care after two weeks shows that it can improve the overall health of an individual. Imagine what it can do after just a few months! If you, a family member, friend or co-worker is having health challenges that relate to breathing problems such as bronchitis or asthma or if it is a more general problem with overall health give our office a call today to see how we can help!
For Your Health,
Dr. Patrick Chenoweth