We Came to the Chiropractor for the Back Pain. We Stayed for the Calm.
GOOD NEWS FOR YOUR SPINE — AND MAYBE YOUR MOOD
Your mood called — and your spine might have something to say about it
Pain is typically what brings people to Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC — but it's rarely the only thing they leave without. Time and again, patients tell us they feel calmer, clearer, just better overall. We've always believed in whole-body care, and now the research is backing us up.
THE BODY-MIND CONNECTION IS REAL
We are more likely to treat the body and mind as separate things — the chiropractor manages the back, the therapist manages the stress. But your nervous system doesn't see it that way. More and more, researchers are finding that physical, hands-on approaches like the gentle delivery of spinal manipulation with Cox® Technic here at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC may have ripple effects on how we feel emotionally and mentally, too.
WHAT THE RESEARCH IS FINDING
Three recent reviews are particularly exciting. A 2026 systematic review by Schulz & Huzij looked specifically at manual therapy and depression, finding favorable patterns across multiple studies. (1) West & Huzij published a companion review focused on anxiety, with equally hopeful results. (2) And a 2025 meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials by Gordon and colleagues found that manual osteopathic care produced measurable improvements in anxiety, depression, and stress in adults. (3) These aren't small, outside-the-norm studies — they are rigorous reviews of multiple trials, and the findings are regular enough to get people in the research world truly enthusiastic.
A QUICK, HONEST NOTE
We want to be honest with you, because we think you deserve that: this research is exciting, but it's not a magic answer. If you're already working with a therapist or doctor for your mental health, please keep doing that — we're not here to replace that relationship, we're here to complement it. What this research does hint at is something many of us already feel intuitively: taking care of your body is part of taking care of your whole self. Whether you're a longtime chiropractic patient at Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC or just curious, we're always eager to talk about how chiropractic care fits into your bigger picture of health — mind included.
CONTACT Dr. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC AND COME AS YOU ARE
You don't need to have the right words or the perfect explanation. Bring whatever you're carrying — physically, mentally, all of it — and we'll help you sort through it.
Listen to this PODCAST with Dr. Christine Goertz, esteemed chiropractic researcher currently at Duke University, on The Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as she discusses how to “take your back back” with chiropractic care. You’ll be ready to have a talk about help for your spine and and mind!
Schedule your La Grande chiropractic appointment soon. Our gentle, safe treatment with The Cox® Technic System of Spinal Pain Management may well calm your pain which in turn calms your mind.
