Where do you feel
your stress? Neck? Upper back? Head? Low back? Do you want
some help relaxing? Chiropractic spinal manipulation offers relaxing effects especially when applied
to the cervical and thoracic spine areas. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC observes
stress every day. Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC hears our La Grande
chiropractic patients ask for more spine treatment once they feel
how good it is! Astute chiropractic patients!
MEASURING RESPONSES TO SPINAL MANIPULATION: STRESS
Initially, how do we react to
stress? Sweaty palms. Rapid pulse and heart rate. We can feel these responses.
Researchers want to measure these responses. Measuring
heart rate variability, blood pressure,
heart rate, and numeric pain scale after treating upper and lower cervical
spine segments of healthy and neck pain patients, researchers discovered
that upper cervical manipulation improved
parasympathetic (calming) system and lower cervical manipulation improved
sympathetic (fight or flight) activity. Interestingly, neck
pain patients’ parasympathetic activity was enhanced by
both upper and lower cervical manipulation. (1) Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC notices
that the effect of touch alone is influential.
EFFECTS OF MANIPULATION ON STRESS RESPONSES
The body responds to all sorts of stimuli.
Researchers strive to see how. One
group performed a meta-analysis of multiple studies regarding
the effect of spinal manipulation and mobilization on cardiovascular responses.
Variations in systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure
and heart rate were documented. They determined
that spinal manipulation and mobilization may bring about a
significant decrease of systolic together with diastolic blood
pressure. (2) An analysis of articles about the effect of spinal manipulation
on heart rate variability reported that a larger
parasympathetic response was seen when cervical and lumbar spine
areas were treated while a greater sympathetic response was seen
when the thoracic spine was treated. (3) Another study linked
pain response to resting blood pressure pre- and post-cervical spine non-thrust
manipulation. Non-chronic neck pain patients who underwent such manipulation had
reduced short-term pain and reduced systolic blood
pressure. (4) There is
something to manipulation beyond pain relief, and Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC is happy
to present the research as it comes available.
SPINAL MANIPULATION TREATMENT
Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC uses gentle spinal manipulation
applied to the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spine areas to reduce
pain. Spinal manipulation of the thoracic spine effectively influences
painful mechanical thoracic spine pain better than placebo treatment. (5) Effects
of thoracic manipulation go beyond the thoracic spine. Advantages
of manipulation of the thoracic spine reach the cervical spine
for patients with bilateral chronic mechanical neck pain. Thoracic thrust manipulation
and non-thrust mobilization deliver similar changes in patients’
pressure pain thresholds and reduce neck pain intensity. (6) These
are benefits of La Grande chiropractic care Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC is well-trained
to provide.
CONTACT Paulette Hugulet, DC, LLC
Listen to this PODCAST
with Dr. James Cox on The
Back Doctors Podcast with Dr. Michael Johnson as he
explains how chiropractic and The Cox® Technic
System of Spinal Pain Management may well address parasympathetic
and sympathetic and pain responses in the body.
Schedule your next La Grande
chiropractic appointment soon. Your neck and shoulders and upper
back will appreciate the attention as will your decreased
pain and heart rate and blood pressure after a gentle La Grande spinal
manipulation session.