The results are in and they are really exciting. A landmark study supported by the Chiropractic Leadership Alliance and the University of Lund found that chiropractic care could influence basic physiological processes affecting oxidative stress and DNA repair. I have the research information in my office if you are interested in more specifics.

Simply stated, as we live life, we are subjected to physical, biochemical and psychological stress.  Our ability to repair damaged DNA is an important factor in health and longevity. Oxidative stress results in DNA damage and inhibits DNA repair. In short, we now have evidence that chiropractic adjustments affect the chemistry of biological processes on a cellular level.

The second study was conducted by Dr. Ron Rupert and his team at Parker College. The study surveyed 311 chiropractic patients, aged 65 years and older, who had received chiropractic care for 5 years or longer.

Despite similar health status, chiropractic patients receiving “maintenance care” for five years or longer, when compared with US citizens of the same age, spent only 31% of the national average for health care services.

The chiropractic patients also experienced 50% fewer medical provider visits than their comparable peers.

Can you imagine the potential economic impact of cutting medical provider visits by 50%.

The third study was conducted by John Zhang, MD, PhD and his team. Dr. Zhang investigated the effects of chiropractic adjustments on heart rate variability. Heart rate variability (HRV) measures the overall tone of the autonomic nervous system, which controls the organs, glands, and the blood vessels. It also shows the balance between the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions of the autonomic system by looking at how the brain and heart are communicating with one another. The test is important because decreased heart rate variability is associated with increased mortality risk, is seen with depressed patients with coronary artery disease, and is associated with aging and obesity.

Dr. Zhang’s team examined pre/post changes following a single chiropractic adjustment in 625 patients from 96 offices. His team also followed 132 patients for a four-week period. They found that not only did the patients report decreased pain as indicated by the Visual Analog Scale (VAS) but improved function of the autonomic nervous system.

“…The decreased heart rate and increased total power from the HRV analysis indicated a healthy autonomic nervous system balance after correction of vertebral subluxations.”