Chiropractic Adjustments Lower Blood Pressure

ABC News has broadcast a segment based off of several studies of chiropractic lowering the blood pressure levels for hypertensive patients.

While this is incredible information for people battling high blood pressure and great press for the profession, I find it a little disturbing at the medical doctor’s response in this news segment.

How do adjustments lower blood pressure?

Cervical manipulations and adjustments can have a large impact on the physiology of the body.  If you just look at the location of the top cervical joints (Occiput-C1, C1-C2), you’ll notice how close it is in relation to the brain.  It is not known yet exactly how the adjustment lowers blood pressure, but one of the proposed mechanisms is that the Atlas (C1) can affect the arteries at the base of the skull.  If the Atlas is not aligned properly, it is proposed that signals in the brain are sent to constrict those arteries, increasing blood pressure.  By getting the atlas aligned, these signals are stopped, relieving the pressure in the arteries, and lowering blood pressure.

Do I need to see someone special?

In the news clip and first journal article, it is mentioned that you need to practice a specific technique in order to get these desired results.  It was even shown in the same article that manipulation produced the results while mobilization did not.  I do not believe that a specific technique is needed however if all that is needed to be done is to realign the Atlas with the spine.  Every chiropractic technique has the ability to do so and should be just as effective.  It is only a matter of whether the doctor is trained well enough to identify a misalignment, which from experience is very common.

More information to follow!