Can Chiropractic Care Improve Sleep

According to the American Sleep Association, between 30 percent and 48 percent of older adults in the United States suffer from some sort of sleep disorder. Additionally, the association reports that between 10 percent and 30 percent of American adults struggle with chronic insomnia as a result of mental stress and anxiety among other factors. So, if you’ve been having trouble getting a good night’s sleep, you’re not alone.

However, you should know that sleep deprivation and deficiency have been shown to increase the risk for mental health problems, impair brain activity, weaken the immune system, and impact the cardiovascular system. Plus, it also increases the risk of serious health problems such as heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. Therefore, it should be in your interest to get that refreshing, healing sleep that you need every night.

Thankfully, a chiropractor can help you identify whatever sleep problem you’re struggling with and join you in the journey to achieve your ideal sleep. Read on to learn how chiropractic care can help improve your sleep.

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Treat Sleep Disorders

A chiropractor is a licensed medical professional whose area of specialty is the body’s musculoskeletal system, which includes joints, bones, nerves, ligaments, muscles, and connective tissues. They locate and correct spinal misalignments and subluxation using hands-on manipulation techniques to provide pain relief and help the body function and heal itself.

Research shows that sleep deprivation and deficiency don’t just increase the risk for musculoskeletal but also worsen pain levels in patients with musculoskeletal pain. On the other hand, mental stress and musculoskeletal ailments like back pain, neck pain, and sciatica has been shown to cause sleep problems.

Understanding this relationship is critical to understanding how chiropractic care helps improve sleep. That being said, here’s how chiropractic care is beneficial for anyone with insomnia, sleep apnea, or any other sleep problem:

Chiropractic Care Restores Proper Spine Alignment

Spinal misalignments often lead to poor posture, which can trigger back problems and compromise your body’s ability to communicate properly. This means your central nervous system can’t function properly and, as a result, you may begin having trouble getting enough sleep.

The focus of chiropractic adjustments is to locate and correct subluxations and misalignments in the spine. By restoring proper spine alignment, chiropractic care helps end sleeplessness due to spinal misalignments.

Chiropractic Care Alleviates the Pain and Discomfort That Causes Insomnia

Evidence suggests that regular chiropractic visits improve blood flow and circulation, reduce inflammation in the muscles or joints, and provide pain relief. As mentioned, musculoskeletal pain has been shown to be one of the factors that induce restlessness and discomfort that keeps both children and adults from falling asleep. Spinal adjustments and manipulation can alleviate this pain, improving your sleep.

Chiropractic Care Eases Tension and Decreases Your Body’s Stress Hormone

Using chiropractic adjustments, massage therapy, and other techniques, a chiropractor can reduce muscular tension and encourage circulation and blood flow which enables relaxation within your body. Additionally, chiropractic treatment can also decrease the production of the stress hormone; cortisol, which has been shown to cause insomnia and other sleep disturbances.

Finally, during your initial chiropractic consultation, your chiropractor will also take the time to discuss with you your sleeping position, physical activity level, and evening routine. They will then recommend sleeping positions, a supportive mattress or pillow, stretching exercises, and an evening routine that may be better for you based on the evaluation.