In our office we use a questionnaire entitled "Health Satisfaction Survey." Because we are a wellness center we don’t base a patient’s care only on their symptoms. Rather we ask questions related to their physical, chemical and emotional wellbeing.
One of the questions on the survey is "Have you been under chiropractic care for 5 years or longer." We have seen a definite trend that patients who are under chiropractic care for long periods of time are healthier than the average population. They don’t get sick as often. They take less medicine. They use less sick days from work. They are simply healthier. And recently a study proved the anecdotal evidence that we’ve witnessed over the many years we’ve been in practice (as well as the 12 other chiropractors in our family!!!)
In a landmark study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research (JVSR; www.jvsr.com), chiropractors collaborating with researchers at the University of Lund found that chiropractic care could influence basic physiological processes affecting oxidative stress and DNA repair. These findings offer a scientific explanation for the positive health benefits reported by patients receiving chiropractic care.
The researchers measured serum thiol levels in 21 patients under short-term chiropractic care and 25 patients under long-term chiropractic care. The results were compared to those of a non-chiropractic treated control group of 30 subjects. Long-term chiropractic care of two or more years was shown to re-establish a normal physiological state independent of age, sex, or nutritional supplements. Symptom-free or primary wellness subjects under chiropractic care demonstrated higher mean serum thiol levels than patients with active disease, and produced some values that were higher than normal wellness values.
Serum thiols are primary antioxi-dants, and serve as a measure of human health status. The test provides a surrogate estimate of DNA repair enzyme activity, which has been shown to correlate with lifespan and aging.
Dr. Christopher Kent, one of the authors explained, "Going through life, we experience physical, chemical, and emotional stress. These stresses affect the function of the nervous system. We hypothesized that these disturbances in nerve function could affect oxidative stress and DNA repair on a cellular level."
"Oxidative stress, metabolically generating free radicals, is now a broadly accepted theory of how we age and develop disease," Kent continued. "Oxidative stress results in DNA damage, and inhibits DNA repair. DNA repair is the mechanism which fixes the damage caused by environmental impact."
Chiropractors apply spinal adjust-ments to correct disturbances of nerve function. "Chiropractic care appears to improve the ability of the body to adapt to stress," continued Kent.
As a doctor who’s goal is to help a patient release their optimal health potential, you can understand why I am so passionate about chiropractic care.
215/752-1420 WWW.WSCENTERS.COM
Dr. Denise Chranow-ski, along with her twin brother, Dr. Dane Donohue, and Dr. Jerry Agasar, are the owners of Wellness Solution Centers. Located in New-town, this Wellness Center has all the tools and resources to dramatically improve your health, including chiropractic, massage therapy, acu-uncture, personal training, and nutritional counseling. www.wscenters. com