Asthma is an incurable condition that causes the airways to narrow and secrete mucus. As a result, people with asthma experience difficulty in breathing, excessive coughing, as well as wheezing (a whistling sound while breathing out). Although there is no treatment for this condition, chiropractic care for asthma can help patients reduce the frequency and severity of attacks and enjoy a higher quality of life.
What Are the Causes of Asthma?
There is no clear explanation for the onset of asthma. The general agreement among healthcare professionals is that it is a combination of genetic factors and environmental factors. The increasing levels of pollution in the air and chemicals used in everyday products are certainly contributing factors.
In some cases, specific conditions cause a flare-up of asthma symptoms or trigger the onset of the condition. These factors are:
• Exercising in cold and dry air
• Constant exposure to chemicals, gases, or dust at the workplace
• Allergens at home, especially: mold spores, pollen, and pet wastes that become airborne.
The Most Frequent Symptoms of Asthma
Asthma affects patients differently. Some of them can perform daily activities with minimum symptoms, such as a little shortness of breath or a cough. For others, asthma attacks can be very dangerous, even potentially fatal, as their airways become constricted and they cannot breathe in and out.
These wheezing attacks are usually resolved with the help of the inhaler, which delivers a drug that relaxes the muscles of the airways and restored breathing.
Can Chiropractic Care for Asthma Help Patients?
First of all, let us state clearly that chiropractic does not treat asthma. However, by resolving issues preventing the nervous system from working properly, patients living with asthma can experience a significant improvement in their condition.
But what has the nervous system to do with your asthma attacks? For this, let us understand the mechanism of breathing. Although it appears to you that you are using your nose to suck in air and get it to the lungs, in reality, a muscle called the diaphragm does all the work.
It is the muscle that separates the thoracic cavity (where your lungs and heart are located) from the pelvic cavity (containing the stomach and intestines). The movements of the diaphragm muscle cause the lungs to inflate and deflate (similar to a smith’s bellows).
How Does Chiropractic Care for Asthma Work?
Chiropractic adjustments aim to solve misalignments in the spine. The slight misalignment of vertebrae can put pressure on nerves, including those that control the movements of the diaphragm.
By resolving these misalignments through chiropractic care for asthma, your diaphragm will receive improved signals from the brain. This can effectively help reduce the frequency as well as the severity of asthma symptoms.
Is This Form of Therapy Safe and Effective?
Chiropractic manipulations are extremely safe and non-invasive for patients with a various range of conditions, including asthma. The chiropractor will look at your medical history and ask you questions about pre-existing conditions and medications that you take before deciding what procedures to use.
In terms of effectiveness, the benefits of chiropractic care for asthma were demonstrated in a two-month research study on a group of children with asthma. The patients experienced a 45% decrease in asthma attacks and up to one-third of the children could reduce the use of asthma medication.
Chiropractic care for asthma can help you control your attacks and enjoy life to the full. Together with precautions to avoid asthma triggers, chiropractic adjustments are the effective and non-invasive solution any patient is looking for. Go to our online directory, find a chiropractor near you, and book your first appointment now!
