The Benefits of Supplements and Exercise to your Chiropractic Care

Dr. Kristian

Interests: Men's health, Running

So what does it actually mean for your health when you get adjusted?

Something that has always fascinated me is the ‘offhand comments’ patients give when I ask them how they’re going. Comments like, ‘better movement, less pain,’ are really common, but my favourite thing to hear is ‘I can now do activity X again.’ If we want to get serious about our health, then we need to be active and mobile, the way we are supposed to be!

Another personal favourite of mine is “I feel stronger!” Whether you’re a competitive weightlifter or just want to get out of a chair easier, this one is super important. We now know that getting your spine adjusted changes your brain’s blueprint of your body, increasing your proprioceptive feedback. Proprioception is the brain’s perception of where the body is, what it’s doing, and good proprioception means better muscle control, which translates to strength.

One more important benefit of having a regular check-in with a health professional is being able to ask health related questions. Things like ‘What can I do to maintain and improve my health?’ Last month we talked about chocolate, cortisol and chiropractic, which introduced us to the idea of better health via nutrition, which is definitely a great way to help improve your health. Good quality foods and a balanced diet are fantastic, but unfortunately, we can’t always get all our nutritional needs from our food. For example, to get the required Omega 3-6 balance right, we would have to eat so much fresh, deep-sea fish that we would basically get Mercury poisoning! A fish oil supplement is a much savvier approach in my opinion. Probiotics are another great way to boost your gut health, because not everyone likes fermented foods. Magnesium is another mineral we usually use more of than we consume and it is an easy supplement to get your hands on. And the research supports the regular use of supplements.

• Fish oils: The different types of fatty chains in fish oils (Omega-6 and Omega-3) play a vital role in health, and a poor balance of these (too much Omega-6) can start the downward spiral of many diseases including cardiovascular disease, cancer, and inflammatory and autoimmune diseases.1
  
  
• Probiotics: Gut bacteria is incredibly important for healthy digestion, and supplementing with different strains of probiotics can reduce symptoms of Irritable Bowel Syndrome, reduce inflammation in the gut, help respiratory tract infections and even boost immune function!2
  
  
• Magnesium: There are so many listed benefits of Magnesium (mood, energy production, lowering high blood pressure, helping insulin control for diabetic people), but for the purpose of this month, Active April, let’s talk physical bonuses. Studies show that athletes that take magnesium can- have an improved sporting performance, this is most likely due to the increased Oxygen levels during exercise, decreased insulin and even lower cortisol (stress hormone)!3
  

References –

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12442909
   
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21229254
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9794094