This is certainly the area where chiropractic and massage excels. Spinal adjustments to stimulate the nervous system and improve spinal and muscle balance, go a long way towards helping you move well.
If you’re wondering whether chiropractic can really help you, then you’ll be glad to know its benefits for flexibility have been supported by research.
For instance, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics study that included 105 patients discovered that chiropractic adjustments successfully increased range of motions in participants. The study included three stages: no adjustments, placebo adjustments, and actual adjustments. In each phase of the study, participants who received actual adjustments showed significant improvement in range of motion compared to those with sham adjustments or no adjustments
This isn’t the only study which confirmed the beneficial effects of chiropractic on flexibility. Another study published in the Journal of Chiropractic and Manual Therapies revealed that chiropractic treatment provided measurable improvement in range of motion in 60 participants who were part of this research. As obvious as these results may seem to anyone who’s been to a chiropractor before, they have important implications for a large portion of the population. Not only does restricted range of motion play a large part in many degenerative health problems, but one of the largest areas of concern for seniors is continued mobility throughout their later years.
References
1. Passmore S, Burke J, Good C, Lyons J, Dunn A. Spinal manipulation impacts cervical spine movement and fitts’ task performance: A single-blind randomized before-after trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2010 Mar; 33(3):189-192.
2. Branney J, Breen AC. Does inter-vertebral range of motion increase after spinal manipulation? A prospective cohort study. Journal of Chiropractic & Manual Therapy. 2014 Jul 1; 22:24.
3. Whittingham W, Nilsson N. Active range of motion in the cervical spine increases after spinal manipulation. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 2001 Nov-Dec; 24(9):552-5.
