Corrective Chiropractic: Correlation Between Heart Health and Your Spine

Heart disease continues to plague our nation, straining our healthcare system and silently taking numerous victims. While family history and genetics play a pivotal role in the development of heart disease, there are lifestyle variables and choices that also play a part.

Heart disease prevention methods have focused on weight control, nutritional choices, exercise and even prescription medications. But did you know that chiropractic care helps improve overall heart health?

Even if every nerve in your chest were disconnected, your heart would continue to beat. This is because a small node of heart muscle rhythmically contracts and relaxes on its own, setting the pace for your heartbeat.

This natural pacemaker is called the “sinoatrial node.” In the average adult, the sinoatrial node maintains a rhythm of approximately 70 beats per minute.

While this “natural pacemaker” keeps your heart consistently working, nerves that accelerate and decelerate the heart (your sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves) can affect your sinoatrial node and affect your heartbeat.

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves are located in your thoracic and upper cervical spine, respectively. With corrective chiropractic care, spinal misalignments, pressures, and restrictions in these regions can be properly alleviated, and therefore normalizing your cardiac rhythm and heart rate.

Corrective care of the cervical spine also helps in lowering blood pressure, taking unnecessary stress off the cardiovascular system. So if you or a loved one’s heart health is important, please contact your local chiropractor specializing in Chiropractic BioPhysics® today.