Correcting Hormone Imbalance with Chiropractic Care

Many people view chiropractic care as an obscure, ineffective branch of medicine. Even those who are supporters of the practice think chiropractors are just “back doctors.” Unfortunately, both of these perceptions are inaccurate.

The Chiropractic Mindset

Proponents of chiropractic care believe our overall health is dependent on proper spinal and nervous system health. When these vital elements of the body are out of balance, the rest of the systems suffer the consequences. Our bodies crave a state of homeostasis and balance. Fortunately, it doesn’t take much effort to create this ideal situation. By attending to the spine and nervous system health, chiropractors can influence positive change in other areas of the body. Therefore, these holistic healers offer numerous benefits—many we didn’t even know possible. One of the many benefits of alternative medicine is correcting hormone imbalances.

Understanding Hormones

Hormones are essential chemicals that regulate and facilitate many of the body’s most necessary functions. They serve as messengers, traveling through the bloodstream from one tissue to another. The most talked about hormones are estrogen and testosterone. Most people are familiar with the way estrogen wreaks havoc in the lives of menopausal women and how low testosterone affects the sex life of men. However, these two hormones only scratch the surface of what the body is capable of producing and regulating. There are hundreds of hormones flowing through the body at any given moment.

Hormones are responsible for various functions of the body, such as:

• Growth
• Circadian rhythm management (like sleep/wake patterns, appetite, etc.)
• Moods and emotions
• Healthy immunity
• Metabolism regulation
• Puberty, menopause, and andropause
• Reproductive health
• Sexual arousal 

Hormone levels are in a constant state of flux. However, there are definite “high” and “low” thresholds and a span that is considered normal. When hormones become imbalance, patients can expect to experience things like:

• Excessive mood swings
• Unexpected weight loss or weight gain
• Depression
• Disturbances in sleep patterns
• Decrease libido
• Unexplained hair loss or growth 

Since none of these situations are desirable, it is important to keep hormone levels in check.

Chiropractic Care to Balance Hormones

Many people find it surprising to learn chiropractors can help regulate hormones. Because of the widespread appeal of commercial products for hormone replacement therapy, many people are unaware of the natural healing techniques. Fortunately, chiropractors offer drug-free, non-surgical hormone restoration techniques. Usually, these alternative methods involve spinal subluxation, exercise and a healthy diet.

Spinal Subluxation

When the spine is misaligned, it puts pressure on the nearby nerves. This pressure hinders the nerves’ ability to communicate with the rest of the body. When this happens, the brain doesn’t receive the messages it needs to in order to regulate the body (it can also receive inaccurate messages). When the brain is receiving poor information from the rest of the body, it won’t properly communicate with the endocrine system—which is responsible for hormone regulation.  Once the spinal alignment has been restored, the nervous system will begin functioning properly again.

Exercise

Many hormone imbalances are caused by weight management issues. For example, there is a direct correlation between obesity and low testosterone. There is also a correlation between decreased muscle mass and low testosterone. For these reasons, it is essential to incorporate exercise into an all-natural hormone management system. Fortunately, there are many exercises that boost testosterone naturally. In addition to exercise, there are other lifestyle changes that can naturally increase testosterone and other hormones.

Nutrition

A healthy diet is also a key element in overall health. Since an alarming portion of the population is deficient in one or more nutrients, it is no surprise our health suffers. Therefore, proper nutrition should always be included in any alternative healing technique.

Balancing Your Hormones

If you suspect a hormone imbalance, talk with your chiropractor. The doctor can conduct a simple test to evaluate your hormone levels. Once hormones have been deemed inadequate, the chiropractor will work with you to bring a natural balance to your body.