When you think of weight loss, you probably (and correctly) think of diet and exercise. If you strive to eat a well-balanced, nutrient-dense diet and get your body moving every day, you will shed a few unwanted pounds. That much is clear. But there may be another, less valued tool at your disposal. A tool that could help balance your body and allow it to work and burn fat even more effectively. Yes, the chiropractor could help with your weight loss journey.

Chiropractic care and weight loss

What does chiropractic care have to do with weight loss? Isn’t going to the chiropractor only for people with back or neck pain? How can an adjustment affect your waistline? 

These questions and more are at the top of many people’s minds as they search for a quick and easy way to get rid of unwanted weight. We are living in the age of obesity. Researchers estimate, as of 2016, that more than 1.9 billion adults are overweight in the world. This shocking number fuels an entire industry as marketers capitalize on the fears and insecurities of this growing population. 

Surgeries, magic pills, and the perfect diet seem too good to be true. Plus, most of these “quick fixes” don’t fall into the safe or effective category. However, people continue to seek these shortcuts, looking for a fast track to health and their ideal weight. 

There are no shortcuts to weight loss. Weight gain is your body telling you something is out of balance, that it needs different fuel. When you listen to your body, you will see results. Regular physical activity and sticking with the organic, nutrient-dense 100 Year Heart Diet will make a difference. 

Another way to communicate with your body is by visiting a health practitioner who knows how to speak its language. One that doesn’t want to throw dangerous prescriptions at you and send you on your way. A doctor who cares, listens, and believes in the body’s innate ability to heal itself. The chiropractor. 

Regular adjustments can allow you to get in touch with your body and develop a healthy, active lifestyle. A chiropractor is a great aid in your weight loss journey. Here are five research-backed ways your chiropractor can help you lose weight.

Improves chronic pain

Have you ever been prevented from doing a particular exercise because of back or neck pain? If so, you’re not alone. Neck and back pain are increasingly common, with 60-80 percent of adults experiencing back pain and 20-70 percent experiencing neck pain that will interfere with their daily activities at some point. 

Many people struggling with neck or back issues are scared to exercise. These people fear that they will trigger their chronic pain or worsen it. Whether from an injury, occupation, or poor posture, pain, and the limitations that come with it, are often accepted as a natural part of life. 

Fortunately, there is hope through chiropractic care! Numerous studies have shown that regular adjustments can diminish chronic pain, restore mobility, and allow you to exercise freely again. Since regular, consistent movement is associated with a healthy weight, your chiropractor could be the key to your weight loss.

Chiropractic care could also decrease reliance on opioids for chronic pain. One recent study showed that patients with spinal pain were 50 percent less likely to fill prescriptions for pain medication if they also visited a chiropractor. Along with many other health concerns, opioids have been linked with weight gain and decreased glycemic control. 

Reduces stress response

Stressors are everywhere. There is always something to stress you out, from traffic on your way to work to relationship worries and current events. While a certain level of stress is natural and even helpful, spurring you to take action or make a change, it can become chronic and start a downward spiral that leaves you tired, sick, and overweight.

Along with regular relaxation techniques like deep breathing and yoga, chiropractic care may help ease mental stress by targeting the areas of tension in your body. Lower stress means better impulse control, lower cortisol levels, and healthy lifestyle changes that contribute to weight loss. 

Fixes neurological pathways

Subluxations (misaligned vertebrae) contribute to physical nerve stress on the body, creating pain and inflammation and releasing the stress hormone cortisol. The nerves in the spinal column carry information throughout the central nervous system. When there is an interference in this communication, your brain cannot talk to the rest of your body. 

Over time, this imbalance in the spine can throw off numerous body systems and contribute to digestive issues, heart conditions, reduced immunity, and weight gain. When your body can’t tell your brain to stop eating, you can easily overeat, which leads to increased weight over time. 

Chronic physical stress leads to an imbalance in the autonomic nervous system and an overproduction of cortisol, interfering with the digestive response, causing constipation or diarrhea, and increasing fat retention. 

When the doctor corrects spinal subluxation, these neurological pathways are repaired, and your communication system can start functioning properly. Through this adjustment, the chiropractor can restore the metabolic process, regulate your appetite, reduce stress, and aid in weight loss.

Eases headaches

Just like chronic musculoskeletal pain, frequent headaches interfere with physical activity that keeps you at a healthy weight. Chiropractic manipulation can decrease headache frequency, reduce the duration of headaches, and relieve pain associated with headaches. Fewer headaches mean you feel better, have more energy, and are more motivated to stay healthy. 

Provides a support system

Good chiropractors believe in developing relationships with their patients and helping them achieve their health goals. When you start seeing a doctor of chiropractic medicine, you enter into the incredible world of holistic health and have access to a wealth of resources and knowledge to support you on your wellness and weight loss journey.

Many people note a positive change in mental health and increased motivation to make healthy choices after developing a good rapport with a chiropractor they trust. 

Next steps

Remember, weight loss isn’t the same for everyone. Don’t expect to see instant results. Change takes time. Commit to becoming the best version of yourself.

The human body is beautifully unique, and weight loss isn’t about restricting your diet or working out for hours every day. You can achieve a vibrant life and reach your ideal weight by changing your mindset, cultivating a healthy lifestyle, focusing on how you feel rather than how you look, and, yes, visiting your chiropractor regularly.

Your chiropractor will help you interpret the signals your body is sending, restore communication between your systems, and help you unlock your well-being and your 100 Year Heart.

Eat Well · Live Well · Think Well 

Medical Review 2022: Dr. Lauren Lattanza NMD