Being proactive can protect your health

IF YOU are like most people the thought to visit a chiropractor only arises when pain does. Could this leave you missing out on something more?

Recent studies are shedding light on the impact of the spine on cognitive function, basically the mental processes of perception, memory and reasoning.

One particular study looked at a group of people with what we call subclinical neck pain meaning they had very low level pain or a history of neck pain but not to the extent that clinical tests would indicate significant findings. Compared to healthy individuals, the subclinical neck pain group didn’t do as well on the cognitive, or mental processing tasks.

Interestingly there was a significant improvement in ability after four weeks of chiropractic care compared to the group that didn’t receive chiropractic care. This study went on to speculate that subclinical neck pain could increase workplace errors, affecting safety and productivity.

Obviously, pain is going to impair our mental capabilities, if you’ve been in pain you will be well aware of this. It is interesting to note that even though the group didn’t currently have pain, their cognitive ability still suffered.

It is an important factor to consider that the function of our body declines before pain starts to emerge.

Being proactive can protect our health and maintain function.

Chiropractors are highly trained to assess your spine for functional issues and then address them even before pain emerges. If you feel you are struggling with remembering or learning tasks, consider a visit to your local chiropractor.