Sleep Problems?: Try the natural chiropractic approach
Try something different
If you or your partner snores or suffers from constant fatigue or insomnia, you’ll want to know about this natural approach to treatment.
Everyone needs sleep – it’s when our bodies have the opportunity to heal and recharge, preparing us for another day. Many of us wake up feeling at least somewhat rested. But, this isn’t the case for millions of people suffering from sleep apnoea, a sleep disorder that causes shallow breathing or breathing that stops and starts intermittently throughout the night.
“Because sleep provides an important restorative function for the body, if left untreated, sleep apnoea can become a major health issue,” says Gonstead chiropractor DR WILLIAM CHOI of Academy of Chiropractic Clinic.
There are different types of sleep apnoea, with the most common being obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA). With OSA, the throat muscles relax during sleep, causing a blockage of the airways. This, in turn, impedes proper oxygen flow to the brain, causing problems that can go way beyond snoring, explains Dr Choi. In fact, long-term complications associated with sleep apnoea include high blood pressure, cardiovascular conditions, weight gain and memory loss.
Usually, your bed partner will be able to hear the sounds of shallow breathing, snoring or gasping, but there are other signs that can indicate that you have sleep apnoea. They include:
• waking up in the middle of the night, unable to breathe;
• insomnia;
• feeling tired all day;
• waking up with a headache;
• waking up with a dry mouth or sore throat; and
• mood swings.
The chiropractic option
As a specialty of the nervous system, chiropractic helps remove nerve irritation and inflammation from the spine, explains Dr Choi. Using a specific spinal manipulation called an adjustment, chiropractic care is meant to correct vertebral misalignments that are responsible for various disorders throughout the body, including OSA.
“Sleep is connected to overall health, and a lack of spinal stability can have a negative impact on your ability to rest. When vertebrae are misaligned, signals cannot be properly transferred from one body part to another, causing problems in the central nervous system,” says Dr Choi.
“A misaligned neck also tends to tighten one’s jaw muscles, causing airways to close down. Regular chiropractic adjustments can keep your neck in alignment, ensuring that you get the right amount of sleep,” he adds.
To detect the presence of vertebral misalignment, Dr Choi first analyses a patient’s spine using five specific criteria, unique to the Gonstead Method of chiropractic. These include visualisation, feeling the patient’s spine in both static and dynamic positions, x-ray analysis, and the use of an instrument called a Nervoscope, which can uncover any signs of inflammation. Misalignments can then be corrected to restore the nervous system and positive sleeping patterns.
“If you are not sleeping well, you’re more prone to sickness and disease. Your body needs to rest!”
That being said, insomnia is another sleep disorder Dr Choi commonly treats with chiropractic. He says that adjustments can help decrease levels of the stress hormone cortisol, which can affect the ability to sleep – a more natural approach to try before reaching for the sleeping pills!