One of the most comical comments I consistently see on social media platforms regarding chiropractic is a statement that goes like this…
“I’m looking for a Chiropractor that can solve my issue in 1 visit and not sell me on maintenance.”
Let’s be real people…NOTHING works in a few visits.
If it did, everyone would do it – it would probably be super cheap and readily available for all parties.
This is also a poor reflection of the understanding of Chiropractic in the eyes of the public.
As I have labored over countless blog posts aiming to help us get a better grasp of what Chiropractic is, I can’t help but be perplexed at how people still think its about popping bones for pain.
But that is another blog for another time.
Today, I want to focus on long term health.
To be more specific, I want to focus on why INVESTING in chiropractic care – REGARDLESS OF SYMPTOMS – plays dividends in the long run – meaning that thing we all hate to talk about – getting old.
That’s right…today’s blog is on Chiropractic, DNA, Longevity – and why investing in your health with specific chiropractic over the long run is a non-negotiable.
DNA 101
For all of us who need a quick recap of high school biology…
DNA stands for Deoxyribonucleic acid.
That’s as complex as I am going to go on the science side.
Let’s simplify it even more – DNA houses the code for the cells of your body.
Thus is is essentially the building block of your life.
If it was part of a Lego Set, DNA would be the blocks for the set – it has everything you need to make it Awesome!
Now, the important part is that DNA is responsible for repair and regeneration.
When our cells expire, new cells are created.
If your cells are damaged, DNA is used to repair the cell.
If the cell is beyond repair, DNA will create a new cell.
Pretty awesome right?
Everything is Awesome when you include a Lego reference.
I hope that keeps it on a level that will allow us to have a discussion about the impact of Chiropractic and DNA expression.
Serum Thiol
So, I lied about getting complex on the biochemistry but this one is super important.
One of the major hypothesis surrounding DNA damage, aging, and susceptibility to disease processes focuses on the impact of oxidative stress on the body.
We know that “A primary source of oxidative stress factors is the central nervous system (CNS), via both neurological and psychological mechanisms”
We also know that serum thiols also reflect DNA repair capacity and the possible eventual accumulation of genetic damage.
For a more in-depth discussion as to how this works, see the below discussion from this article
Oxidative stress not only induces DNA damage but it also
inhibits DNA repair, which is the metabolic mechanism that
protects genes from becoming damaged by removing the lesions in DNA that have occurred from environmental impact. DNA repair can be estimated in human peripheral blood cells
and more recently in a surrogate manner in plasma or serum. Plasma/serum can be used as a surrogate estimate of DNA repair because poly ADP-ribose polymerase (PARP) is a key enzyme that is functionally dependent on redox balance because of cysteine residues in it’s DNA binding zinc finger domain.21
Hence, if plasma/serum thiols are quantified they predict the redox state of PARP, and as a consequence, an individual’s DNA repair capacity. Serum thiols are an estimate of mortality (low
value), longevity (high value) and presence of active disease (reduced values). It has recently been employed commercially as measure of nutritional intervention, cancer assessment and anti-aging status. It has therefore been theorized that it could be an evaluative technique to measure both conventional and non-conventional clinical interventions.
Wow.
That is an intense paragraph with two super important points.
- Oxidative stress not only induces DNA damage but it also
inhibits DNA repair - Serum thiols are an estimate of mortality (low
value), longevity (high value) and presence of active disease (reduced values).
Those points alone make me want to better understand the role Chiropractic can have in impact in increasing serum thio levels and thus setting you up for health and longevity without the presence of disease or infirmaries.
Chiropractic and Serum Thiol.
So – we have the basics.
DNA…the building blocks of life
Serum Thiol…high levels mean longevity, low levels mean active disease processes
Chiropractic?
In a ground breaking study referenced earlier, a retrospective study we performed given the following parameters.
At the time of this study the long-term patients essentially had opted for the wellness approach.
Short-term care was defined as those subjects (n = 21) who had been under chiropractic care for 8-52 weeks.
Long-term care subjects were defined as those individuals being under regular chiropractic care for 52-312 weeks
Individual values for the patients who had received chiropractic care were analyzed by groups of time under chiropractic care; i.e. 8-52 weeks and 52-312 weeks and compared by t-test statistics.
Linear regression analyses associating plasma thiols to weeks of chiropractic care were also performed.
The results were incredible!
The study found that patients with active disease processes who also had nerve related issues and muscle related issues, at the start of the study, had the lowest serum thiol levels.
Using our physiology earlier – this would add up to facts knowing that those with active diseases have lower serum thiol levels.
Also matching up with our earlier statements, the patients with no active disease processes had the highest levels of serum thiol.
What was even more amazing was what happened to patients in long term care – or what the public likes to refer to as wellness or “maintenance” care.
These patients actually had an increase in serum thiol levels leading to better repair mechanisms by their own DNA.
Meaning…once your body has an optimally functioning central nervous system, you respond better to oxidative stress and have better healing processes.
Taken directly from the research…
The results clearly support the recommendations being made for wellness care by chiropractors. In addition, it should be stated that these results occurred under normal practice conditions and indicate what most chiropractors are likely achieving when performing long term care. Also, it refutes earlier views that five to seven years of care was necessary to optimize human health status, as indicated by serum thiol levels. Our sampling indicates that this can occur in a time frame approximately half that period. Finally, there is no doubt that chiropractic care was the dominant factor in being able to realize thiol values that in some cases have not been seen in nutriceutical testing, the only other intervention shown to improve thiol values.
Application to Hope Chiropractic Center
Given this research, we now understand that Chiropractic Care has an impact on long term serum thiol levels leading to an increase in their concentration in the human body, thus resulting in better repair processes for DNA making you less susceptible to developing disease and living a healthy life.
The biggest challenge is wrapping your brain around the fact that these patients were under care for 3 to 5 YEARS.
This wasn’t some drop in when it is convenient care model.
This was specific, intentional care provided for people who are seeking to INVEST in THEIR HEALTH.
At Hope, it is our mission to empower our communities with the confidence of taking ownership of their long term health by instilling belief, building trust, and most importantly…Delivering Hope.
The way that we accomplish this is through a specific form of chiropractic care that less than 1% of chiropractors practice.
This technique is referred to as Upper Cervical Specific.
In our practice, we use state of the art technology to measure real time central nervous system function.
If we have a less than optimal state of function, we provide a very specific adjustment to the top bone of your neck to restore optimal function.
Over the course of several months, we can begin to build momentum to long term health.
The premise is to focus on creating an optimal environment in your body to allow you to maintain your health.
The focus is not on the adjustment.
The focus is on the measurement of your central nervous system.
As we now know, the central nervous system is responsible as a primary source of oxidative stress.
If you have a less than optimal functioning central nervous system, you will have higher levels of oxidative stress and lower levels of serum thiol.
In restoring CNS function, we see long term changes resulting in reduced oxidative stress and higher levels of serum thiol leading to longevity and health!
Our goal is not to adjust you.
Our goal it to ensure that your system is functioning at 100%!
If you have learned anything from this post, I hope it is that chiropractic adds years to life and life to years.
If you have any questions about Specific Chiropractic Care and how it can help you achieve your health related goals – I would love to consult with you.
Give Paige a call at 972-638-0994 and we will make sure that all of your questions are answered.
