Chiropractic Care and Diabetes
Diabetes is a disease caused by either the inability of the pancreas to produce a hormone called insulin or the body’s inability to use the insulin properly. When you eat food or drink a beverage, the body’s digestive system begins to break down the food into sugars or glucose. The sugar passes into the bloodstream and is transported to the body’s cells via insulin which, as previously stated, is produced by the pancreas. Under normal conditions, the pancreas produces the right amount of insulin to accommodate the quantity of sugar. With diabetes, the pancreas does not produce enough insulin, it produces no insulin whatsoever or the body’s cells do not respond to insulin. As a result, sugar builds up in the blood, gets removed by the kidneys and passes from the body via urine as waste. Leading people to a diagnosis of Type I, II or III diabetes.
The number of people diagnosed with diabetes in the United States has more than quadrupled since the 1980’s due to the increase in the number of people who are overweight, including an increase in obesity, and in a widespread lack of physical activity. The research into the connection between chiropractic and the control of sugar in the body is not only captivating, it seems to point toward chiropractic care as a valuable protocol when addressing those patients diagnosed with diabetes. But what is the connection between diabetes and chiropractic?
Well, the answer lies in the understanding of how nerves from the upper neck or middle back affect pancreatic function and influences how the enzymes needed to digest proteins, fats and carbohydrates, and insulin are produced. If the balance of sugar and digestion become unbalanced, diabetes or hypoglycemia may result. What chiropractic can do, is fix subluxations of the spine causing a misfiring of the nerves affected by diabetes such as those of the upper neck or middle back. This way the nervous system will be communicating effectively and efficiently with the organ that produces insulin, the pancreas.
Although chiropractic adjustments are a great treatment option for diabetes it is unfortunately not a cure therefore other methods should be considered such as weight loss and lifestyle changes. Build a healthy lifestyle that includes exercise, a diet consisting mainly of raw vegetables and organic meats and fish, and most importantly, reducing the intake of processed sugar, dairy and grains. Research has shown that increasing your vitamin D intake, boosting your magnesium and limiting your fruits can help decrease your risks. Egg yolks and fatty fish are great food sources for vitamin D. To up your magnesium, include foods like spinach, kidney and black beans, lentils and quinoa. For low sugar fruits, stick to berries like raspberries, blackberries and cranberries. Avoid fruits with very high sugar levels like tangerines, cherries, grapes, mangoes and bananas. Healthy lifestyle changes are absolutely critical for diabetes prevention—or to help pull your body into remission. Research has also shown that many type 2 diabetics have been able to eliminate insulin treatment due to healthy lifestyle changes!
Health is your best wealth so be sure to take care of yourself!
