Chiropractic adjustment has many benefits beyond pain relief and restored mobility. Regular visits with an experience chiropractor at our Temecula, CA practice can also promote mental wellness, lower levels of stress, and increase energy levels. In fact, chiropractic care can also help improve a person’s aging process by decreasing oxidative stress.

While oxidative stress is a normal everyday occurrence, many people are unfamiliar with the term. Let’s go over some of the basics of oxidative stress and how regular chiropractic care can help decrease the damage it does to the body.

What Is Oxidative Stress?

Oxidative stress is part of oxidation, the metabolic process by which people breath in oxygen and the cells produce energy. This natural process unavoidably leads to the creation of free radicals. These uncharged molecules can promote bodily repairs. Paradoxically, when there are too many free radicals present, they can wind up damaging the cells, proteins, and even our DNA.

The body is constantly experiencing oxidative stress in varying degrees. Physiological and psychological stress can both lead to heightened levels of oxidative stress.

Medical Conditions Related to Oxidative Stress

Research has found oxidative stress is linked to the following medical conditions:

• Macular degeneration
• Cardiovascular disease
• Emphysema
• Alzheimer’s disease
• Parkinson’s disease
• Certain cancers
• Lupus

Signs of Oxidative Stress

Some common warning signs and symptoms of oxidative stress include the following:

• Fatigue and exhaustion
• Loss of memory
• Mental fog
• Sore muscles
• Joint pain
• Vision loss
• Headaches
• Wrinkles and lines
• Greying hair
• Susceptibility to infection

How Chiropractic Care Can Help Treat Oxidative Stress

Chiropractic adjustments don’t just relieve pain, treat vertebral subluxations, and restore mobility. Regular chiropractic care can also help your body better adapt to all kinds of stress. This includes oxidative stress.

Chiropractic care increases the presence of serum thiol in a person’s system. Serum thiol is a primary antioxidant that helps prevent free radical damage. In doing so, serum thiol aids in DNA and cellular repair.

The Research to Back Up the Potential

A study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research offers scientific evidence of the benefits of chiropractic care when it comes to serum thiol levels. The study measured 25 patients who underwent short-term chiropractic care, 21 patients who were undergoing long-term chiropractic care, and a control group of 30 patients who did not undergo any chiropractic care. Chiropractors collaborated with researchers at the University of Lund.

Overall, subjects who were undergoing some form of chiropractic care demonstrated higher mean levels of serum thiol than subjects who were not undergoing any sort of chiropractic care. The chiropractic care patients were also less likely to be suffering from active disease, with long-term chiropractic patients (two years or more) experiencing normal physiological health.

Chiropractic Care That Focuses on Total Wellness

In addition to regular chiropractic adjustments, we take time to consider a patient’s diet, exercise, and habits. These are important considerations when it comes to improving overall health, and it’s part of Horst Chiropractic’s holistic approach to patient wellness.

A better diet that’s low in sugar can help reduce oxidative stress. Exercise, meditation, and other wellness activities can help rebalance the body and prevent damage caused by physical and mental stress. We can also identity harmful behaviors and sources of toxins that you can eliminate from your life to avoid oxidative stress.

Learn More about Chiropractic Care

For more information about chiropractic care and its benefits for your health, be sure to contact the team at Horst Chiropractic. We look forward to meeting you in person and helping you achieve total wellness.