For many, falling asleep, as simple as it sounds, can be a difficult venture. Low-quality sleep can be brought on by a variety of reasons, including pain, insomnia, migraines, sleep apnea, and other sleep disorders. While people tend to try fix after fix to finally experience a good night’s sleep, there might be one you may not have thought of: visiting a chiropractor for sleep problems.
Going way beyond aligning your spine, chiropractors can oftentimes help with these common sleep issues. Ahead, we’ll explore what a chiropractor can and can’t do for your sleep.
What does a chiropractor do?
According to David Koivuranta, doctor of chiropractic in Toronto, Canada, chiropractors specialize in the treatment of neuromusculoskeletal conditions—particularly those affecting the spine and nervous system—but also the rest of the joints in the body.
“While chiropractors do want people to feel better, they have an interest in ensuring that happens by helping the body work or function better while not just masking or compensating for a health problem,” he says. “In other words, the effort is on finding the cause or source of health concerns and improving them,” and sleep is a major part of this.
Grant Radermacher, doctor of chiropractic at Ascent Chiropractic in Brookfield, Wis., says chiropractors use a variety of hands-on therapies, including spinal manipulation, soft tissue therapy, and other techniques to help reduce pain and optimize physical function.
Can a chiropractor help with sleep problems?
You may be wondering: “Can a chiropractor help with insomnia and other sleep issues?”
Radermacher says that while chiropractors aren’t technically sleep specialists and don’t directly treat sleep disorders, like insomnia or sleep apnea, studies have shown chiropractic care can indeed help with sleep problems—especially if they’re related to joint, muscle, or nerve pain.
For instance, Radermacher cites a systematic review published by the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine in 2010 which concluded that, while more clinical research is needed, observational studies have noted significant improvement in sleep quality following manual therapy by a chiropractor.
He goes on to say that additionally, chiropractors can give advice on sleep hygiene, posture, exercise, and stress management, which all play a role in improving sleep.
Here’s more on what chiropractors can help treat in regard to sleep:
Pain
“Pain has a number of ways in which it can interfere with sleep,” Koivuranta says, which he explains is similar to trying to fall asleep with loud music playing in the background. The “noise” distracts from the “peace” that is usually best for rest.
“Pain also floods our nervous system with signals so we can feel what our body is trying to tell us, and that flood of information can interfere with our nervous system, especially the brain’s function,” he says. “This can in turn affect other systems, including the endocrine system, and mess with the physiological patterns associated with sleep, like the natural circadian rhythm.”
Radermacher says currently, clinical practice guidelines almost universally recommend chiropractic care as a first-line treatment for back pain. He points out that in a 2013 study, over 73% of low back pain sufferers found significant pain relief with chiropractic practices.
Insomnia
Some studies have proven chiropractic treatment may be effective in improving sleep quality and reducing insomnia, particularly in people who also have musculoskeletal pain, Radermacher says.
For instance, in one 2005 study, a third of the 152 patients involved experienced improved insomnia symptoms immediately after their first chiropractic adjustment.
Migraines
Migraines can put a real damper on one’s life, and that includes when it comes to trying to sleep. Since many headaches, including migraines, have been found to have a neck component, as Koivuranta notes, and act as a source of pain and interfere with the nervous system, they can ultimately disrupt sleep.
“By improving neck function, especially through the intimate connection with the nervous system, headache frequency, intensity, and duration can be improved, thereby offering a better opportunity for restored sleep patterns and quality,” he says.
Radermacher says if you suffer from migraines and have ruled out diet, medications, and hormones as triggers, then it may be time to book an appointment with a chiropractor.
Sleep apnea
So, can a chiropractor help with sleep apnea? As it turns out, yes—they can address the underlying conditions that are often associated with sleep apnea, such as neck pain and other musculoskeletal issues that may contribute to airway obstruction during sleep, says Radermacher.
“A component of sleep apnea includes the position and space available for the airway as it relates to the tongue and throat,” Koivuranta says. “With posture changes, especially in the upper back and neck, the position of the throat structures and jaw are altered.”
This can make it more likely that these parts aren’t optimally positioned during sleep, increasing the likelihood of sleep apnea, he adds. “For some, due to the nature of changes in the spine, it becomes even more difficult to allow these structures to keep the airway comfortably open during sleep,” says Koivuranta. “Therefore, by improving posture, spinal alignment, and neck function, the opportunity for the airway to remain more open becomes possible.”
Radermacher shares that according to a 2017 study, 70% of participants with obstructive sleep apnea who received manual manipulative therapy experienced significant improvements in their symptoms.
Who shouldn’t go to a chiropractor?
“While chiropractic care is safe and effective for most people, it may be contraindicated for patients with certain medical conditions,” Radermacher says. “Specifically, those with previous spinal surgery, advanced osteoporosis, spinal cord compression, inflammatory arthritis, or severe disc herniation may not be good candidates for chiropractic care.”
Koivuranta adds that those with fractures, dislocations, cancer, or infection in the area of treatment would not be ideal candidates for receiving chiropractic treatment.
Additionally, Koivuranta cautions that chiropractic care doesn’t always directly treat sleep-related disorders, so a patient may still want to visit a sleep clinic—especially to rule out or address any potential medically related sleep issues.
FAQs
Can spinal misalignment cause insomnia?
“Spinal misalignment can indeed cause insomnia,” Koivuranta affirms. The pain associated with spinal misalignment can. make it harder to fall and stay asleep.
How do chiropractors suggest you sleep?
Koivuranta says while the health and function of the body are essential to one’s quality and quantity of sleep, other factors are also valuable in providing a good night’s rest.
“Having an appropriate pillow and mattress is vital in this regard,” he says. “As well, other habits, such as screen time, the sleep environment (temperature, lighting, noise, etc.), eating prior to bedtime, exercises/fitness (staying active and not being active too late), and stress/mindfulness, can also impact sleep quality.”
He adds that many healthcare providers, including doctors of chiropractic, are qualified to offer suggestions in all these areas to help ensure a better sleep experience.
Why do I sleep so well after a chiropractic adjustment?
“Besides eliminating the root causes of muscle and joint pain, chiropractic adjustments have been shown to reduce stress and promote relaxation, which can also contribute to better sleep,” Radermacher shares. “The physical manipulation of the spine during a chiropractic adjustment also stimulates the release of endorphins, which are natural painkillers and mood enhancers, leading to a sense of well-being and relaxation that can improve sleep quality.”
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This article originally appeared on Saatva and was syndicated by MediaFeed.
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6 TED talks that could actually help improve your sleep
If you’re looking for inspiration and research-backed life hacks straight from the greatest thinkers of our time, there’s a TED Talk for just about anything, including sleep.
There’s plenty to learn from sleep experts with decades of experience between them, including Daniel Gartenberg, PhD, founder of the Sonic Sleep Coaching and Consulting Service (who you might remember served as a sleep coach to our content manager, Christina Heiser).
To expand your understanding of sleep and get some better Z’s, add these six TED Talks to your watchlist.
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What it’s about: What’s the future of improving sleep efficiency look like? As Gartenberg explains, of all the stages of sleep, deep sleep is the most restorative stage thanks to long-burst brain waves known as delta waves.
He and his research partner Dmitry Gerashchenko, MD, PhD, from Harvard Medical School, have discovered that playing a gushing, static-like sound during deep sleep can promote the production of these waves, allowing you to get more out of a good night’s sleep. Someday, a personalized device could essentially play you the perfect sleep soundtrack—but it’s not available just yet.
The takeaway: “Our sleep isn’t as regenerative as it could be, but maybe one day soon, we could wear a small device and get more out of our sleep.”
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What it’s about: Matt Walker, PhD, founder and director of the Center for Human Sleep Science at the University of California, Berkeley, argues that it’s time to replace the “mortally unwise advice” of “you can sleep when you’re dead” with a new adage: “The shorter your sleep, the shorter your life.”
Walker provides a sweeping overview of the “alarmingly bad things” that can happen when you don’t get enough shut-eye, including a significant drop in your brain’s ability to learn, a greater risk of heart attacks and car crashes, zapped immunity, and an uptick in genetic activity linked to cancer, stress, and cardiovascular disease.
The fix for “one of the greatest public health challenges we face,” he says, is to “reclaim our right to a full night of sleep.” Stick with a regular sleep schedule—even over the weekends—and keep your sleep space cool for optimal Z’s, he suggests.
The takeaway: “Sleep is a non-negotiable biological necessity…There is simply no aspect of your wellness that can retreat at the sign of sleep deprivation and get away unscathed.”
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What it’s about: From horseshoe crabs to humans, the vast majority of living things evolved to have an internal body clock which is “the most underrated force on our behavior,” says science writer Jessa Gamble.
Gamble’s short talk centers on one wild research finding: “When people are living without any artificial light at all, they sleep twice every night,” with a window of “meditative quiet” in between. Amazingly, people who were allowed to live according to their natural sleep cycle in underground bunkers “report being so awake during the day time they’re experiencing true wakefulness for the first time in their lives,” she says.
The takeaway: “We’re living in a culture of jet lag, global travel, 24-hour businesses, and shift work, and our modern ways of doing things have their advantages, but I believe we should understand the costs.”
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What it’s about: Ariana Huffington, founder of the Huffington Post and Thrive Global, experienced a terrifying wake-up call after she fainted from exhaustion at her desk and broke her cheekbone. What followed was a “journey of rediscovering the value of sleep” which culminated in her book, The Sleep Revolution.
In this call to action, Huffington explains that men tend to treat sleep deprivation as a “virility symbol” with fewer hours of sleep as a backward form of “one-upmanship.” The reality? Getting enough sleep makes for more interesting conversations, greater productivity, and a more fulfilling life. Changing our culture to prioritize sleep is “the new feminist issue”—and women are going to “literally sleep our way to the top,” she jokes.
The takeaway: “What is good for us on a personal level, what’s going to bring more joy, gratitude, effectiveness in our lives and be the best for our own careers, is also what is best for the world. So, I urge you to shut your eyes and discover the great ideas that lie inside us—to shut your engines and discover the power of sleep.”
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What it’s about: If you’ve looked into sleep and Alzheimer’s disease, you’ve probably heard of amyloid-beta, sticky waste products that seem to contribute to the development of these conditions when they’re not effectively flushed out of our brains.
In this TED talk, neuroscientist Jeff Iliff, PhD, breaks down the “specialized network of plumbing” the brain uses to address “the problem of waste clearance,” but only when you’re sleeping.
The takeaway: “While our body is still and our mind is off walking in dreams somewhere, the elegant machinery of the brain is quietly hard at work cleaning and maintaining this unimaginably complex machine. Like our housework, it’s a dirty and thankless job, but it’s important.”
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What it’s about: In this expansive, 20-minute talk, Russell Foster, PhD, head of the Sleep and Circadian Neuroscience Institute at the University of Oxford, explains what happens in our brains when we go to sleep, why getting enough sleep is so important for our physical and mental health, and how the link between disrupted sleep and mental illness could provide us with new ways to identify and treat depression, bipolar disorder, and schizophrenia.
He also debunks some of the most persistent sleep myths and shares a handful of helpful “sleep for dummies” tips.
The takeaway: “Our ability to come up with novel solutions to complex problems is hugely enhanced by a night of sleep.”
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This article originally appeared on Saatva.com and was syndicated by MediaFeed.org
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