So, not only did I not post anything yesterday because of a depressed mood, but I was also in the throes of pain from a misaligned spine. In other words, my back hurt. And my neck. And my head. Pretty much all of me.

I have an awesome chiropractor. He’s a family friend and has been for many years. Every time I go in for an adjustment, I tend to impress him with how awful my spine is. The cracks from bones shifting are so loud that he sometimes winces. Not because he’s hurting me, but because he’s astounded that I would let my back get that bad.

My dad is the most frequent customer, but I’d say I’m in second place in the family. I have inherited my dad’s spine, I think. As a thank you for shoving my spine back into place so many times, I’ll bake him a batch of red velvet cupcakes every year for Christmas. I made the mistake one time of eating the cupcakes before I could deliver them; he was displeased. I’ve never heard a doctor refer to one of his patients as “dead to me” before, but I’m proud to say I inspired him to say it. My mom and I had a good laugh about it all (he was kidding, obviously).

I don’t know why, but I searched to see if there were any mental health benefits to chiropractic care. How could chiropractic adjustments possibly benefit one’s mental health? I mean, it’s just adjusting your skeleton, isn’t it?

Wrong.

Chiropractic care benefits mental health my benefiting the nervous system. An article from HealthMad states:

“According to my Chiropractor Ron Ziolkowoski, D.C. of the Ziolkowski Chiropractic Clinic, only 10% of the capacity of our nervous system is taken up by pain messages. The rest of the bandwidth is dedicated to healing and maintaining the body. Our organs can work at their best which has a natural effect on the mind.”

That makes sense. Have you ever felt depressed when you were sick just because you felt so crappy? I know I have. It’s tough to be a happy camper when you’re puking your guts out or struggling to breathe through your nose. I don’t think I’ve met a single person with the chickenpox that could be deemed as “cheery.”

Regular chiropractic visits can help reduce the pain you feel from a spine out of place or a neck that’s been thrown out. It can also help with circulation and pinched nerves to better improve the function of your organs. Although chiropractic care isn’t necessarily a replacement for medications, musculoskeletal readjustment can help you avoid some of them. Medicines commonly have side effects, so if you can avoid them, do so. Just make sure to talk with your doctor before going ahead with an alternative treatment such as chiropractic care.

Alright, it’s time for me to ice my back again. If you do go in for a chiropractic adjustment, expect to be in at least some pain. When your spine is suddenly put back into place, your body has to readjust. It’s important to use alternating ice and heat on your sore muscles (20 minutes ice, 20 minutes nothing, 20 minutes heat, repeat). Or, you can do just ice (20 minutes on, 20 minutes off, repeat). Ice is better for you because it helps to soothe any inflammation in your muscles.

Ice, here I come!