Study Finds Link to Why Chiropractic Care Helps Blood Pressure

Several news stories reported on a study performed at the University of Leeds in England, and published in the August 1, 2007 issue of the Journal of Neuroscience, that showed links between neck muscles and the brain and that this link plays a crucial role in controlling blood pressure.

One report by UPI on August 2, 2007 starts off by stating, "A University of Leeds chance discovery in a British laboratory shows why a chiropractic adjustment for a pain in the neck may do wonders for blood pressure." This article quotes study leader Professor Jim Deuchars who notes that his finding found pathways between the neck and the brain and shows how the neck muscles could play an important role in controlling blood pressure, and why chiropractic care works so well with blood pressure. He states, "By identifying the pathways we can see why these treatments might work and it could also explain why some people suffering whiplash injuries may experience a change in their blood pressure."

Another article appearing on Scenta by the Engineering and Technology Board on August 2, 2007 further quoted Professor Jim Deuchars, "Reports from chiropractic journals say that manipulating the neck region helps to reduce blood pressure in some people. By identifying the pathways we can see why these treatments might work and it could also explain why some people suffering whiplash injuries may experience a change in their blood pressure."

As he mentions in the article, Professor Deuchars notes that the Leeds study further corroborates the work done at the Hypertension Center at the University of Chicago Medical Center and published in the March 2, 2007 issue of the Journal of Human Hypertension. In that previous study 25 people in the study group receiving the chiropractic adjustments all showed a significant reduction in blood pressure compared with groups in the study that did not get chiropractic adjustments.