While asthma is a common disease, a family chiropractor can provide a fresh alternative to treatment. According to the Center for Disease Control, approximately 18.7 million adults and 6.8 million children suffer from asthma within the United States alone. The disease can impact every area of life and make it difficult for people to participate in many normal activities like running, playing soccer, going for hikes, and at times doing daily household activities. The severity of asthma impacts how much or how little a patient can do, their quality of life and ability to enjoy it.
The symptoms generally include feeling like your chest is tight, and you cannot get a full breath, coughing as you exhale, not having enough energy, feeling tired all of the time, sluggish, being slower than your peers, wheezing, and having shortness of breath. When these symptoms occur, it makes it harder for a person to live a full life by restricting their activity levels. If an actual asthma attack takes place, the symptoms go from being mild to life threatening, quickly.
Asthma attacks are the cause of over 1.8 million visits to the emergency room on an annual basis. When someone has an attack, it is painful, and the lack of oxygen can make them feel terrible. The attacks can be brought on by exercise, diet, stress, allergies, the weather and more. In chronic asthma, the muscles surrounding the airways are inflamed and constricted. The inflammation forces the airways to narrow which in turn produces the symptoms of coughing, wheezing, shortness of breath and feeling like your chest is tight. As a family chiropractor, we can help to treat those symptoms and provide patients with needed relief.
Treatment involves adjusting the vertebrae so that it aligned properly. This is done with adjustments and manipulations that are completed quickly and with minimal discomfort. A spine that is aligned promotes good overall health, including enhanced air flow by helping the bronchial tubes to function better. We can also recommend ways to relax, massage, and breathing exercises that can be helpful in reducing symptoms.
Family chiropractic care cannot replace asthma medication or an inhaler, but it can reduce symptoms and help the patient to be in better overall health which directly contributes to whether or not asthma can be managed. A patient that is in good health, apart from their asthma will have an easier time preventing major asthma attacks. Improving a patients’ health also helps them to be able to participate in other activities with family and friends. This is something we take very seriously. Whether a patients’ quality of life is reduced due to back pain, illness, or asthma, we do whatever we can to improve their health so that they can start enjoying life like they used to. Holistic chiropractic care enables people to live their life fully. To learn more contact Dr. Christopher Brill today.