HUGE NEWS! Chiropractic Patients Show Signs of Healthier DNA
Tens of thousands of Chiropractors and MILLIONS of their patients around the world have witnessed and experienced massive positive changes in their health, function, and vitality while under Chiropractic care. Historically, just how deeply these changes occur in our bodies has been difficult to measure, requiring sophisticated scientific equipment and procedures that didn’t yet exist. Now, in the constantly evolving world of modern science and technology, we are finally able to see what happens in our bodies while receiving Chiropractic care down to the level of our DNA.
Two research studies have done just that- and the results are ASTONISHING: signs that patients’ DNA actually got HEALTHIER while they received Chiropractic care! Last year, a case study published in the Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine (1) reported a significant increase in telomere length in the DNA of a 35-year-old woman who received 35 visits of chiropractic care over 5 months. She reported no other changes to her lifestyle or health habits during that time.
Why is this important, and what the heck is a telomere? Telomeres (pronounced tel-uh-meers) are an essential part of our DNA/chromosomes that protect the vital information stored in our DNA and affect how our cells age. Every cell in every organ of our bodies holds a set of chromosomes made up of DNA which holds the genetic code that determines the structure and function of every part of our bodies.
Telomeres are the caps at the end of each strand of our DNA that protect our chromosomes. Think of them like the plastic tips at the end of shoelaces; they keep the strand from becoming damaged, as shoelaces would become frayed. Our cells replenish constantly throughout our lives by copying themselves. Telomeres get shorter each time a copy is made and eventually get too short to do their job, DNA gets damaged, and our cells age and can’t function properly. Telomeres naturally shorten as we age but can also be shortened by stress on the body, especially from smoking, obesity, lack of exercise, and poor diet, causing premature cellular aging.
What does this result mean? Basically, telomere length is a measure of our biological aging. Shorter telomeres = greater biological age. Longer telomeres = less biological aging = less damage to DNA = better health, function and vitality! This patient’s telomeres not only didn’t shorten but actually got LONGER while she received Chiropractic care…she got biologically YOUNGER!
Another study (2) found that asymptomatic patients who received long-term wellness (our office calls this care “Vitality care”) Chiropractic care for 52 weeks or more had higher serum thiol levels than both subjects who had active disease (these subjects had the lowest levels) and asymptomatic patients who received short-term Chiropractic care for less than 52 weeks. Some of them even had serum thiol levels that were higher than normal “wellness” levels! (That’s how much better your body can work with Chiropractic care.)
Why is this important? Oxidative stress is the total burden placed on our cells by the constant production of free radicals in the normal course of metabolism plus other environmental stressors natural and artificial radiation, toxins in air, food and water; and miscellaneous sources of oxidizing activity, such as tobacco smoke). Health depends on a balance between oxidative stress and our ody’s antioxidant defenses. Aging and age-related diseases reflect the inability of our antioxidant defenses to cope with oxidative stress over time. Oxidative stress not only induces DNA damage but also inhibits DNA repair, the metabolic mechanism that protects our genetic material from damage. Serum thiols are a measure of human health status that estimates DNA repair enzyme activity in our cells- basically, an indicator of how well we are keeping up with repairing our DNA from damage due to oxidative stress. Higher serum thiols = better ability to fix DNA damage from oxidative stress = less biological aging = better health, function, and vitality!
What does all of this mean? Let’s be clear that the goal of Chiropractic care always has been to increase expression of health by improving brain-body connection. What these studies show are increases in expressions of health in peoples’ bodies that can be seen all the way down to the level of their DNA. While more research is needed to scientifically explain and verify more aspects of exactly how specific health mechanisms are improved while under Chiropractic care, what Chiropractors know from years of practice and observing patient outcomes is that those who commit to a healthy lifestyle that includes long-term wellness Chiropractic care tend to have the fullest expression of their health, function, and vitality. (You’re body is pretty amazing, isn’t it? ….nothing short of a miracle.)
(1) Increased Telomere Length and Improvements in Dysautonomia, Quality of Life, and Neck and
Back Pain Following Correction of Sagittal Cervical Alignment Using Chiropractic BioPhysics®
Technique: A Case Study. Journal of Molecular and Genetic Medicine Vol. 11; No. 2; 2017.
Fedorchuk C, Lightstone DF, McCoy M; Harrison DE.
(2) Surrogate Indication of DNA Repair in Serum After Long Term Chiropractic Intervention – A
Retrospective Study. Clayton J. Campbell, Christopher Kent, Arthur Banne, Amir Amiri, and
Ronald W. Pero. Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research ~ February 18, 2005 ~ Pages 1-5.
