Chiropractic Care and Addiction Recovery
Chiropractic care has long been believed to help the body regain its natural ability to adapt to environmental changes, including stressors like withdrawal from addiction. Research today supports this concept, showing that chiropractic adjustments may assist in addiction recovery, particularly by helping the body cope with withdrawal symptoms and emotional stress.
Chiropractic’s Role in Addiction Treatment
A notable study published in the Miami Herald in 2001 highlights how chiropractic care supported patients in a drug treatment program. The study showed that those who received chiropractic adjustments during their treatment had a 100% completion rate, far exceeding the typical 72% national completion rate for addiction programs.
The Exodus Program Success Story
In Miami’s Exodus drug-treatment program, 98 patients received chiropractic care aimed at correcting spinal subluxations. The results were impressive:
100% completion rate for patients who received chiropractic care, compared to only 74% in the regular care group and 56% in the sham adjustment group.
Significant decreases in anxiety and fewer visits to the nurse’s station were reported by those receiving chiropractic adjustments.
How Chiropractic Helps
Chiropractors believe that spinal subluxations (misalignments) interfere with the nervous system’s ability to function properly. Correcting these subluxations may help restore balance in the body, allowing patients to better adapt to the stress and challenges of addiction recovery, including the difficult withdrawal process.
While chiropractic care does not treat addiction directly, it may support the body’s overall healing process, enhancing the effectiveness of medical treatments and therapy programs in helping individuals maintain their recovery.