Anxiety disorder is a common mental illness in the United States, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. It affects 18.1% of the population, or 40 million adults in the United States age 18 and older every year, so it is important to know that if you live with anxiety - you are not alone.

Anxiety and symptoms can benefit from many different types of holistic and natural treatment therapies. Did you know that chiropractic care has been used to treat mental health challenges?

It has proven effective in helping people suffering from mental illnesses, such as, depression, stress, and anxiety, bringing about an improvement in psychological and emotional wellbeing.

In this article, we are going to explore just how effective chiropractic care can be for anxiety, how many sessions are often recommended, and what to expect when it comes to cost.

Chiropractic Care and Anxiety

Chiropractic care is an important procedure that helps the nervous system function optimally. People are generally more relaxed after a chiropractic adjustment due to hormonal changes. The treatment brings improved blood flow to the brain, which is key to mental health restoration and helps reduce the symptoms of anxiety.

How Does Chiropractic Care Help with Anxiety?

When you go for chiropractic care to treat anxiety, the practitioner will usually focus on balancing your nervous system. This involves the manipulation of your spinal cord. To the uninitiated, this may sound dangerous, but it is a non-invasive procedure that will kickstart your body's natural healing process, and it is very effective.

However, if you are considering chiropractic care to treat anxiety disorder, it is advisable you check yourself for food allergies beforehand.

This is not saying you can't get treated for anxiety by conventional medicine. A regular doctor, for instance, will prescribe a set of behavioral modifications and psychiatric medications. These can be effective, but often the medications are accompanied by unpleasant side effects, such as sexual dysfunction, blurred vision, upset stomach, drowsiness, memory problems, dizziness, headaches, and many more.

According to a study in the Journal of Hormones and Behavior, emotions such as anxiety are regulated by hormones. If you feel unnatural anxiety, it is likely due to a hormonal imbalance in your body a condition chiropractic care can take care of.

How Effective Is Chiropractic Care for Anxiety?

Chiropractic care has been proven to significantly reduce both high blood pressure and anxiety, which are precursors to anxiety. Many studies have shown how effective this non-invasive procedure is to manage anxiety.

A study involving a 38-year-old female , who had a documented history of: 3 months of anxiety and panic attacks, 6 months of neck pain, and 2 years of low back discomfort, was screened with a PHQ-4 instrument, which returned a positive screening for anxiety.

In this case, the chiropractor set about correcting the vertebral subluxations ( in a period of 12 visits in 7 weeks) using the Torque Release Technique. After 7 weeks, the patient recorded improvements in anxiety and depression, using the PHQ-4 screening instrument. The follow-up ratings were: 0 out of 6 for depression and 0.5 out of 6 for anxiety.

In another study, published in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics, 21 people with high blood pressure recorded a significant reduction in blood pressure rates and severity levels of anxiety following chiropractic care.

How Many Sessions Are Often Recommended?

The number of recommended sessions will vary from one person to the other depending on the severity of your problem, the length of time you have had the complaint, and your commitment to the rehabilitative exercises as recommended by your chiropractor

On average, treatment may take five to twelve visits over a period of two to seven weeks.

What Will It Cost?

The average price per session in the country is $35-$250. The overall cost of your chiropractic treatment for anxiety will depend on the number of sessions that you go to and how frequently you go to an adjustment. For more information, read: How Much Does Chiropractic Therapy Cost?

References

Kroenke, K., Spitzer, R. L., Williams, J. B. W., Lowe, B. (2009). An ultra-brief screening scale for anxiety and depression: the PHQ-4 Psychosomatics, 50, 613-621. Retrieved May 8, 2019, from https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19996233/

Munir S, Takov V. Anxiety, Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) [Updated 2019 Feb 4]. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2019 Jan. Retrieved May 8, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK441870/

Russell, D., & Glucina, T. (2019). REDUCED ANXIETY SYMPTOMS IN A PATIENT SCREENED WITH THE PHQ4 RECEIVING CHIROPRACTIC CARE: A CASE REPORT AND REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE. Journal of Contemporary Chiropractic, 2(1), 41-48. Retrieved May 8, 2019, from https://journal.parker.edu/index.php/jcc/article/view/53

Yates, R.G., Lamping, D.L., Abram, N.L., Wright C. (1988). Effects of chiropractic treatment on blood pressure and anxiety: a randomized, controlled trial. Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics. 11(6):484-8. Retrieved May 8, 2019, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/3075649