The first study took place in England with results reported in the scientific medical journal Spine. This national survey took a look at the outcomes of 19,722 Chiropractic patients who had received some form of neck adjustment. The researchers reviewed a total of 50,276 neck adjustments to see if there were any serious side effects from Chiropractic care. They defined serious effects to be those that resulted in the need to be referred to a hospital, or any that caused a worsening of symptoms immediately after treatment, or any that resulted in persistent or significant disability or incapacity.

The researchers arrived at very positive results. “There were no reports of serious adverse events,” they said. Overall, they found cervical neck adjustments to be a safe procedure in the UK when administered by trained and registered Chiropractors.

In the U.S., a study published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research showed that Chiropractic adjustments had a profound effect on reducing Stage 1 hyper­tension. (Stage 1 is the first level of elevated blood pressure that causes health concerns.) The goal of the research was to determine if non-surgical procedures to properly align the Atlas (top) vertebra in the neck produced changes in blood pressure and heart rate.

This study compared two groups of subjects who had a history of Stage 1 hyperten­sion with no apparent cause or disease creating this condition. One group of patients received Chiropractic adjustment and the other received “sham intervention” similar to an authentic procedure.

Both groups were examined before and after the procedures, with blood pressure read showed that both the systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings were significantly reduced for the group who received an actual adjustment to their Atlas vertebra. “This pilot study shows that correction of misalignment of the Atlas vertebra lowers and sus­tains reductions in blood pressure for at least 8 weeks in people with Stage 1 hyperten­sion.”

Source: “Research Shows Chiropractic Helps Stage One Hypertension” and “Medical Study Demonstrates Chiropractic Safety for Neck Adjustments”, Kid Chiropractic, November 2007, www.kidchiropractic.com

So what is this condition? Not all doctors agree on the definition or cause of metabolic syn­drome. The cause might be insulin resistance. Insulin is a hormone your body produces to help you turn sugar from food into energy for your body. If you are insulin resistant, too much sugar builds up in your blood, setting the stage for disease.

Metabolic syndrome is diagnosed when a person has at least three of these heart disease risk factors:

• A large waistline. This is also called abdominal obesity or “having an apple shape.” Excess fat in the abdominal area is a greater risk factor for heart disease than excess fat in other parts of the body, such as on the hips.
• A higher than normal triglyceride level in the blood. Triglycerides are a type of fat found in the blood.
• A lower than normal level of HDL (high-density lipoprotein cholesterol) in the blood. HDL is considered “good” cholesterol because it lowers your chances of heart disease. Low lev­els of HDL increase your chances of heart disease.
• Higher than normal blood pressure. Blood pressure is recorded as two numbers, usually written one on top of or before the other, such as 120/80. The top or first number, called the systolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in the bloodstream when your heart beats. The bottom or second number, called the diastolic blood pressure, measures the pressure in your bloodstream between heartbeats when the heart is relaxed.
• Higher than normal fasting blood sugar (glucose). Mildly high blood sugar can be an early warning sign of diabetes.

What can you do to help eliminate this condition and it’s symptoms? Start with a low-carb and low sugar diet. Studies have found magnesium to lower the risk and treat metabolic syn­drome. Find a Wellness Care professional (chiropractor or acupuncturist or both) to help you find the best way to diagnose and treat metabolic syndrome or any of the above listed health conditions.

Source: National Heart, Lung and Blood Institute, What is Metabolic Syndrome, April 2007, http://www.nlilbinih.gov/health/dci/Diseases/ms/ms_whatis.html