Heart Health, The Spine, and The Chiropractic Connection

Heart health and proper function circulate millions of gallons of blood to the entire body. The circulation moves:

• Oxygen
• Fuel
• Hormones
• Essential cells
• Other compounds
• Removes metabolic waste products

If the heart stops, vital functions can fail almost instantly. Family history and genetics play a role in the development of heart disease, but lifestyle choices also play a part. Heart health disease prevention focuses on the following:

• Weight control
• Nutritional recommendations
• Exercise
• Medications

Chiropractic treatment can help improve overall heart health.

Heart Health

If every nerve were disconnected, the heart would continue to beat. A small node of the heart muscle that rhythmically contracts and relaxes inherently sets the heartbeat pace. It can be thought of as a natural pacemaker and is called the sinoatrial node.

In an average adult, the node maintains a rhythm of around 70 beats per minute. This natural pacemaker keeps the heart working, while the nerves that accelerate and decelerate (the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves) can affect the sinoatrial node, affecting the heartbeat.

Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nerves

The sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves are in the thoracic and upper cervical spine. With chiropractic, any spinal misalignments, pressure, stress, and restrictions are properly addressed, allowing the cardiac rhythm and heart rate to normalize. Corrective treatment of the cervical spine will also help lower blood pressure and remove any stress on the cardiovascular system. Heart and spinal health are vital; contact a local chiropractor today.

Healthy Body Composition

Aerobic Training Strengthens The Heart

Aerobic exercise will strengthen the heart and train it to be more efficient in circulating blood. The chamber of the heart that pumps blood to the rest of the body literally gets larger and squeezes out more blood with each pump, meaning the stroke volume increases.

This improves cardiac output, which is the quantity of blood pumped by the heart per minute. A strong, efficient heart is the objective to live a long and healthy life. When the heart is stronger and pumps more blood it doesn’t have to beat as much and as rapidly. Lowering the resting heart rate is associated with a reduced risk of cardiovascular disease.

Cardiac adaptations are helped with an increase in blood volume that happens with aerobic exercise training. What happens is the expanded blood volume improves the heart’s contractility/fill capacity pumping more blood per beat. The heart contracts to move blood throughout the body. By making it stronger and more efficient, the heart’s responsibilities are lightened by decreasing the different types of resistance.

References

Yang, Jian et al. “Physical Exercise Is a Potential “Medicine” for Atherosclerosis.” Advances in experimental medicine and biology vol. 999 (2017): 269-286. doi:10.1007/978-981-10-4307-9_15