Chiropractic for Diabetes

Published February 7th, 2017 by Dr. Markson

As of 2016 the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) show that more than 29 million Americans are living with diabetes, and 86 million are living with prediabetes, a serious health condition that increases a person’s risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. Diabetes affects how your body uses glucose, also known as blood sugar. Glucose is an important energy source for the cells making up your muscles and tissues. It is also your brain's main fuel source. Chiropractic care may help with prediabetes and diabetes. Heres what you need to know:

Type 1 Diabetes

This is when your pancreas produces little to no insulin. Only about 5% of those with diabetes have type 1.

Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes occurs when your body cannot use insulin properly causing blood sugar to build up. This affects 95% of those with diabetes.

Both types of diabetes have symptoms like frequent urination and extreme hunger and thirst. Diabetes can cause long-term damage to your body and raise your risk of stroke and heart disease in addition to affecting your kidneys, eyes, nerves, digestive system and skin.

Prediabetes & Gestational Diabetes

There are two other types of diabetes that are not as often spoken about. Good news it that prediabetes and gestational diabetes are both potentially reversible.

Prediabetes is exactly what it sounds like. Your blood sugar levels are high but not high enough for a diabetes diagnosis. If you catch and treat this early enough you can stope type 2 diabetes from occurring.

Gestational diabetes occurs in 18% of pregnancies. In most cases it goes away after delivery, but can lead to the development of type 2 diabetes later on.

So what can you do to manage diabetes?

The goal is to keep your blood sugar levels low without causing them to be too low. Type 1 diabetes is commonly treated with insulin, exercise and a diabetic friendly diet. Type 2 diabetes is commonly treated with weigh loss, exercise and a diabetic friendly diet, and if these measure fail to keep blood sugar levels in check, medications and/or insulin will be prescribed.

How can chiropractic help diabetes?

We recommend that diabetic patients receive regular chiropractic adjustments so that the nervous system can function effectively and efficiently. Allowing your body its best change to function as it should.