Introduction
Chiropractic care has a broad influence on the nervous system. Although most practitioners focus on physical disorders, it is clear that good nervous system health effects emotional and psychological health. According to B.J. Palmer, the son of the man credited with the discovery of chiropractic care, dislocated cervical vertebrae has a real impact on mental health. According to my Chiropractor Ron Ziolkowoski, D.C. of the Ziolkowski Chiropractic Clinic, only 10% of the capacity of our nervous system is taken up by pain messages. The rest of the bandwidth is dedicated to healing and maintaining the body. When organs can work at their best potential which has a natural effect on the mind.
Several impatient patient programs have implemented Chiropractic adjustments for mental health care. In some of these programs Chiropractic was the primary clinical service. In 1922, The Chiropractic Psychopathic Sanitarium was one of the first in the field. Later the name of the facility was changed to Forest Park Sanitarium.
Early results were promising
English: A diagram of the Human Nervous system...
English: A diagram of the Human Nervous system. Français : Schéma du système nerveux humain. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Early on it became quiet clear that mental health patients got better with out successive re-entry to hospitals for psychiatric care. North Dakota Judge A. W. Ponath showed that at the North Dakota state mental hospital, the positive outcomes ranged from 18‑27%, compared to 65% at Forest Park.
In 1951, Clear View Sanitarium was purchased by the Palmer School of Chiropractic. Each day the patient was examined using a device called a “neurocalometer” (NCM). From there the chiropractic doctors looked at the results and any nerve impingement was adjusted. In addition to this there was an enhanced focus on proper patient nutrition. They often served vegetables from the garden that was grown on-site.
Impact of insurance companies on research
Both of these early organizations closed by 1961. The insurance companies of the time did not recognize Chiropractic as an evidence based treatment for mental illness. Without on-going funding was not possible to continue these institutions . In 1973, Dr. Schwartz published a report on 350 patients afflicted with mental illness. It indicates that people with mental illness got better in a measurable way . He wrote a book, "Mental Health and Chiropractic: A Multidisciplinary Approach." Since this time there has been Interest in this approach to helping in the physical and mental health of all patients.
If you have a mental illness it may be good practice to see your local chiropractor. Mental Illness is a disease that you can have meaningful recovery from. For all of us there is a unique path to healing. I encourage you to look at chiropractic as one tool in your arsenal.