Picture that “this is your brain on drugs” campaign from the 80s. Only scramble the egg and make the drugs some common anti-anxiety and pain pills, and you’ll get a good idea of what benzodiazepines can do to you.
These incredibly popular prescription medications were prescribed in 27 out of 100 doctor’s visits in 2016. And although we don’t have the stats yet, there’s little doubt those already disturbing numbers have skyrocketed since then.
After all, stress and anxiety levels are at an all-time high. And stress-induced pain problems such as severe low back pain are too.
Benzodiazepines have become the go-to-favorites of far too many conventional medicine doctors. And that’s a problem. Because research revealed that these drugs can do such a number on your brain that their memory-robbing side effects can even be mistaken for cognitive decline.
In fact, a new animal study I told you about last month exposed what’s likely going on when you pop these risky pills. According to researchers, the benzodiazepines appear to be hitching a ride on immune cells in your brain.
And once they saddle up and hijack those cells, all heck breaks loose. They start to affect the synapses in your brain, interrupting communications and certain brain functions.
Anxiety and stress are linked to backaches
The link between anxiety and pain is pretty straightforward. When you’re stressed, your body pumps out certain hormones that can contribute to all kinds of pain… particularly back pain.
You probably recognize adrenaline as the old “fight or flight” hormone. And just like physical danger, stress and anxiety can trigger the production of this hormone.
Adrenaline primes your body to lash out at the danger or run from it by bumping up your blood pressure, increasing blood supply, and tightening up the muscles around your spine. This can cause those muscles to tense up and spasm, leading to low back pain.
Then there’s cortisol which is often called the “stress hormone.”
This chemical can affect a bunch of different functions in your body. But if cortisol stays elevated for a long time (you know, like during a pandemic), it can also cause you to lose muscle mass and increase body fat. And for obvious reasons, those changes can also lead to back pain.
Many patients who see their doctor with symptoms of anxiety or lower back pain (or both) end up leaving the clinic with a prescription for heavy-duty benzodiazepines. But a new study reveals another drug-free option. And it’s one mainstream medicine doctors LOVE to HATE.
Chiropractic care is proven to relieve pain
I’ve never met a scientist that didn’t like jargon. And when it comes to chiropractic treatments, they’re no different. Instead of chiropractic care, they call it spinal manipulative therapy.
Since it’s not a drug or a surgery, chiropractic care is, at best, dismissed by many folks in mainstream medicine. And at worst, it’s despised and vilified.
Many conventional medicine docs simply refuse to recognize its usefulness for pain relief. And that’s despite the countless reports of positive real-world experiences and a growing stack of encouraging research.
But, the fact is, chiropractic techniques HAVE been shown to work in many cases.
For example, in a recent study conducted with the U.S. military, volunteers were given chiropractic treatments along with their conventional medical care. The folks who had the combo solution had measurably better pain relief.
In another study… a meta-analysis and review published in JAMA… scientists combed through the records of a 73-million patient network for folks with lower back pain. They found that chiropractic care was linked to improvements in pain AND function for up to six weeks after the adjustments were made.
Now, a new study, once again, confirms its usefulness. The researchers recruited volunteers who were battling lower back pain. And a group of the participants was given spinal manipulation treatments.
Follow-ups were then done at 3, 6, and 12 months and the participant’s use of pain meds was checked. It turns out the odds of receiving a brain-scrambling benzodiazepine prescription were significantly lower in the lucky folks who got the chiropractic treatment.
More pain relief and fewer drugs? Sign me up!
Need a bit more help with your own back pain? Combining chiropractic care with MY favorite “water trick” could be just the combo you’re looking for. Click here for the inside scoop.
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