Chiropractic Influence on Oxidative Stress and DNA Repair

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Chiropractic Influence on Oxidative Stress and DNA Repair

07 Mar 2005 Medical News Today

There is a growing body of evidence that wellness care provided by doctors of

chiropractic may reduce health care costs, improve health behaviors, and enhance

patient perceived quality of life. Until recently, however, little was known

about how chiropractic adjustments affected the chemistry of biological

processes on a cellular level.

In a landmark study published this week in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation

Research (JVSR; http://www.jvsr.com), chiropractors collaborating with

researchers at the University of Lund found that chiropractic care could

influence basic physiological processes affecting oxidative stress and DNA

repair. These findings offer a scientific explanation for the positive health

benefits reported by patients receiving chiropractic care.

The researchers measured serum thiol levels in 21 patients under short-term

chiropractic care and 25 patients under long-term chiropractic care. The results

were compared to those of a non-chiropractic treated control group of 30

subjects. Long-term chiropractic care of two or more years was shown to

re-establish a normal physiological state independent of age, sex, or

nutritional supplements. Symptom-free or primary wellness subjects under

chiropractic care demonstrated higher mean serum thiol levels than patients with

active disease, and produced some values that were higher than normal wellness

values.

Serum thiols are primary antioxidants, and serve as a measure of human health

status. The test provides a surrogate estimate of DNA repair enzyme activity,

which has been shown to correlate with lifespan and aging.

Dr. Kent, one of the authors explained, “Going through life, we

experience physical, chemical, and emotional stress. These stresses affect the

function of the nervous system. We hypothesized that these disturbances in nerve

function could affect oxidative stress and DNA repair on a cellular level.”

“Oxidative stress, metabolically generating free radicals, is now a broadly

accepted theory of how we age and develop disease,” Kent continued. “Oxidative

stress results in DNA damage, and inhibits DNA repair. DNA repair is the

mechanism which fixes the damage caused by environmental impact.”

Chiropractors apply spinal adjustments to correct disturbances of nerve

function. “Chiropractic care appears to improve the ability of the body to adapt

to stress,” continued Kent. “Further research is needed to gain additional

insights that will ultimately lead to improved clinical outcomes,” he said.

The study was a collaborative involving Camgen, Inc. of , B.C. Canada;

Chiropractic Leadership Alliance in Mahwah, NJ; Biomedical Diagnostic Research,

LLC in Chesterland, Ohio; and Department of Cell and Molecular Biology of Tumor

Immunology, University of Lund, Sweden.

JVSR is a peer-reviewed scientific journal devoted to subluxation-based

chiropractic research affiliated with the World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA), an

international organization representing doctors of chiropractic. WCA promotes

the traditional, drug-free and non-invasive form of chiropractic as a means of

correcting vertebral subluxations that cause nerve interference.

World Chiropractic Alliance (WCA)

Chandler, AZ 85224

United States

Phone 800-347-1011

http://www.worldchiropracticalliance.org