By Dr. Gina Marino

When thousands of people across the globe were asked whether they would rather suffer from a back problem or a brain problem, the answer was unanimous: back problem. Most people assume back issues are less serious because brain problems affect so many vital areas of life and health.

But here’s what’s often misunderstood: the brain and spine are one continuous system. Together, they form the nervous system, which regulates the function of every organ and system in the body. In other words, a back problem is also a brain problem.

Chiropractic care helps restore the health of both brain and body by gently adjusting the spine. For over 130 years, people of all ages have reported life-changing benefits from chiropractic care—including improved sleep, digestion, energy, breathing, reproduction, immunity and heart function—thanks to a better-functioning nervous system. Even newborns and children can benefit from regular chiropractic adjustments.

Historically, the scientific and medical communities were skeptical that chiropractic care could improve health beyond the spine. But modern research now confirms that the greatest impact of a chiropractic adjustment happens in the brain. Adjustments influence the autonomic nervous system, which governs essential functions like heart rate, blood pressure, and digestion.

Four groundbreaking studies in the last decade support this connection, showing that chiropractic care helps the brain communicate more efficiently with the body. One of the first recorded chiropractic adjustments—in Iowa in 1895—restored a man’s hearing. Mahatma Gandhi famously received adjustments to help with blood pressure, and during the deadly 1918 Spanish flu epidemic, thousands turned to chiropractic care, reporting fewer complications. These brief examples represent a small sampling of people who achieved health benefits through brain and autonomic changes credited to chiropractic adjustments.

The evidence continues to grow: chiropractic care is not just for back or neck pain. Subluxations—small misalignments in the spine—can silently disrupt brain and nervous system function, even without causing pain. Like clogged arteries that build up without warning, subluxations affect health long before symptoms appear.

Everyone benefits from regular spinal checkups. A healthy spine walks hand in hand with a healthy brain, and ultimately, a healthy life. 

Dr. Gina Marino is the founder of the Center for the Alignment of Body, Mind & Spirit located at 2213 Wantagh Ave., Wantagh, NY. She offers gentle chiropractic care, reiki, lifestyle and nutritional advice. For more information, call 516-221-3500 or visit Align-Me.com.