Chiropractic can enhance sleep quality by addressing underlying musculoskeletal and neurological factors that disrupt rest. Consider the case of an individual experiencing chronic discomfort due to prolonged sedentary work. Such conditions often lead to sleep issues, as spinal misalignments exert pressure on the central nervous system, elevating cortisol levels and inhibiting relaxation. Through precise chiropractic adjustments, these misalignments are corrected, restoring optimal neural function and reducing stress-mediated sleep disturbances, thereby fostering a more conducive state for restorative sleep.
Techniques involving specific soft tissue manipulation address myofascial tension in the cervical and thoracic regions, a frequent contributor to sleep onset latency (trouble falling asleep). Enhanced circulatory dynamics, resulting from improved spinal alignment, further support thermoregulation and oxygen delivery to tissues, promoting deeper sleep stages. Such a conditions can result in a marked improvement in sleep efficiency, with reduced awakenings and increased subjective well-being. Thus, chiropractic care offers a scientifically grounded, non-pharmacological strategy to optimize sleep.
Although more RCT’s are needed, current studies support chiropractic care’s role in enhancing stress resilience and sleep quality include a 2016 study in the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics that showed that chiropractic adjustments reduced cortisol and improved self-reported relaxation scores in patients under high stress. Another study from 2012 found chiropractic care led to improved sleep, reduced anxiety, and better quality of life, while another study from 2020 (Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice) concluded that spinal manipulation is associated with reduced muscle tension and improved sleep in patients with musculoskeletal pain.
A more recent study (Brain Sciences, 2024) investigated brain activity in back pain patients and found long lasting changes in brain wave activity in patients treated with specific chiropractic adjustments. The participants in the study experienced significantly reduced anxiety, depression, fatigue and pain.
All of the above situations will not surprise most long term patients of chiropractic care. Since the nervous system regulates every function of the body, it is natural that improved sleep is one of the many benefits of chiropractic.
The following chart shows the relationship between cortisol and melatonin throughout the day.
