Diabetes - November Awareness

November is Diabetes Awareness Month! What Can Your Chiropractor do for YOU?

We don’t usually think about chiropractors when we hear the term “diabetes.” Since November is Diabetes Awareness Month, I wanted to take a few minutes of your time and let you know what chiropractic care in Oak Lawn, IL can do to help people with diabetes both manage their blood sugar and potentially reduce their dependence on oral or injected insulin.

First, let’s chat just a minute about diabetes. More than 25 million Americans (adults and children) currently have diabetes, and another 79 million have already been diagnosed with pre-diabetes. Diabetes is an enormous burden on our healthcare system and is predicted to cost us around 3.4 trillion dollars over the next decade, which of course will trickle down to you and me. Cases of diabetes continue to rise and it’s the 5^th deadliest condition in our country.

Type 1 diabetes is not necessarily preventable. In type 1 diabetes, the pancreas does not produce insulin and most cases are diagnosed during childhood or adolescence. Type 2 diabetes, on the other hand, is highly preventable.

When you eat, blood glucose levels rise and insulin is released into the bloodstream to “unlock” the cells to allow blood glucose in so cellular energy can be produced. If the energy is not needed, the glucose is stored as fat. When we eat too much, especially overly processed foods high in sugar and low in nutrients, and have consistently higher than normal levels of blood glucose, insulin becomes resistant and can no longer keep blood glucose levels at a manageable level.

What becomes important in the treatment of diabetes is managing these high blood glucose levels. Blood that has too much glucose is very sticky and causes all sorts of problems in the body such as clogged arteries and poor circulation. It’s difficult for your heart to pump this sticky blood through your body, so your heart becomes worn out sooner than necessary. Coronary artery disease is common amongst diabetics as well as macular degeneration which can lead to blindness. It’s also common for the poorly circulated lower extremities to become infected, which can lead to amputation. Of course, diabetes is also taxing on the renal system and eventually, renal failure can occur and dialysis or a kidney transplant becomes necessary.

Changing dietary habits and reducing weight by a mere 5 pounds can reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes by as much as 58%! In this light, chiropractors are well prepared to give you advice on proper weight loss methods, dietary habits and supplements that can help you lose weight and manage blood glucose.

In addition, studies have shown that some diabetic patients who underwent vertebral subluxations were able to stabilize their blood glucose levels and reduce their dependence on oral or injected insulin! At the heart of chiropractic care lies the concept that a healthy spine lends to a healthy body. When the spine is misaligned, nerves that extend from the spinal cord are not able to function at optimum levels, which can lead to other health problems.

Call your Oak Lawn, IL chiropractor today, Dr. Jeff Hoekstra, to see what our caring staff can do to promote overall wellness and help you prevent diabetes or diabetic complications!