Diabetes is the fifth deadliest disease in the United States and a growing epidemic worldwide. Diabetes is a disease which affects the body's ability to regulate the level of blood sugar. It is becoming more and more common among the patients we see. So common in fact that between 1990 and 1999, incidence of disease increased by more than 40 percent. By the year 2000, nearly seven percent of the population was affected. Unless something changes, the future looks bleak. Roughly one out of every three men and two out of every five women born in the year 2000 will suffer from diabetes in their lifetime.

The life expectancy of men diagnosed with diabetes at age 40, is shorted, on average, by 11-13 years. For women, the figures are even more disturbing: their life expectancy is cut by 12 to 17 years of life. The disease also takes a huge financial toll, accounting for about $132 billion of the $865 billion spent in health care in 2002. Chiropractic in itself is not a cure for diabetes, but there has been research to suggest that chiropractic has a benefit for people with diabetes.

A recent study done and published by the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, focused on the positive response to chiropractic care when used as part of an integrative treatment in the care of a patient with adult onset diabetes. The disease was diagnosed by a medical doctor. Along with chiropractic care, the patient also received nutritional and exercise guidance. The chiropractic care was directed toward correcting misalignments in the spine, called vertebral subluxations, which affect the relationship between the nervous system and organs. After one month of being on the program, the patient's glucose blood and urine levels had normalized and remained stable. His medical doctor, who monitored his progress, said the patient would not need insulin if the condition remained stable.

Chiropractic can help by getting the body in the proper alignment, and take the pressure off of the nerves going to all of the organs of the body, including your pancreas which controls blood sugar regulation by producing insulin for the body. We can also help by getting you the proper nutritional supplements for your pancreas and giving you excellent information on diet and exercise to support your pancreas and allow it to function at its optimum. This approach can work in conjunction with any medical care that you may be receiving and can help eliminate or reduce the need for insulin medication.