Effects of Subluxation-Based Chiropractic Care on Dyslipidemia: A Case Study and Review of the Literature

Objective: 1) To provide a thorough review of the literature concerning cholesterol's relationship to cardiovascular disease. 2) To explain the potential efficacy subluxation-based chiropractic may have in normalizing serum lipid levels. 3) To present the results of a male patient who underwent chiropractic care and subsequently experienced lipid panel normalization.

Conclusions: A thorough literature review utilizing various medical textbooks and on-line search engines (Index to Chiropractic Literature, Mantis, PubMed, Scopus) revealed that the study of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease (CVD) has a rich history, dating back over 2,000 years of recorded etiology. It is important to note that the research is clear in one thing: global authorities unanimously agree that no one knows, conclusively, the cause of CVD. One of the most generally recognized risk factors is the role cholesterol plays in atherosclerosis and subsequent plaque build up. We offer a brief historical account of the role cholesterol has played in CVD and provide the most recent global data. Our study revealed that the “cholesterol is harmful” hypothesis is not ubiquitously supported by evidenced-based medicine. There appears to be a growing paradigm shift that subscribes to the theory that stress-related inflammatory and hormonal responses are key components to atherosclerotic plaque build-up and subsequent CVD. A review of the chiropractic literature indicates that there is a well-documented relationship between subluxation-based chiropractic care and reduced stress levels, normalized hormone levels, and also normalized lipid levels. This suggests that chiropractic care may have a direct impact in lowering the primary CVD risk factors. This case study warrants further research to substantiate these relationships.