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Can A Chiropractor Make You Taller?

We are occasionally asked the question “Can a chiropractic adjustment make you taller?” While patients may appear taller after chiropractic adjustment, the real answer is more complex.

A chiropractor cannot magically add inches to your physical height. However, they can help improve your posture, reduce spinal compression, and address issues like misalignments and scoliosis, all of which tend to make you appear shorter.

In this article, we explain why we become shorter over time, explore the ways chiropractic care can reverse these effects, and discuss the benefits of long-term chiropractic care.

Why Do We Become Shorter Over Time

When discussing height in the context of chiropractic care, it’s important to understand the role of spinal alignment and intervertebral disc health.

Over time, factors such as poor posture, injury, and the effects of gravity can cause spinal compression, reducing a person’s overall height.

  • Poor Posture: A person’s full height is influenced by their posture. With time, intervertebral disc compression and changes to spinal curvature can make someone susceptible to debilitating conditions like tech neck, Dowager’s hump, and scoliosis (Why Good Posturer Matters).
  • Spinal Misalignment: Even if maintaining a perfect posture was possible, improper movements and unexpected injuries may cause spinal misalignments. As a knock-on effect, spinal misalignments may cause a misalignment of the hips, knees, ankles, muscles, and ligaments. Together, these factors can cause a visible reduction in height.
  • Spinal Ageing: As a general rule, people become shorter (sometimes up to an inch) as they age. The main cause is “wear and tear” on the intervertebral discs in our spines.

How Can A Spinal Adjustment Make You Taller?

A chiropractor can help you improve your posture and decompress your spine. Spinal adjustments open the joints, helping to re-establish the natural curvature of the spine, ultimately restoring spinal function. Together, these changes can result in a return of lost height.

Non-Chiropractic Alternatives To Improve Posture

Before discussing chiropractic care, it’s worth noting that there are non-chiropractic methods to improve posture. Exercises specifically designed to strengthen your core and back muscles can significantly enhance posture.

However, while these alternatives offer some benefits, they may not be as effective as chiropractic adjustments. This is especially the case when dealing with misalignments or other structural issues of the spine.

Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments are designed to target specific areas of the spine to correct misalignments.

When your spine is out of alignment, it can cause you to slump or hunch, making you appear shorter than you really are. By manipulating the spine, chiropractors can help restore its natural curvature, allowing you to stand taller.

Spinal Decompression Therapy

Spinal decompression therapy is another chiropractic technique that can indirectly increase your height. This therapy involves stretching the spine to relieve pressure on the vertebrae, allowing the discs between them to expand.

While the effects are often temporary, spinal decompression can create a small increase in height by allowing the vertebrae to return to their natural spacing.

Height Enhancing Functions Of Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic adjustments can contribute to a perceived increase in height by addressing specific spinal issues that cause compression or poor posture.

  • Adjustments Can Increase Vertebral Disc Height: Intervertebral discs act as cushions between your vertebrae and become compressed over time through factors like ageing, poor posture, or spinal misalignment. Adjustments can decompress these discs, helping them to regain their natural height. This may restore a small amount of height to your frame.
  • Adjustments Can Improve Your Posture: Good posture is crucial for maintaining full height, but poor posture can cause your spine to curve abnormally. Adjustments can correct these postural issues by realigning the spine and promoting a more upright stance. This improvement in posture can make a significant difference in your overall height.
  • Adjustments Can Correct Scoliosis: Scoliosis is a condition characterised by an abnormal curvature of the spine, and it can significantly impact your full height. While chiropractic care cannot cure scoliosis, adjustments can help manage this condition by realigning the spine and reducing the severity of the curve. This can result in a slight increase in height as the spine is brought closer to its natural position.

Why Does My Spine Affect My Height?

Your spine plays a crucial role in determining your height because it makes up a significant portion of your skeletal structure. The vertebrae and intervertebral discs contribute significantly to your overall stature.

When these discs become compressed or misaligned, it can cause you to lose height. Additionally, poor posture can cause your spine to curve, further reducing your height.

Chiropractic care focuses on maintaining the health and alignment of your spine, which in turn helps you maintain your natural height and prevent further compression or curvature.

Long-Term Effects Of Consistent Chiropractic Care

While the immediate effects of a chiropractic adjustment can be beneficial, consistent care is key to maintaining these benefits over the long term. By keeping your spine properly aligned and preventing disc compression, you can maintain both your height and your overall mobility.

Preventative care is a cornerstone of chiropractic treatment. Regular check-ups with a chiropractor can help catch and correct small issues before they become significant problems.

By incorporating exercises and other preventative measures into your routine, you can support the health of your spine and maintain your height over the long term.

Conclusion: Can A Chiropractic Adjustment Make You Taller?

So, “Can a chiropractor make you taller?” The answer is yes but with important caveats. Chiropractic adjustments can help decompress the spine, improve posture, and address conditions like scoliosis.

These conditions individually contribute to a slight reduction in height, and this can be reversed by alleviating them.

As discussed above, the height changes associated with chiropractic care are obtained by optimising spinal structure and function. Nonetheless, if you’re looking to stand taller and improve your overall health, regular chiropractic care might be just what you need.

So while you might not walk out of the chiropractor’s office several inches taller, you could very well stand a little straighter and feel a lot better.

Dr Shamus Hussain

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