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A study in the June 1994 issue of the Journal of Manipulative and Physiological Therapeutics finds that patients with ulcers experienced quicker remission under chiropractic care than those receiving standard medical care.

Using an endoscope to view the inside of the stomach, 35 patients, aged 18-44, were diagnosed with ulcers. While both groups were put on the same diet, 11 of the patients received chiropractic care over a period of 5-22 days, while the remaining 24 patients underwent traditional medical drug therapy. The effectiveness of each approach was evaluated weekly using additional endoscopic tests.

Patients who received chiropractic care experienced pain relief in an average of 3.8 days and achieved clinical remission of their ulcers an average of 10 days earlier than those treated with drugs.

It is important to note that this article does not claim that chiropractic is a treatment or cure for ulcers. In their conclusions, the authors suggest that normalizing the nerve supply to the stomach and the positive response of the whole body to chiropractic care were likely mechanisms contributing to the observed improvements.

By removing interference in the nerve supply to the stomach, chiropractic care improved function to the point that the patients’ bodies were better positioned to heal the ulcers themselves. Can restoring health and function in the body allow it to heal itself better than drugs? Apparently so, in the case of ulcers—at least 10 days faster and without the toxicity and risks associated with drug use.

This study suggests that chiropractic care helps restore bodily function, supporting the body’s ability to repair and maintain itself at a higher level of function and health.