A medical doctor – a psychiatrist, no less – talking about how chiropractic can improve mental health via the gut-brain-spine connection? You heard it right, and it may be one of the strongest pieces of evidence to date of the evolving perspective within at least some members of the medical community toward chiropractic care.
Dr. Mitchell Liester, an assistant clinical professor in the Colorado School of Medicine Department of Psychiatry, states in a post on PsychologyToday.com: “Several evidence-based mechanisms explain how chiropractic care influences the gut-brain-spine axis and mental health. ... Research suggests that the spine functions as a critical communication pathway for the body, with spinal health potentially influencing how the brain and gut communicate, which may affect mood, anxiety, and cognitive function.”
Specifically, the post notes vagal tone improvement, enhancement of neuroplasticity, hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis modulation, and positive gut microbiome changes as benefits of spinal adjustments / chiropractic care.
The key takeaway points: “Spinal manipulation modulates vagal tone, potentially improving stress resilience and emotional regulation. Research shows chiropractic adjustments reduce inflammation that affects both gut health and brain function. Improved nervous system function following chiropractic care positively influences the gut microbiome.”
The post also enumerates clinical practice applications based on the body of research supporting the connection between chiropractic and mental health:
Integrated approach: Consider chiropractic care as a complementary approach alongside traditional mental health treatments.
Stress reduction strategy: Regular chiropractic adjustments may serve as an effective stress management technique, particularly for those whose mental health symptoms worsen during periods of high stress.
Gut health support: For individuals experiencing both digestive issues and mental health symptoms (common in conditions like irritable bowel syndrome), chiropractic care may help address the nervous system component of these interconnected systems.
Body awareness practice: The mindful attention to physical sensation during chiropractic sessions can enhance interoceptive awareness - a skill increasingly recommended for anxiety management and trauma recovery.
The significance of a psychiatrist making these assertions shouldn’t be lost; nor should the fact that the post is co-written by Jai Liester, a student at Palmer Chiropractic College. While both psychologists and psychiatrists tackle mental health, the latter have MD degrees and thus possess the ability to prescribe medication – a privilege they often use.2 Maybe every MD should have a (in this case, future) doctor of chiropractic in the family?
Read the full post and share it with your patients. Consider it free promotion for your practice and the profession.
References
- Liester MD. “The Gut-Brain-Spine Connection: How Chiropractic Care May Improve Mental Health.” PsychologyToday.com (blog post), March 4, 2025.
- Hughes PM, et al. Psychotropic medication prescribing across medical providers, 2016–2019. Psychiatric Services, 2023 Nov;75(5).
