Chiropractic Care Positively Influences the Immune System
It’s a fact of life that everybody will get sick at some point, whether it’s a cold, the flu, or something more serious. However, some people get sick more often than others, while others seem to avoid illness almost constantly. The difference between these two scenarios is how strong the person’s immune system is. The immune system helps the body to heal, but its primary job is to fight off viruses and bacteria, preventing illness. While many things can influence your immune system, it is directly controlled by the central nervous system, making chiropractic a natural choice to positively impact your immunity. Visiting a Des Moines chiropractor can offer your immune system the many benefits proven to come from a spinal adjustment.
The Neuroimmune Connection
The central nervous system is composed of your spinal cord and your brain, and it is primarily responsible for sending information through the nerves to the body’s various systems, with these messages traveling primarily from the brain to the rest of the body. One of the functions this controls is your immune system, as the central nervous systems alerts the immune system when it is time to act. If something in the spine is misaligned, these signals may not be sent properly due to the interruption on the spinal cord from the spine itself. This leads to a lack of action on the part of the immune system. A chiropractic adjustment removes any misalignments in the spine, allowing the messages to flow properly and the immune system to kick in.
One of the most important ways that chiropractic care can aid immune function is by increasing the number of antibodies the body produces. These molecules are the piece of the immune system that fights off viruses and bacteria, meaning the more being produced, the more protection there is against illness.
Increasing Immune Function with Chiropractic Care
It has been proven in a number of studies that chiropractic care has a direct and positive effect on immune functionality, but it is specifically important for children who are still developing an immune system. It is important to set children up to have healthy lives by encouraging health and proper function early on, and chiropractic care is a great way to do so. Not only is chiropractic care safe for children, it’s also effective: one study of 650 children with chronic illnesses found that their health and immune systems improved after 3 months of consistent care from a chiropractor.
Even in serious scenarios, the benefits of chiropractic care have been undeniable. One study focuses on two young siblings who are HIV positive, meaning their immune systems were severely compromised and they exhibited a variety of symptoms, including inability to walk unaided. Once these siblings were treated by a chiropractor, their health improved, walking became easier, and their viral loads stabilized. In cases like these, the connection between the spine and immunity becomes clear.
At True Roots Chiropractic, the focus is always on the overall health of the patient and immune health is an important part of that. Dr. Paige Roth is well-known for seeing not only adults in need of alignment, but children as well. To positively influence the immunity of you or your child, make your first appointment today.
Sources
Boone, W., Oswald, P., Holt, K., Beck, R., Singh, K., Ashton, A. (2006) Physical, physiological, and immune status changes, coupled with self-perceptions of health and quality of life, in subjects receiving chiropractic care: A pilot study. Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research 1-6. http://icpa4kids.org/Chiropractic-Research/changes-in-health-measures-in-hiv-chiropractic-patients.html
Ressel, O. Rudy, R. “Vertebral Subluxation Correlated with Somatic, Visceral and Immune Complaints: An Analysis of 650 Children Under Chiropractic Care.” Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research, 2004 Oct: 1-23. 1022_Ressel_Pelvic Distortion-Master-20041017-FINAL3.pmd.pdf.
Teodorczyk-Injeyan, J. A., McGregor, M., Ruegg, R., & Injeyan, H. S. (2010). Interleukin 2-regulated in vitro antibody production following a single spinal manipulative treatment in normal subjects. Chiropractic & Osteopathy.18-26. http://www.chiro.org/research/ABSTRACTS/Interleukin_2_regulated.shtml