Chiropractic and the Immune System
Last updated on May 1, 2023
It’s that time of year again… Winter is on the way and so is “Cold and Flu” season. But I challenge you on that assumption. Is it really a season or are there certain unique traits of this time of year that contribute to a decreased immune response?
The biggest thing to remember is that your body is a self healing and self regulating organism with a robust ability to heal and recover.
- Stress decreases our natural immune response.
- We are under an unnatural amount of stress
- The chronic stressors in our life are incongruent with our DNA.
- Stress comes in 3 forms; Physical, Chemical, Emotional
- Almost all health concerns can be broken down into 2 categories, Deficiency/Toxicity
- Chiropractic care can decrease the “fight or flight” response and the physiological effects of stress by calming the sympathetic nervous system
So let’s go back to a basic premise; Our body is smart. Your body is very smart and adaptive. Most of the low grade chronic illness we see is actually what is known as adaptive physiology. That’s a big phrase meaning your body is adapting and working hard to keep you alive. Think of a fever. Your body will raise the temperature in an effort to kill a harmful bacteria or virus. This is a smart thing. However, we do have limits to our adaptability. So let’s talk about what controls the way the body functions.
Do you know what controls and coordinates everything that happens in your body? It’s your brain of course. And how does the brain communicate with your body and understand the environment that you’re in? Through the nervous system. And it ’s that constant relay of information from your body, through your nervous system to every organ, tissue and cell and back to the brain that allows you to live. For the sake of this conversation this is also how your body functions and heels.
Now, what protects the delicate nervous system? It’s your skull and spine. Think of them like your personal, living helmet and suit of armour. If there is dysfunction, damage or misalignment within the spine it can interfere with how messages are being sent and received. This may allow for errors, but this is also a stress on the system. We call this spinal dysfunction Vertebral Subluxation or Subluxation for short. The subluxation has been shown to interfere with the body’s fight or flight response causing a condition known as Sympathetic Dominance. Dr. Wayne Todd, a board certified Chiropractic Neurologist, has shown that Sympathetic dominance can have a massive impact on overall health and the way the immune system functions.
So what does all of this mean?
Stress can cause a condition in the spine known as Subluxation. Subluxation can cause Sympathetic dominance, and Sympathetic dominance affects the way your immune system works.
How do you know if you have Subluxation in your spine? Only a qualified Chiropractor has been trained to locate, identify and correct spinal subluxations.
Want to learn more about the nervous system and how the body is designed? Register for our FREE live webinar with Dr. Brian (Chiropractor) on this topic.
