The Immune System and Chiropractic

What is the immune system?

 

The immune system is our natural defense against outside pathogens such as bacteria or viruses. It is constantly working to prevent us from getting sick or infected, or to help get us better as efficiently as possible if we do become infected. It can affect how often we get sick, how hard we are hit by sickness, and how long it will take to recover. When it does become infected by something, it keeps a record of this. So that it is better equipped to fight it if it ever returns again. The immune system contains many different parts. Including but not limited to: white blood cells, antibodies, skin bone marrow, spleen, lymphatic system, and the thymus. They all have their own role in preventing and fighting infection.

 

How can the immune system become weakened?

 

Some people are born with conditions that weaken their immune system. It can weaken from acquired diseases (such as HIV/AIDS), or through some types of medical treatment (such as chemotherapy)¹. In addition, there are also lifestyle habits that can weaken our immune system such as prolonged stress, under or over-exercising, smoking, excessive alcohol consumption, and poor diet².

 

How does chiropractic affect the immune system?

 

It is important to look at the lifestyle factors that may be weakening our immune system and modify these where possible. However, there are other ways we can help to strengthen our immune system. One of these ways is through chiropractic care. Chiropractic care is all about removing interference from the nervous system, which is caused by all the different stresses in our lives. When our nerve system is free of interference this allows our brain and our body to communicate more freely and accurately. If our brain and body are communicating well this allows the brain to be better. As a result, it is able to detect what is happening in the body, such as an infection, and to organize the necessary elements needed to fight this.

When the communication between the brain and the body has no interference, the brain can register what is happening faster. As a result, the body can start fighting any sickness or infection as soon as possible in order to minimize damage to the body and reduce the duration of sickness. Moreover, decreased nervous system interference also allows our brain and nervous system to better coordinate all body systems. When the immune and nervous system can coordinate their responses more efficiently this keeps our body more resilient and healthy. As a result, the more coordinated our immune and nervous systems, the more likely to beat sickness and infection fast, and with the least amount of damage to the body³.

 

Cont.

 

A great example of chiropractic helping boost immune function the impact that chiropractors had during the Spanish Flu. The Spanish Flu (1918-1920) was one of the world’s worst pandemics, with somewhere between 20-50 million people dying⁴. While it was a devastating time in history, something amazing happened when those affected went to see their chiropractor. In a city in Iowa, it was shown that every 1 out of 15 of those infected that went to medical doctors died. However, only 1 out of every 866 patients that went to a chiropractor died. Moreover, there were 233 cases that medical doctors had given up on, and after chiropractic care all but 25 of these cases survived. As a result, this amazing feat led to many licenses in the US⁵!

 

This all comes down to the fact that chiropractic clears interference from the nervous system. In addition, they allow all systems of the body to function at their best, including the immune system. Chiropractic is extremely beneficial for anyone looking to boost their immune function – it saves lives!

 

References:

 

1. Better Health Channel. (2017). Immune system. https://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/conditionsandtreatments/immune-system.
2. Everyday Health. (2015, June 17). 9 surprising ways you’re weakening your immune system. EverydayHealth.com. https://www.everydayhealth.com/news/9-surprising-ways-youre-weakening-your-immune-system/.
3. Pure Healthcare. (2017, July 5). Boost your “flu-fighter” with chiropractic care. https://www.purehealthcare.co.nz/boost-your-flu-fighter-with-chiropractic-care/.
4. (2010, October 12). Spanish Flu. History.com. https://www.history.com/topics/world-war-i/1918-flu-pandemic.
5. Upper Cervical Chiropractic of Monmouth. (2020, March 13). 10 important studies on chiropractic and resisting a virus. https://getwellnj.com/immunity/.

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