Over
the years, chiropractic physicians have reported success
in treating
a variety of conditions associated with bacterial
and viral infection.
Manipulation of the vertebrae has an influence on
neurologic function,
lymphatic drainage, blood flow and muscle tension.
Recent research
by Patricia C Brennan, Ph.D., suggests that manipulation
may also have
a great effect on certain aspects of immune function.
Her group
showed that when the thoracic spine (mid-back) was
adjusted, the
respiratory burst cycle of white blood cells was enhanced.
Manipulation
is thought to stimulate immune function, in part by
promoting the release of endorphins long associated
with improving immunity.
Source:
Gregory R. Salmond, D.C.
http://www.gmrcreations.com/Salmond/chiropra.htm
Understanding
the Link Between Chiropractic and Your Immune System
by
Dr. Paul Newton
It’s
usually about this time of the year when I start hearing
comments
like "Gee, I haven’t been sick yet this year!"
or "Our family hasn’t had
any colds this winter!" People are quite surprised
by how much better
their immune system is working since they’ve been
under chiropractic
care. These people understood that the nervous system
controlled and
coordinated every other system in the body but they
didn’t believe it
until they experienced it first hand.
When
a new person begins chiropractic care, we spend a
great deal of
time and effort to educate him/her about the body’s
capabilities when
the nervous system is free of stress. We explain how
every system in
your body requires non-stop direction and feedback
from the brain and
spinal cord to make sure it is doing its job perfectly.
This includes the
immune system.
Most
grasp this concept rather enthusiastically because
they realize that
their body wants to be healthy and it just needs a
chance to do it on its
own. The problem we encounter occurs when this new
person comes
down with something, runs to the doctor and gets put
on antibiotics.
The old belief system overrides all concepts of self-healing
because an
infection made them sick.
Oddly
enough, many people do get sick shortly after beginning
chiropractic
care. As discouraging as this is to most, this is
a very positive healing
response. Have you ever, in a moment of inspiration,
decided to clean
up your desk, your office, your basement etc. because
you felt it would
have a positive impact on your life? You didn’t like
the way you were
operating and decided that things needed to change.
Your body does
the same thing.
When
you get adjusted and your body releases stress that
has been
preoccupying most of its systems, your body gets inspired
and decides
to change the state of affairs. It doesn’t like all
the critters that have
taken up residence so it mounts an immune response
to kill them all.
This makes us feel discomfort and we have been taught
through
experience that this means we are sick. Most of us
just want the
discomfort to stop so we ask our doctor for something
to make it go
away. We take some medicine and demotivate the body,
forcing it to
return to its original state.
Chiropractors
have been telling people this for years and it is
very
exciting for us to finally see some scientific proof.
New research in
the area of neuroimmunobiology has shown that there
are nerve endings
in the body’s immune tissues. Scientists now believe
that the nervous
system and the immune system may be connected. It’s
always nice to
have some scientific validation!
So
do I think all medicine is bad? No. Sometimes when
we let our bodies
get so run down that many of our immune responses
are ineffective, life-threatening infections can take
hold in places where bacteria can never
get in a healthy person. Take pneumonia for example.
This disease that
used to affect and kill only very sick people is showing
up routinely in
the public. Antibiotics may be necessary to remove
the immediate threat
but once the infection is under control, is that person
really healthy?
If
you’re sick of your yearly bout of bronchitis or afraid
of what your kids
bring home from school, it’s time to build up your
defenses. Regular
chiropractic care is an integral step towards perfect
health. You and
your family need regular adjustments to keep your
systems in perfect
working order.
Source:
2002-2001
Filosofi Health Management Corporation
Chiropractic
works on the body's immune system and its cells through
the nervous system, because the CD4 (T4) cells of
the immune system
have tiny nerves going to them. Chiropractic adjustments
correct for
interference to our main nervous system (brain and
spinal cord), which
then has a positive effect on the rest of our nervous
system and body.
Source:
Life College, Atlanta, GA, USAResearch on Upper Cervical
Adjustments and CD4 Cell Count
Did
you know that the nervous system directly and indirectly
controls the
immune system. It's called - psychoneuroimmunology.
Source: Dr. Christopher Kent ICA Convention Atlanta
Georgia, 1999
There
is an increasing body of evidence that the nervous
system is
capable of modulating the immune response. It is theorized
that spinal
fixations may adversely affect the immune response
through
somatosympathetic reflexes.
Spinal
manipulation can correct the spinal fixations and
may eliminate
the adverse affects of somatosympathetic reflexes.
Source:
Fidelibus JC. An overview of neuroimmunomodulation
and a possible
correlation with musculoskeletal system function.J
Manipulative Physiol Ther 1989;12(4):289-292 / Medline
ID: 89361050
