Chiropractic Adjustments Boost Your Immune System
Protect Yourself from Viruses with a Chiropractic Adjustment.
I learned many years ago that getting a spinal adjustment from my chiropractor did a lot more than just help my back pain. In fact, when I started getting adjusted on a regular basis my overall health improved. One thing in particular was a reduced number of colds or viruses I was getting each year. If I did happen to get sick, I would recover much quicker. This is backed by research that shows getting adjustments can boost your immune system by 200-500%! That’s good news for those of us that have underlining medical conditions like autoimmune diseases.
Individuals with a chronic illness can have weakened immune systems. This can be from the illness itself, lack of sleep that comes with the condition, or the medication you might be on. It’s important, especially during the cold and flu season, that you take care of yourself. Eat right, get the rest and exercise you need and think about getting an adjustment. The potential exposure to the coronavirus (although very low at the moment) is a reminder to do all you can to build up your immune system.
I sat down with my own Chiropractor of 15 years, Dr. Joanna Fasulo, for a question and answer session to find out more about chiropractic adjustments.
- When did the chiropractic community first realize that Spinal Adjustments can help our immune system?
It has always been part of the chiropractic mindset that a subluxation or misalignment in your spine, will effect the overall health of your body. Latest research states an adjustment increases the effects of our bodies white blood cells, the major players in our immune system’s defense.
- How exactly does getting our spine adjusted help?
The goal of the chiropractic spinal adjustment is to realign the spinal vertebrae in order to decrease compression or irritation of the spinal nerve as it is exiting the spinal cord. Every organ in our body is communicated from nerves that exit the spinal column. The thymus gland, for example, is a big player in our immune system, it literally makes the cells that fight off invaders, including cancer cells. The thymus gland is innervated by cells that exit from the cervical and thoracic spinal region; so a chiropractic subluxation in that area can affect the effectiveness of the thymus gland.
- What is subluxation and how does it relate to our immune system?
A subluxation is a term to describe a vertebral misalignment. If you break the word down, “sub” means “minor” and “luxation” means “misalignment”. A majority of our immune system is in our “gut” or our stomach lining. The stomach is innervated by nerves that exit from the mid to lower thoracic spinal region. If there is a subluxation at the level of T12, for instance, there is potential for disruption of communication to the stomach, thereby lessening the power of the stomach to do its job effectively. Which means, not fighting off invaders like bacteria or viruses.
- I know stress and the lack of sleep can weaken our immune system, can getting adjusted help with those issues too?
I see many patients with difficulty sleeping, often due to pain in their neck, preventing them from finding a comfortable way to sleep so they end up with difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep. Chiropractors use spinal adjustments to help reduce the inflammation present in the spine due to misaligned vertebrae. And, it is such a common statement, especially after a patient’s first adjustment: “I slept like a baby”
- Should someone with an autoimmune disorder see a chiropractor even when its not flu season?
Absolutely! I believe the first way to combat autoimmune disorders is to make sure your spine is not subluxated. Any degree of nerve compromise is a problem to the average person, but a person with autoimmune disorders, needs to make sure the communication of the brain, to the spinal cord to the tissues, organs and cells of the body are free of interference.
- How often should we get adjusted?
My general recommendations are a child should be checked for subluxations twice per month, an adult should be checked 3-4 times per month, and a senior citizen should be checked 5-6 times per month. Younger people tend to hold their adjustments longer since the muscles are generally stronger. Seniors often have co-morbidities or other health challenges which mean their bodies need a bit more TLC.
Special thanks to Dr. Fasulo for her time and great responses. I hope all of you will consider seeing a chiropractor for your overall health!
Dr. Joanna Fasulo has been named ‘BEST CHIROPRACTOR ON LONG ISLAND’ for many years by Long Island Press. She is a dedicated and informative doctor who truly cares for her patients. If you live on Long Island and would like to set up an appointment, visit her website www.fasulochiropractic.com
