Can a misaligned spine interfere with your immune system? Yes, it can. By blocking the pathways from the brain to your muscles, nerves, and organs, AND your immune system. The good news is that Chiropractic care can put your spine back into alignment and get your immune system back into operation.

Have you ever woken up with a stiff neck one day?

A week later, you are washing the dishes and you’re struck with a pain between your shoulder blades? A few days after that, you’re bending over to put the plug in the bath and there’s a nasty twinge in your lower back?

In two weeks, you’re feeling all three of these aches all the time.

You really need to see a Chiropractor, but you’re super busy and besides, a paracetamol sorts it all out.

Except that it doesn’t.

The longer you wait to make an appointment, the tighter your feel, and the more prominent these dull aches become. That’s because your nervous system has been constricted more and more over time as your spine slides out of alignment, also known as subluxation, closing the gaps through which your nervous system runs. This means messages from your brain are short-circuiting on their way through your body.

If your nervous system isn’t operating at its optimum level, not only will you be struggling with neck and back pain, but your immune system will be under stress as well. Those messages from your brain – they’re not reaching your immune system!

Put another way, our immune system and your nervous system are in a two-way conversation. If the message are blocked, due to a misaligned spine, your immune system will suffer. If your immune system suffers you will never feel a hundred percent well. In fact, you may get more colds, more often than other people, not to mention other illnesses.

The result of all of this – not living life to the max.

Do these two systems interconnect?

The immune and nervous systems together are in the pursuit of homeostasis. And this is important. Homeostasis is the body’s necessary internal balance.

• The nervous system interacts through neurotransmitters and hormones.
• The immune system sends messages on their way with cytokines – chemical messengers.

The nervous system runs right through your body like highways, byways, and narrow paths. Along the way, the immune cells, a bit like police stations, are positioned. A soon as a message comes flying down the road and alerts the police station, the immune cells react, and if necessary, adjust their action to counter any disturbance in the body heading their way.

A spinal misalignment is a bit like an earthquake, or a riot blocking the highways, byways, and paths. When that happens the messages are lost, the immune cells can’t meet the challenge and keep the body strong and active.

What Does The Research Say?

There’s always more research to be done in any medical field. Chiropractic Care is no different. However, the research done so far, reveals that Chiropractic Care is the support arm to the immune system.

7 Ways Chiropractic Care Help Your Immune System

• White Blood Cell Activity Improvement: Phagocytes and white blood cells, are vital when it comes to fighting off infections. A chiropractic adjustment can increase their production.

• Immune Response Enhancement: Regular chiropractic care can increase your immune system’s performance by 200%. People with serious health conditions were found to have a 400% increase in the fighting response of their immune system.

• Cortisol Reduction: A lot of people’s response to stress is to fall asleep. The same thing happens to your immune system. Chiropractic care comes to the rescue by smothering the cortisol – the stress hormone which will weaken your body’s immunity as time goes on.

• Nervous System Function Improvement: When your spine is realigned, your brain and immune system are once more in contact and can communicate freely.

• Inflammation Reduction: A misaligned spine can result in inflammation. Not only will this increase your discomfort, but it will also decrease your immune system’s function. As soon as your spine is realigned your immune system will be able to respond better. And that’s what we all need – a strong and healthy immune response.

• Sleep Improvement: None of us do well if we have disturbed, or poor sleep habits. There are many reasons for poor sleep including pain and stress. The worst thing is that poor sleep will make both your pain and your stress worse. There are many ways to set the scene for a good night’s sleep which we covered in another blog. Another way is making an appointment with your Chiropractor and have your spine realigned.

• Energy Levels Raised: There’s nothing like pain to stop you from being energetic. Moving is the last thing you want to do when even the smallest movement hurts, and while walking is a good way to ease your spine, having your spine realigned is the best option. 

3 Other ‘Ripple Effect’ Ways Chiropractic Care Can Improve Your Health

Earlier we mentioned how small changes can have huge effects for better or worse: a bad night’s sleep can give you a sore neck, but a good night’s sleep can reduce your stress. Reduced stress increases your overall happiness and contentment. Here are some more ways Chiropractic care has a ripple effect throughout your body and increase your well-being.

• Enhanced Lymphatic Drainage: Your lymphatic system assists in the efficient removal of toxins and waste products from your body, allowing your immune system to identify and act against any potential threats far more efficiently. Chiropractic care will ensure that this system will also work correctly.

• Improved Digestion: If messages from your brain are getting through unimpeded, thanks to Chiropractic care, your digestive system will work better, which means less to no poor indigestion, or heart burn.

• Better hormone regulation: Sometimes the result of poor hormone regulation is a bad temper, weepiness, and poor sleep. Chiropractic care can help rest your hormones and enhance blood circulation – all of which contribute to a stronger immune response.

How Many Appointments Will I Need?

It depends entirely on your needs. At the first appointment, we will make an assessment of your Chiropractic needs. Some people will only need one appointment, while others may need a few. No matter how many appointments are required you will see both an immediate and a gradual improvement in your overall health, energy, and resistance to illness.

Yours in health,
Dr. Monica and Helen