Chiropractic Adjustments

Benefit Your Immune System

An article appearing February 7, 2011, on the online news site “All Voices” describes the way chiropractic helps the immune system to function properly. The article’s author, Debbie Nicholson, begins her article by reporting, “The evidence keeps on growing for receiving wellness care from chiropractors. Chiropractic care aids in decreasing health care costs, health behavior and enhances quality of life.”

In the opening explanation of how the immune system works, Nicholson explains that the immune system and the nervous system are “..directly connected and work as one to develop maximum responses for the body to adjust and heal correctly”. She also notes that any alteration to the function of the nervous system will subsequently have an effect on the function of the immune system.

Nicholson further ties these two systems together by saying, “Misalignments called subluxations of the spine, cause compression and irritation of the nerve pathways influencing organ systems of the body. Subluxations cause physical nerve stress which affects neural control. Researchers have stated that these types of stressful conditions lead to changed rates of immune function and increase susceptibility to numerous diseases.”

The remainder of the article reviews the long history of scientific research that proves what chiropractors have observed in their offices. The author then reviews research from 1992 when it was shown that an adjustment to the thoracic spine (mid back) causes a subsequent elevation of the white blood cell count. This white blood cell count is associated with increased immunity.

The research was performed by Dr. Ronald Petro, PhD, chief of cancer prevention research at New York Preventive Medical Institute and professor of medicine environmental health at New York University. The research examined 107 people who had ongoing chiropractic care and compared them to an average population of people not under chiropractic care. They also reviewed a population of people who were suffering from cancer.

The study showed that, as expected, the people suffering from cancer had an immune function that was 50 percent weaker than the average population. However, when they looked at the population of people under long term chiropractic care, their rate of immunity was 200 percent higher than the average population, and 400 percent higher than those with suppressed immunity suffering from cancer. Dr. Petro stated that, “chiropractic care gives maximum efficiency to whatever genetic abilities you posses, so you can completely resist to the best of your potential.”

In her article, Nicholson also reported on a 2005 study showing that, “chiropractic care could influence basic physiological process that affect oxidative stress and DNA repair”. She emphasizes that this shows that removal of subluxations has a positive affect on health down to the DNA level.

Nicholson notes that children will benefit most from this knowledge as their nervous systems and immune systems are the most impressionable. She states, “The child’s nervous system is required for proper growth and development. There are numerous opportunities when particular parts of the body and brain grow. If the nervous system is not operating correctly, those opportunities could be missed. So it is important that the systems be checked regularly to make sure they are operating at optimal performance. She offers the advice that children should start care as early as possible. She concludes, “Children who receive regular chiropractic care have been demonstrated to have less colds, ear infections and flu. The best time to start is when the child is an infant. Their spines and necks can become very easily misaligned”.