Most people think of chiropractic care as a way to resolve back and neck pain. While it certainly does that, chiropractic care covers a lot more ground than just spinal alignment for pain relief.
These strategic adjustments can address migraine headaches, osteoarthritis, repetitive stress injuries, and pregnancy-related pain. They can even be effective as a preventive treatment to improve balance and help you avoid falls.
One of the most under-publicized benefits of chiropractic, however, is its ability to boost your immune system.
At Peninsula RSI Chiropractic Wellness Center in Redwood City California, Dr. Dana Robinson and our team understand the complex relationship between your spine and your immune system and how chiropractic techniques can improve both.
How your spine affects your immune system
You know your nervous system as that network of tiny fibers that enables you to feel the soft fur of a puppy or yank your hand back when you grab a hot skillet handle. But your nervous system also sends constant messages to and from your brain about the invasion of pathogens, such as viruses and bacteria.
Because your nerves run up, down, in, and out of your spinal column, anything that hinders their free passage can directly impact your immune response to invaders. Illness, damage, or even slight misalignments in your spine can throw off your immune system and make you more susceptible to diseases.
How chiropractic care can improve your immune system
Whether you experience classic signs of a misaligned spine, such as back and neck pain or sciatica, or are completely asymptomatic, an off-kilter spine may leave you wide open to every virus and bacterium around you.
Compressed nerves block signals to your brain and compromise your ability to fight off illnesses. But chiropractic adjustments can relieve the pressure on your nerves and reopen the line of communication.
Studies show that chiropractic care can improve the function of your immune system by up to 200%.
Stress, your immune system, and chiropractic care
Sustained high stress levels degrade your immune system. When you live and work under intense stress, your muscles tighten and cause knots, or trigger points, that keep you in chronic pain. Pain and stress are cyclical partners, and they tend to exacerbate one another.
Chiropractic adjustments, called subluxations, release the tension, relieve the pain, and reduce your stress. Once your stress subsides, your immune system ramps back up and does its job more efficiently.
Get chiropractic care before you get sick
The time to boost your immune system with chiropractic care is before you come down with a cold, flu, or COVID-19. While there are no cures for these common illnesses, the best way to avoid any disease is to keep your mind and body as healthy and strong as possible. Chiropractic care helps you do that.
In addition to realigning your spine, Dr. Robinson also helps you increase your mobility, strengthen your muscles, and reduce your stress so you can engage in healthy exercise. You’ll notice an increase in your energy and an overall sense of well-being.
Your chiropractic care treatments may include any number of modalities from spinal decompression to electrical stimulation, but massage therapy is one of the most effective at reducing inflammation, lowering your blood pressure, and stimulating your lymph system — all of which have a direct impact on your immune system.
Give yourself the advantage of a tip-top immune system by scheduling a chiropractic appointment with Dr. Robinson. To schedule your visit, simply call our friendly staff or book it online today.