Fall is here and with this season comes the comfort of cooler mornings, the excitement of college football, chili, corn mazes and (like it or not) pumpkin spice everything. Unfortunately, sweater weather comes with downsides as well. If you haven’t already, you’ll be getting reminders from your doctor that cold and flu season is imminent. The importance of protecting yourself and your family from the flu, RSV, COVID and other sicknesses during this season, cannot be understated. The CDC estimated that between 20,000-50,000 Americans died of the flu last season. RSV led to the hospitalization of over 50,000 children and COVID cases continue to spike all over the country.
To maintain a healthy immune system, most health professionals stress the importance of staying current with vaccines, upholding a diet inclusive of fruits and vegetables, maintaining a healthy weight, getting adequate sleep, and trying to minimize stress – all important ways to boost the body’s mechanisms for fighting off disease. Wouldn’t it be great if there were other tools in our belt we could use against these dreaded ailments? Did you know that studies have shown chiropractic care can also play a significant role in strengthening our immune system?
Although much research still needs to be done, there have been a number of studies (some dating all the way back to the Spanish flu in 1918) connecting chiropractic care to greater immune strength in people of all ages. One of the most notable studies comes from a researcher named Dr. Ronald Pero, chief of cancer prevention research at New York’s Preventative Medicine Institute and professor of medicine at New York University. His study of 107 individuals over the course of three years showed that the patients under chiropractic care were found to have 200 percent greater immune competence than those patients who had not received chiropractic care.
Our immune system is extremely complex. Trusted health professionals admit there is still much unknown about how the immune system works, but experts agree there is an interconnectedness to our bodies and the immune system functions best when there is an overall balance and harmony in our bodily systems. This is where chiropractic care comes in.
Chiropractic care promotes the proper function of the nervous system. All systems of the body – whether it be digestive, exocrine, skeletal, muscular, glandular, respiratory, or circulatory – they all depend on the optimal function of the nervous system. Your nervous system communicates with the rest of the body through the spinal cord. When we have a misalignment in our spine, interferences can occur that could disrupt the body’s ability to communicate effectively between systems. Misalignments can place unnecessary stress on the body and can prevent the flow of blood and nutrients. This often leads to pain and sometimes a weakening of the body’s natural immunity. Regular adjustments have been shown to have many benefits for the body, including improving our overall health and our body’s ability to fight disease.
That’s right – chiropractic care is much more than back and neck pain management. When considering how to keep you and your family healthy this season, remember that you have many tools in your belt. Healthy habits, as well as a properly aligned spinal column can work together to promote your body’s natural immunity. Chiropractic care can provide a natural, non-invasive defense against the many viruses and infections this season will threaten.
Whether it be minor or severe, COVID or just the common cold, we can all agree that getting sick is no fun. It forces us to miss work, disrupts our schedules, and makes us feel miserable. A strong immune system is key to helping our bodies stay healthy, preventing recurrence of illness and improving our ability to heal from wounds or injury.
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