CHIROPRACTIC AND IMMUNITY: THE CIRCULATING NERVOUS SYSTEM

INTRODUCTION

The body has the ability to heal itself.  Chiropractic theory states that when the nervous system is free of interference or obstructions, the body can better respond to the onslaught of physical, chemical, and emotional stresses in our daily lives.  This results in improved overall health.  Chiropractic is about removing these obstructions to improve connections and the flow of information.  Because the nervous system controls and coordinates all functions of the body, obstructing or disconnecting it can—and often does—negatively influence every function of the body.  These obstructions—vertebral subluxations—are removed through specific adjustments of the spine.  These adjustments help people stay connected and healthy.

A person’s body repairs damage, fights or prevents infection and destroys cancer cells through the activity of the immune system.  For decades, researchers and neuro-immunologists have described the immune system as a continuation of the nervous system, contending that immune cells are simply a circulating nervous system.  This is based upon the fact that the nervous system plays a crucial role in alerting and guiding the immune system cells to where the damage or infection is located.

The nervous system is also responsible for localizing the immune response to the specific site of damage or infection.  This localization prevents inappropriate immune responses, such as systemic reactions or over-reactions.  When this does not happen, people get what are called auto-immune diseases—where the body essentially attacks itself.

There is a two-way communication between the nervous system and the immune system, and they depend on each other to ensure that you and your body continues to function and remain healthy.  Through a series of chemical reactions and the release of specific cells, your nervous system and your immune system mount a powerful defense and offense.  Not only do these systems help you heal—they help you STAY HEALTHY (and not “get sick”) in the first place.

MEDICAL APPROACH

Unfortunately, most people are reactive with their health.  They wait until there is a problem to get help, rather than focus on staying healthy and preventing problems.  When those problems arise, the most common response is to suppress the symptoms through medicines and drugs.  Unfortunately—and the science is very clear about this—suppressing the symptoms is working against your body and its natural defenses.  They place an obstruction in the chemical pathways of communication that the nervous system and the immune system use to keep us healthy.  Things like shivering, sleepiness, fever, coughing—these are all recuperative (rebuilding) and protective behaviors of the body activated by specific immune cells.  Intervening with medicines and drugs weakens or halts these productive processes, forcing you to battle the sickness, damage, or disease even longer.  The result is an increased burden on your body, reduced capacity to recover, and an increased likelihood of inappropriate immune responses in the future.

CHIROPRACTIC APPROACH

The role of chiropractic in immune function is to remove the obstructions to the communication between the nervous system and the immune system.  Chiropractic science shows that by removing the nervous system obstruction, spinal adjustments can help correct immune system function.  Structural shifts and poor movement of the spine can affect the immune response by causing the body to incorrectly activate a stress response, which slows the ability of the immune system to react.

Vertebral subluxations—roadblocks in the nervous system caused by structural shifts in the spinal vertebra—can cause increased or decreased activity in the nervous system.  Because the nervous system controls and coordinates all functions of the body, these obstructions can affect the body in two different ways.  First, the nervous system can become hyperactive, bombarding the body with excessive chemical messages that cause abnormal changes, growth, and activity—leading to abnormal conditions and disease processes in the organs or tissues.  Second, the nervous system becomes hypoactive, where cells that are normally controlled and suppressed can work out of control because the nervous system is not equipped to stop them.  This has been shown to be a factor in many disorders, including autoimmunity, cancer, fibromyalgia, and chronic fatigue syndrome.

When the obstructions are removed and the nervous system function corrected, balance in the body is restored and these abnormal processes are eventually eliminated.  The hyperactive or hypoactive nerve(s) tend to return to normal function.  However, it is crucial that corrections (adjustments) are given at frequent and regular intervals in order to create that normalization and permanent correction.

CONCLUSION

The nervous system and the immune system have so many connections that they could be correctly referred to as a single system.  It is commonly thought of in the scientific community as a super system.  Chronic obstructions in the nervous system diminishes immune system function and inhibits your body’s ability to repair damage, combat infection, fight cancer, etc.  This leads to diminished health, poor quality of life, and reduced longevity.  Research continues to accumulate which supports the relationship between vertebral subluxation, chiropractic adjustments, and improved nervous system and immune system function.

REFERENCES

The Circulating Immune System: The Role of Chiropractic in Immunity. Coherence Through Chiropractic. 2019;2019(3):5-10.