As our society continues to evolve and develop cures and vaccines for illness and disease, viruses evolve too in order to survive. In order for a virus to succeed in finding a host, it must first find an immune compromised or weakened immune system. Not washing your hands, eating a healthy diet, or getting enough rest are all factors that can break down your body’s biggest defense system: immunity. Chiropractic care is a key element for how to keep your immune system strong. Before we launch into how chiropractic care helps your immune system, let’s review what compromises it in the first place.
Poor Diet
What you put into your body is extremely important. If you consume too many processed foods your body will not get the nutrients and vitamins it needs to defend itself against a virus or infection. We recommend incorporating as many whole foods into your diet like fresh fruits, veggies, and meat fresh from the butcher block versus frozen. Additionally, hydration is equally important so don’t forget to drink water every day.
Lack of Hygiene
Exposure to germs and bacteria in moderation is beneficial to your body so that your immune system learns to combat them, however, a complete lack of hygiene is the best recipe to get sick.
It is so important for you to wash your hands! Many people take for granted the benefit of running water and soap to prevent illness. To effectively wash your hands use warm water, soap, and scrub your hands top and bottom for at least 30 seconds.
Avoid touching your eyes and face, and if you need to scrub those hands!
Lack of Sleep
Whether you are binge watching the latest and greatest on Netflix, a work-a-holic who can’t seem to stop sending emails, or obsessed with the fear of missing out on social media, it is critical to your health that you get a good nights sleep. It is recommended that adults get between 7-9 hours of sleep in order for your body to heal, restore, and rejuvenate your natural processes. So for the night owls you may want to rethink how late you actually stay up as it can make the biggest difference in your health!
Unfortunately, there are many who try to do right by their body and try to sleep, but are unable to due to sleep conditions like insomnia or sleep apnea.
For others back pain, muscle pain/soreness, migraines and other types of chronic pain can make you restless or prevent you from a peaceful sleep. This is the area where chiropractic care can help so that the other preventative measures you take, like washing your hands and eating healthy, can actually work to combat viruses.
Understanding The Nervous System and Immune System
Unless you are a doctor or work in the medical field, most people don’t know that there is a relationship between your immune system and nervous system.
These two systems are not unrelated entities. According to many expert neuroimmunologists, the immune system is described as a continuation of the nervous system.
Your nervous system is the key factor to sounding the alarm to alert your immune system to a breach in your body’s defenses against infection.
If your Nervous System is Compromised, So is Your Immune System
The human spine evolved to protect nerve pathways and extremely important nerves in your body. The nervous system contains the pathways to lead signals to your brain. Once these signals reach their end destination, the brain releases natural chemicals to control the immune response.
For example, if a ligament of your spine is misaligned it can obstruct the communication pathways of your nervous system. Therefore the communication system from your body to your brain is down or obstructed, the brain is unable to tell its defense system (immune system) the plan of attack against infection or viruses.
How Chiropractic Care Helps Your Immune System
Chiropractic care is when you receive a spinal adjustment from a licensed chiropractor (doctor of the spine). Chiropractors are doctors who go through intensive training and education in order to manipulate your spine and all of its ligaments back into a corrected position.
If your spine is aligned correctly, then you won’t have misplaced ligaments pressing on nerves obstructing pathways to your brain.
Additionally, chiropractic care relieves back pain, neck and shoulder pain, migraines, and other chronic pain conditions to allow you to function without pain and receive a better night’s rest!
We truly believe that chiropractic care is the key to long term good health, which is why our wellness clinic RxWellness Spine & Health believes in routine wellness care. Those who receive regular chiropractic adjustments are more likely to have a consistently stronger immune system than those who don’t receive treatment. With regular adjustments, the communication between the nervous system and immune system will always have a clear path.
Our spine does more than keep our bodies standing, the spine evolved to protect our nerves and nervous system specifically. However accidents will always happen. You can sleep in a wrong position, fall down, receive whiplash from car accidents or roller coasters. These can all lead to a misaligned spine. If you never get your spine corrected, the problem doesn’t get resolved and this can lead to a compromised nervous system leading to a compromised immune system.
So to strengthen your immune system and those around you always remember to get plenty of sleep, eat healthy and natural foods, wash your hands, and don’t miss out on receiving chiropractic care!
RxWellness Spine & Health has three locations across Northern Virginia in Herndon, Tysons Corner, and Arlington. Submit an online appointment request or call us today at 703-904-9666.