Some very good information is being distributed recently about how to avoid succumbing to the flu virus but it lacks an important factor. Those most at risk (older people, carers and people who are already unwell) are encouraged to have the free flu vaccinations whilst the rest of us are advised to cover our mouths when coughing or sneezing, to eat healthily and to get plenty of rest and exercise. But the traditional media neglects to mention the growing body of research that indicates the positive effect of a chiropractic adjustment on the immune system and its natural fight against disease.
As regular readers will know, a chiropractic adjustment works on restoring proper function to your nervous system and it is your nervous system that controls (as well as everything else in your body) your immune system. Your amazing immune system first tries to prevent the source of infection from entering your body and then it tries to find and eliminate the problem before it can reproduce. Failing that, it goes into fight mode to eradicate the problem. It’s much more complicated than this obviously but your immune system is the best doctor in the world because no other doctor can heal: they can only help your body heal itself.
In one study, Patricia Brennan PhD found that a chiropractic adjustment to the middle back resulted in a burst of white blood cells being released into the blood quarter of an hour following the treatment. In another study, this time of 2,818 people having regular chiropractic adjustments, participants reported a fifteen per cent reduction in the incidence of colds and flu they experienced.
As well as many more studies confirming the link between the immune system and the nervous system and the positive effect of chiropractic adjustments on the nervous system, there is a long history of anecdotal evidence. During the global flu epidemic in 1917-18, it was estimated that 20 million people died. In the US town of Davenport, over 93 thousand patients were treated by medical doctors and of these people one patient in every 15 died. At the same time, one of the leading chiropractic colleges in the same town treated 1, 635 flu cases with only one death.
According to the World Chiropractic Alliance, during the same epidemic, in Oklahoma out of 3,490 flu patients under chiropractic care there were only seven deaths. Furthermore, chiropractors were called in 233 cases given up as lost after medical treatment, and reportedly saved all but 25. In another report covering 4,193 cases by 213 chiropractors 4,104 showed complete recovery.
My personal politics are such that I would personally forego your flu vaccination even if you are eligible, let’s remember that the scientific community is still waiting for evidence that the flu vaccination actually works. In fact It simply makes sense to take the natural steps that are available to give your body every bit of security against infection. An interesting and thought provoking article in the BMJ http://www.bmj.com/content/333/7574/912 tends to suggest that the effectiveness of annual flu vaccinations has been exaggerated. More importantly, in reality they have little or no effect on influenza campaign objectives, including reducing the number of hospital stays, time off work, and death from influenza and its complications. More recent independent studies are tending to the same conclusions!
For information on how to naturally boost your immune system this season, see my previous article on the “immune system” or call my clinic and we’ll be happy to post you a free copy of this or any of our articles.