Can Chiropractic Care Improve Your Immune System?

chiropractic immune system

While most people think that chiropractic care is for pain relief or restoring mobility, it can also improve your immune system. This ability comes from the fact that your immune system and spine are more closely connected than the average person realizes.

How the Spine and Immune System Are Related

Your nervous system uses your spinal cord to communicate with other areas of your body. As a result, if your spine is misaligned or damaged, your nervous system’s ability to communicate with your body is reduced. This can lead to pain and increase the risk of illness. It can also weaken your immune system.

When you realign your spine via chiropractic treatment, the functioning of your spinal nerves improves. This results in improved communications between the nervous system and other parts of your body, including boosting the immune system.

Adding Stress Into the Mix

Stress adds yet another layer of connection between the spine and the immune system. This comes from the fact that your body can hold tension and stress in the spine, which affects the immune system. Research, including a 2004 study, has shown that stress weakens the immune system. It is common to experience stress-related back pain.

This means that increased stress can make your existing back pain worse. At the same time, back pain weakens the immune system due to the nervous system using it for communications.

Research on Chiropractic and the Immune System

Among the various studies on the benefits of chiropractic for the immune system, the most commonly cited is by Dr. Ronald Pero, Ph.D. Dr. Pero is a New York University professor of medicine and the chief of the Preventative Medicine Institute’s Cancer Prevention Research.

This famous study demonstrated the positive effects of chiropractic on the immune system and one’s general health. In the study, Dr. Pero compared the immune system of those who receive chiropractic care and those who do not. In his initial research, patients who had regular chiropractic care for at least five years had immune competence that was 200% better than those who did not get chiropractic care. Compared to people with serious diseases, those who received chiropractic care had 400% higher immune competence.

Life Chiropractic University in 1994

In 1994, Life Chiropractic University and Sid Williams Research Center studied the impact of chiropractic care on HIV positive patients’ immune system. The study involved giving patients adjustments over the course of six months. Patients who received adjustments had 46% more CD4 cells. These cells are essential components of the immune system. By contrast, the control group had a drop of 7.69% in those cells.

The Takeaway

The takeaway is that yes, chiropractic can improve your immune system. There is a growing body of research to back that up. Your immune system is affected by its ability to communicate with your nervous system. As that system uses your spine to communicate, a misaligned spine can lead to immune system issues. By realigning the spine, chiropractic can overcome this and strengthen your immune system.

Get Help Now, Call (973) 485-2332, or click here to make an appointment today

Call us today to schedule your appointment with Dr. Terry McSweeney, with over 30 years of chiropractic care experience. We are conveniently located in the North Ward of Newark, NJ, and accept most insurance plans. Same-Day appointments may be available. Call us today or click here to make an appointment!

About Dr. McSweeney

Dr. McSweeney was born in Cork, Ireland, and has lived in New Jersey since 1986 when he started practicing Chiropractic Medicine in Newark. He opened the door to his private practice “Mount Prospect Health Center,” in 1989, focusing on family and general chiropractic and then expanding to acupuncture and pain management. His bi-cultural background and focus on community collaboration and participation have led him to volunteer opportunities and community leadership roles. Dr. McSweeney graduated from undergraduate school at McNeese University in Lake Charles, Louisiana, and received his chiropractic degree from Texas Chiropractic College.  Dr. McSweeney is certified in Manipulation Under Anesthesia, he is a member of both the New Jersey Chiropractic Society and American Chiropractic Society; he is also a board member of the Mount Prospect Partnership and director of Mayor Quintana’s Health Program.

About Mount Prospect Health Center

Mount Prospect Health Center is a multi-disciplinary medical facility located in Newark, NJ. Our specialties include chiropractic, orthopedics, pain management, and physical therapy. Visit our website at mtphc.com to learn more about us.

Call (973) 485-2332 to book your appointment and get on the road to recovery!