How Chiropractic Care May Help Relieve Allergies

Is Chiropractic Care an Allergy Treatment?

With summer in full effect, millions of allergy sufferers know that not all remedies provide a perfect allergy treatment. Learn how chiropractic care can help.

Allergies affect more than 24 million people in the United States. In fact, allergies are the sixth leading cause of chronic illness and cost in excess of $18 billion dollars annually. 

If you're one of the 24 million, you may be surprised to hear that your local chiropractor can actually help you find relief from your allergy symptoms. 

When you think of a chiropractor, you may think of that one practitioner you go to if you're in a car accident. But chiropractors can do so much more than just help you recover from a terrible case of whiplash. 

But chiropractic treatment has proven to be a successful allergy treatment in recent years. 

How Allergens Work

To understand the best allergy treatment, you must first understand how allergies work.

Allergens are regular, environmental particles that many people can co-exist with. However, in some cases, these allergens enter the body, and the body responds to them as if they were foreign substances.

The allergens trigger your immune system. Your body mistakes something as simple as dust particles as something harmful, and it begins to produce antibodies called immunoglobulin.

Immunoglobulin then triggers the release of histamines in your body. And then histamines, in turn, cause all kinds of responses. 

When your eyes swell, your nose runs, your throat begins to close, these are the histamines. This is also why, when you have an allergic response, your doctor may prescribe an anti-histamine. The anti-histamine is a little pill that combats those symptoms that histamine leads to. 

This is how you end up itching, sneezing, and even throwing up when you encounter an allergen that your body really hates. 

Allergies are uncomfortable. 

How a Chiropractic Adjustment is an Effective Allergy Treatment

Medical doctors will tell you to use anti-histamines to combat your allergic reactions. But you have other options that are less invasive and equally as effective if you're patient. 

The Nervous System is Connected to the Immune System

Your brain is connected to your spine. Any fifth-grader can tell you this. And your nervous system is connected to everything.

The nervous system is the freeway of information in your body, so if it has any sort of slow down, such as misalignment, many things do not work properly in your body.

When a chiropractor, a bone settler of sorts or a practitioner trained in the art of aligning joints, aligns your spine with treatment, your nervous system opens up, and your body works as it should.

This includes your immune system.

Proper spinal alignment opens the pathway of communication between the brain and spine. This, in turn, means a stronger immune system as well.

If you go through your day with a strong immune system, you may still have allergies. However, your body will not respond the same way as it would with a weakened immune system. 

Allergens irritate your nasal passages and your respiratory system overall. If you have a weakened immune system, the irritation can quickly turn into an infection. A strong immune system will protect you from those allergic reactions turning into more than just a basic annoyance. 

An open pathway between the brain and the spinal cord will improve neural pathways and immune responses. 

Adrenaline and the T9

Each of your vertebrae has a specific function and connection in your body. They are more than just parts of the entire spinal column.

The T9 is a great example of a specific way that a back adjustment can help your allergies. The T9 spinal level nerve root feeds the adrenal gland. If your spine is malaligned, your adrenal gland may not be receiving the necessary connection to your spine. 

What does this mean? 

Your body will react with a stronger allergic reaction because of the disrupted communication between your spinal cord deep in T9 and your adrenal gland. 

Your adrenal gland produces cortisol, a powerful anti-inflammatory hormone. Cortisol will reduce the inflammation that allergens can cause. However, the adrenal gland needs to be working properly for it to produce and release that necessary cortisol. 

A proper regular adjustment will open the neural pathways and give your adrenal gland the best opportunity to produce the necessary cortisol. 

Chiropractic Treatment Reduces Stress

Stress causes illness. We all know this. But, what you may not know is stress causes your body to release hormones and other chemicals, including the aforementioned histamine.

Histamine will make your body feel like it's having an allergic reaction. Your eyes swell. Your throat tightens. Your body itches.

Regular chiropractic treatments can reduce your stress level and reduce your histamine levels. Regular adjustments will also, thus, build our immune system, allowing your body to fight off potential infections that allergens may cause. 

Thus a spinal adjustment will regulate stress hormones and lower your stress level. 

Lifestyle and Nutrition Advice

Chiropractors, by nature, care about overall well being. They do not believe in one-pill-fixes-everything treatment. Rather, they will often give lifestyle and nutrition advice. 

When you suffer from allergies, you need a regular reminder to care well for yourself, to get some exercise, and to eat foods that help combat your allergies. Regular chiropractor visits will provide you with that necessary reminder. 

Crack Your Back More, Wheeze Less

You do not need to reserve your chiropractic visit just for when your toes go numb or you can no longer bend over and tie your own shoes. If you're one of the millions of people who suffer from allergies, consider going to a local chiropractor for allergy treatment. 

A good Saratoga chiropractor can get you fixed up right away. Contact us or stop by for a visit to see what we can do to help treat your allergies and all of your health needs.