Chiropractic and Allergies

Runny nose, itchy eyes, a headache that just won’t go away… It’s allergy season folks and I see these complaints in my office every day. Many practice members are quite surprised to find that chiropractic may help. Let’s take a look how.

The most common immune system disorder is an allergy. Allergies occur when the immune system overreacts to an allergen such as dust, pollen, dog/cat dander, milk, strawberries, mold, etc. The body produces too many neutralizing chemicals or histamines in response. Many things influence how your immune system functions such as your nervous system, diet, stress, and emotions.

Orthodox medicine has no cure for allergies, only treatment of symptoms. Since many allergy symptoms-runny eyes, irritation, redness, fullness in the sinuses and others are caused by histamines, anti-histamines are often prescribed to dry up mucous membranes. However, anti-histamines can cause drowsiness, headaches, nausea, vomiting, blurred vision, dry mouth, confusion and more serious heart problems.

Allergy sufferers have praised chiropractic for over a century. Chiropractic is NOT a treatment for allergies though. The goal of chiropractic care is to remove nervous system stress through spinal adjustments. A misaligned neck can easily cause your nervous system to become imbalanced. When the upper cervical spinal joint is irritated, it can provoke or worsen asthmatic and allergic symptoms. Chiropractic enables the immune system to function more effectively, something all allergy sufferers need since a nervous system with less stress functions more efficiently.

Spinal Degeneration

 

Spinal decay is a degenerative process that worsens with time. If neglected, or simply ignored, this condition quietly progresses without obvious symptoms. 

It starts with some type of uncorrected trauma to the spine such as a slip, a fall, or a car accident. Sometimes it can occur as early as the birth process or when we learn to walk. When your spine degenerates, spinal bones begin to deform, discs swell then shrink, and ligaments, tendons, and muscles first harden then weaken.  This causes you to lose balance, flexibility, stability, and strength. Most people believe they lose height when they reach old age; however, it may begin in your 20’s and 30’s as one of the symptoms of spinal degeneration.

Spinal degeneration is like tooth decay. As with tooth decay, early detection of spinal decay can help avoid painful symptoms and permanent damage.  If left uncorrected, the body responds by depositing calcium onto the affected joint surfaces, ligaments, and connective tissue.

The side view of your neck should have a forward banana shaped curve, equal disc spacing and unobstructed openings for nerve roots to exit the spinal cord.

The first phase of spinal decay involves loss of curve and reduced range of motion. At this stage, some patients often say there is no pain other than occasional discomfort while others complain of headaches, neck, or shoulder pain.

In the second phase of degeneration, there is a much greater degree of decay, disc narrowing, and bone spurs. Postural changes are much more evident and spinal canal narrowing (stenosis) may occur. This phase is characterized by aches and pains, fatigue and a diminished ability to cope with stress. This condition is very common - by age 40, 80% of males and 76% of females exhibit moderate disc degeneration. With chiropractic care at this stage, significant improvement is possible.

In the third and most advanced stage of degeneration, the postural imbalance is severe and motion is limited. There may be extensive nerve damage, permanent scar tissue is formed and bones may begin to fuse. Individuals experience pain, various degrees of physical or mental disability and continued loss of energy and height. At this stage, the condition is considered irreversible, although chiropractic care may give some symptomatic relief.

The purpose of chiropractic care is to locate the areas of the spine that are not working right and use specific adjustments to improve function and structure. Chiropractic can slow and even reverse spinal degeneration by improving spinal balance and posture. Dr. Simmons recommends bringing in your children for periodic spinal checkups as a preventative measure. To schedule a complimentary consultation, please call 304-925-5003 or schedule online at www.simmonsfamilychiro.com

Chiropractic and Kids?

Chiropractic care benefits all aspects of your body’s ability to be healthy for people of all ages. This is accomplished via the nervous system, which is basically the communication pathway between your brain and entire body.

The nervous system is the first organ to develop in utero at 3.5 weeks. Tiny nerve impulses are sent to every soon to be formed cell, tissue, and organ in the body. In utero is a very important time for the fetus to develop and grow, therefore it is important for mothers to have their body functioning at its optimum potential through chiropractic care. With pregnancy, come hormonal changes, a shift in body weight, and a laxity of connective tissues. New stresses are experienced by the lower back and pelvis. Many women report their pregnancies were easier and their delivery times were shorter when they received chiropractic care.

The birth process puts a lot of strain on the mother as well as the baby during delivery. Many forces and pressure are placed on the baby’s fragile spine and nervous system when the head is pulled and twisted. Even more pressure and stress occurs with C-section delivery and medicated labors so it’s important to have a baby’s spine checked post-delivery. Getting adjusted by a chiropractor as a newborn, infant, or toddler is just as important as getting adjustments as an adult. Babies take plenty of tumbles, falls, bumps, and bruises while learning to roll over, crawl, and walk each time putting stress on the spine. A commonly asked question we get from adult patients and parents is do we adjust babies and kids the same way we adjust them? The answer is not exactly. The technique we use is much more gentle. Adjusting techniques are modified for each person’s size and unique spinal problem. An infant’s spine rarely has the long-standing muscle tightness seen in adults making a child’s chiropractic adjustment gentle, comfortable, and effective.

Today we find many more parents bringing in their children for problems such as ear infections, colic, unexplained crying, lack of appetite, colds, allergies, bed-wetting, and growing pains. Instead of using drugs we work children’s bodies to help strengthen their immune system and heal.

Dr. Simmons is a huge advocate of preventative care. “It’s similar to dentistry. You don’t wait until your child’s teeth are rotting before you take them to the dentist, so why wait until your child begins to show abnormal spinal curvatures, earaches, pain, or other symptoms before you bring them in for a chiropractic check-up? Prevention is key because the nervous system controls and coordinates every function in the body. Regular chiropractic care starting at birth absolutely helps children to grow up healthier, happier, and symptom free.”

To schedule a chiropractic check-up please call, 304-925-5003 or schedule online or ask a question online at www.simmonsfamilychiro.com