Individuals who have had chickenpox have the shingles virus lying dormant within his or her nervous system. Shingles are present in one of five people and are more commonly seen in older individuals. When the nerves are damaged or weakened by nerve pressure the virus within that nerve may present itself. Also, if a person has a weak nervous system due to nerve pressure they may experience shingles when encountered with high levels of stress.

Shingles presents as painful bumps that typically follow certain patterns on the body. These patterns are typically the areas that specific nerves travel and communicate with the body. The virus does not affect the entire body. It only expresses itself along the paths of the weakened nerve. The sooner a chiropractor can adjust the spine and remove the pressure from the nerve the less damage will be done to the nerve. The longer the virus presents itself the longer it will take to resolve because of the amount of damage done to that nerve. With less stress on the nerve and a proper functioning nervous system the shingles virus will not have the ability to express itself.