Your body was wonderfully created to be healthy and have the ability heal and protect itself if needed. Part of this protection is called your immune system. This is the part of your body that if working properly is able to identify foreign objects/matter in or on your body and determine what to do with it. When the object is identified and a response to deal with it is created your body has the inherent ability to get rid of the foreign object without any help of something being added. The immune system is directly controlled by your nervous system and if these two systems of your body are not in constant perfect communication, the immune system response may be slowed or decreased. When the immune system is slowed or not working at a normal level, the body is more susceptible to virus or bacteria and can have a harder time getting rid of them. The disruption in communication between the two systems occurs when a nerve is pinched. The nerve is the line or route of communication between the nervous system and immune system. It acts much like a power-line that connects your house to a power-plant. If the line is hanging normally from pole to pole all the way to your house the lights will turn on when you flip the switches and the tv and radio will work when you turn them on. If at some point along the line from the power plant to your house the wire is cut or maybe a tree fell on the line the electricity may not be getting passed through to your house. This would result in no lights, tv, or radio since your house has no electricity.
A pinched nerve, much like a tree branch on a power-line, slows or stops the communication between the nervous system and immune system. This will slow or reduce your body’s response time to a foreign bacteria or virus and may slow the process of healing or getting rid of the foreign matter. A chiropractor is trained to detect and treat the areas of your spine where spinal nerves may be pinched.
A Gonstead trained chiropractor has the ability to find the exact location where a specific nerve is pinched by doing a thorough spinal exam, full spine x-rays, nervo-scope readings, and motion/static palpation. Then using his/her hands remove the pressure with a gentle and safe adjustment. With no pressure on the nerve and communication restored between the immune system and nervous system the body can respond normally to stresses placed on it from the environment.
A normal and healthy response that the body would have to a foreign bacteria/virus would be a fever. When the body raises its core temperature it is in response to the immune system identifying that a foreign object is present. Common bacteria/viruses can only live at certain temperatures within the body and if that temperature is raised it cooks or kills the bacteria/virus. When the immune system and nervous system are healthy, the body’s temperature will be safely raised to a temperature that will not allow the virus/bacteria to flourish. If the body’s temperature is brought down with the aid of medication it can slow the body’s response and healing time as well as weaken the immune system making it easier for that specific bacteria/virus to do more damage the next time the body is in contact with it.
Your body is not like a car that needs oil and liquids added to it to keep it running. Your body was created with everything it needs to be healthy and to thrive in the face of all stresses put on it. Adding foreign stuff to the body can slow or decrease the immune systems response time as well as its ability to recognize and create a defense the next time it comes in contact with the same or similar bacteria/virus. Keeping your nervous system free of pinched nerves and healthy will keep your immune system strong and able to better react to a bacteria/virus.
The fuel your body needs consist of healthy foods that are rich in vitamins and nutrients. These foods will be in there most natural state and include items such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, and meats. Stay away from highly processed foods that are full of chemicals and toxins added to increase their shelf life. Our bodies are not able to breakdown or get rid of these chemicals and may store them in our tissues creating an unhealthy body. The better we can eat and fill our body with good nutrients and vitamins the more likely it will be healthy and respond better to infections or foreign bacteria/virus.
