Great question, and here’s my answer: No one knows for sure why people become allergic to relatively harmless substances. One theory about allergies suggests that your body is hypersensitive if you’re a hypersensitive person.
For example, if you have a high sensitivity to stress, (and don’t we all) your body also reflects this sensitivity. Since your body and your mind are connected entities, this theory makes sense. I don’t know about you, but have you, or someone you know experienced so much stress that you lost or they lost weight? Well that’s how powerful your nervous system and brain are. You can drop weight easily if you’re so stressed with something going on in your life.
Stress reduction techniques designed to improve mind-body interactions are often successful in reducing this problem. The end result is a lessening of allergic symptoms in some patients.
Another theory is that an allergic reaction is an interpretation of your environment. In order to interpret, your body must first get information. The nervous system is part of this information-gathering function of the body. If your nervous system is dysfunctional, (and most peoples are unfortunately) then the information interpreted will be altered, and this makes you vulnerable to abnormal reactions like allergies.
Can Chiropractic Help With Allergies?
Yes, it can. Since the beneficial effects of chiropractic adjustments on the nervous system are well documented, it’s not surprising many chiropractic patients report a reduction of allergy symptoms when treated regularly for vertebral subluxations or misalignments in their spine. Misalignment or dysfunctional movements of vertebra can cause an irritation in their spine, which then creates an abnormal signal received by the central nervous system. When this signal occurs along the same pathway required for the input of normal nervous system messages, the person’s body may not interrupt the information correctly. When this occurs, an allergic reaction can result.
Although scientific research shows chiropractic adjustments do not cause an improvement in all allergy cases, they’re definitely beneficial for some. The reason for the inconsistency may be because there are a number of different causes for a patient’s hypersensitivity. Vertebral subluxation is only one of many potential causes. If you suffer from allergies, consider chiropractic as one of your potential powerful options. My patients tell me all of the time that they notice less allergies and the associated symptoms while undergoing chiropractic care.