Cold and flu season is in full swing. While most people are aware they can go to a corner drugstore or their doctor and get a flu shot, they don't know that a visit to the chiropractor can help to boost their immune system as well. Here's what you need to know.

How Can A Chiropractor Help Boost The Immune System?

When you hear about people going to the chiropractor, it's natural to assume they must have an issue with their back or neck, but chiropractic care can do so much more. The immune system is connected to the endocrine and nervous system.

The endocrine system includes glands that regulate things like metabolism, your mood and sense of well-being, your sleep cycles, reproductive and sexual function, and growth. These glands include the pituitary gland, the thyroid, the adrenal glands, the pancreas, the ovaries and testes as well as others. If anything goes wrong with one of your glands or organs, your whole body can go haywire.  

The nervous system consists of the vast highway of nerves and cells that run throughout the body. The nervous system is like a network of messengers, telling every other part of the body what to do, what it sees, what it tastes, what is smells, and when and how to move. The central nervous system runs the show.

The immune system is the body's defense system. It attacks the bacteria and viruses that are constantly trying to invade as well as anything the body recognizes as foreign. It consists of the spleen, tonsils, bone marrow, where the white blood cells are made, and the lymph nodes.

If the nervous system isn't properly functioning, it can disrupt the nervous system and immune system. This is where chiropractic care comes in. A misaligned spine blocks the nerve impulses that control the immune system and the endocrine system.

What Are The Benefits Of Receiving Chiropractic Care For Your Immune System?

If you have an autoimmune disease, such as rheumatoid arthritis, fibromyalgia, or lupus, seeing a chiropractor regularly can help your body help itself. Studies also show that the death rate from influenza dramatically decreased in patients who receive frequent chiropractic care. Studies have also been done on those who are HIV-positive. After just six months of treatment, patients showed an almost 50 percent increase in white blood cells. Those who didn't receive treatment had lost almost 8 percent. Those are amazing results, as keeping up the white blood cell count is imperative to prevent full-blown AIDS.