Can a chiropractor help with allergies?

Chiropractic care could be the surprising solution to your allergy problems

If you have seasonal allergies, you know what to expect during certain times of the year: sneezing, coughing, congestion, and so on. There’s no ‘cure’ for these allergies, and over-the-counter medication can only go so far.

There’s one surprising approach to treatment that most patients don’t realize can help: seeing a chiropractor.

You read that correctly: a chiropractor does so much more than treat back pain. Read below to learn more about the link between allergies and chiropractic care. 

What exactly are allergies?

The immune system is an important part of your body: it contains organs and cells that fight harmful intruders, usually in the form of germs and infections. Some people’s immune systems, however, perceive harmless things as threats. This is what happens in the case of an allergy. 

Take pollen, for example. This is a common seasonal allergen. Someone without a pollen allergy could smell pollen without any consequences, since their immune system recognizes that pollen is harmless. Someone with an allergy, meanwhile, would react to pollen. Their immune system would treat pollen as if it were a threatening germ, and become defensive – this, in turn, creates your allergy symptoms.

The link between allergies and chiropractic care

As we’ve explained, allergic reactions come from the immune system. A chiropractor, meanwhile, mainly treats the central nervous system – this includes the brain and the spinal cord. How could these be related? 

The immune system and the central nervous system are actually closely linked. Here’s why: the spinal cord communicates with the rest of your body to move and perform other functions. For that reason, your back is extremely important, and certain back conditions can disrupt these processes. A spinal misalignment, for example, can make your body unable to react properly to outside forces. As a result, you may be more likely to develop allergies.

Since chiropractic care can treat and even fix these back conditions, many patients with allergies choose to visit chiropractors to reduce or eliminate their symptoms.

READ MORE: How to find the right chiropractor

How a chiropractor can help

If you’ve scheduled a chiropractic appointment, let your chiropractor know that you experience allergy symptoms. They may perform one of the two strategies listed below.

Traditional chiropractic treatment

There are plenty of approaches a chiropractor may choose to take. When you describe your experiences and pain level to your chiropractor, they will come up with a plan for you. They might perform one or more of the following:

• Spinal adjustment

• Slow joint movement

• Exercises and stretches

• Applying heat or ice

They may take on a more unique approach for your specific case, and they may also provide advice or give suggestions on how to manage discomfort and encourage healing.

Spinal decompression

Your chiropractor may perform spinal decompression therapy. This non-surgical approach is used to relieve a number of issues, including:

• Pain, weakness, or tingling in the back or neck

• Disk problems

• Worn-out joints

Specifically, spinal decompression involves gently stretching certain parts of the spine. It often involves the use of a table or motorized device.

As a result of this treatment, your spine may change into a better position, and pressure may be removed from your spinal disks – these are the pads between the bones in your spine. It also encourages the flow of water, oxygen, and other important fluids into your disks, which is essential for their ability to function and heal.

Can a chiropractor help with asthma, too?

Above, we explained that a chiropractor can’t directly make your allergies go away, but they can encourage your spinal cord to heal, which is connected to the parts of your body that make allergic reactions happen.

If you’re one of the estimated 339 million people in the world with Asthma, you may be wondering if a chiropractor can help you in the same way.

The short answer is: yes, they can!

A chiropractor won’t cure your asthma, nor will they prescribe medication or give you an inhaler. However, they can check to see if your spinal cord is making breathing harder for you.

Specifically, asthma is an inflammatory disease that makes your bronchial tubes puffy or narrow. This makes your airflow limited and breathing difficult.

Chiropractors can help improve your ability to breathe. They can correct your spine to allow increased chest expansion and flexibility, allowing your lungs to use more air, ultimately letting you breathe more easily.

READ MORE: How massage therapy can help with body posture and alignment

The takeaway

If seasonal allergies have left you struggling with a stuffed or runny nose, sore eyes, and constant sneezing, you’re not alone. A chiropractor might be able to help, as spinal misalignment can disrupt your central nervous system, leaving you more likely to suffer from allergy symptoms.

At Elysian Wellness Centre, we take a fully-fleshed approach to chiropractic care. That means we care about our patients’ overall comfort and health, rather than just your back.