Simply put, allergies are an overreaction of the immune system to a foreign substance. The most common allergy symptoms include:
- A runny or stuffy nose
- Sneezing
- Watery Eyes
- Rashes
- Itching
- Diarrhea
When the body misidentifies a benign substance as harmful, it responds by creating antibodies. This process is called sensitization. When your body thinks the foreign substances are harmful, it causes the immune system to produce chemicals called histamines to fight them, which leads to allergy symptoms.
Book Your First Allergy & Asthma Exam
Exam includes in-depth whole-body analysis with provider, posture pictures and insight nervous system scans (provided if necessary). Consultation & plan of action will help you understand your care options.
Allergy medications may minimize allergy symptoms, but they don’t get to the root cause of why the body is overreacting. Chiropractic care helps the body communicate better by removing interference within the nervous system. This results in a better functioning immune system responding more appropriately to foreign substances instead of overreacting, reducing or even eliminating allergy symptoms.
Because the spine and nervous system are highly connected to the immune system’s function, a person with asthma often finds they also deal with environmental allergies. Environmental allergies are an immune system response to substances that are generally not harmful, like pollen, dander, mold, or dust. The immune system creates antibodies to attack these substances, resulting in inflammation and triggering symptoms like sneezing, watery eyes, runny nose, and wheezing. These environmental allergens can also be a trigger for asthma symptoms, creating an unpleasant cycle of breathing issues. When the spine and nervous system are in proper alignment, it reduces the interference to the immune system. Ultimately, this can help alleviate allergy symptoms as well.
How Our Allergy and Asthma Care Plan Works
1. Be Heard
And Understood
Quality time with a health professional, so you can be truly heard and understood, isn’t all that common. We understand that. This is why, on your first visit, you will meet with one of our doctors and share your health concerns and struggles so we can understand exactly why you are here and what you want to achieve. The doctor will determine what testing is necessary to find the source of your health concerns and answer the biggest question of all: Can Chiropractic Care Help?
2. Discover How We Can Help You
Every new patient should feel like they are making the right decision for their health. This is why our doctors explain what they are looking for in the testing, so our patients know exactly what is going on, instead of just being a bystander. We will share everything we discover from your testing and exams, including if we can help you. In the unfortunate event that we cannot help, our doctors will provide any additional resources they feel would be appropriate to assist you.
3. Achieve Your Health Goals Together
Whether you just want to be out of pain, or you want to get back to golfing without limitations, or you are desperate to get a restful night’s sleep, we will be with you every step of the way. We’ll achieve your goals
Chiropractic Care for Asthma Relief in West Omaha, NE
What is Asthma?
Breathing is an intricate process that depends on adequate nerve supply to maintain optimal function. Asthma produces excess mucus in the lungs and inflames and narrows a person’s airway, making breathing difficult. People with asthma may experience an interruption in normal breathing patterns due to coughing, tightness in the chest, shortness of breath, and wheezing.
Asthma symptoms can range from mild to life-threatening. Improper spinal and nerve function, as well as food or environmental allergens, are the most common causes of these potentially life-threatening asthma attacks. People with asthma commonly feel condemned to a life of bronchodilators and steroid-based drugs, which often come with a host of side effects from both immediate and chronic use.
The standard medical approach offers no cure for many conditions that affect breathing, including asthma, bronchitis, and emphysema. Patients are commonly told to avoid common irritants and offered only temporary relief with drug-based therapies like inhalers or expectorants.
How Chiropractic Treats Ashtma
Chiropractic takes a different approach to patients with asthma. A chiropractor’s objective is to locate areas of nerve interference caused by subluxation and correct them. For people with asthma, these areas are often directly correlated to the nerve supply to the lungs, and correcting the misalignments brings about a new level of health and function for the patient.
A study done for the Brain Research Bulletin found a connection between the alignment of the upper neck vertebrae and breathing. Stimulating the small neurons in the muscles, joints, discs, and ligaments of the upper neck created positive changes in the diaphragm, lungs, and associated blood vessels. Based on this research, people with any form of lung or breathing dysfunction can benefit from a spine and nervous system evaluation to determine if nerve interference is the cause of their problems.
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How We Help Relieve Allergies and Asthma in West Omaha, NE
Thorough Consultation and Exam
At Family First Chiropractic, we focus on finding and correcting the cause of lung dysfunction. Every new patient starts with an exam that includes a consultation to get a complete history of breathing issues. The doctor will also perform a series of tests designed to pinpoint areas of potential nerve interference. These tests may include a postural exam because posture can significantly affect the development and function of the lungs. Studies have shown that proper posture increases inspiratory lung capacity by 30%. By assessing posture, it is possible to monitor changes correlating to improved lung function. Additionally, the doctor often utilizes digital X-rays with new patients to determine precisely what is going on in the spine. When subluxations (misalignments) are found within the thoracic spine, it can indicate interference with the nerves supplying the lungs.
Specific Chiropractic Adjustments
Based on the doctor’s findings from the consultation and testing, patients receive a series of recommended adjustments to help correct the spine. Environmental, chemical, or food stressors contributing to inflammation levels within the patient’s body may also need to be addressed to achieve complete spinal correction. By making changes in those areas and following the recommended adjustment plan, patients improve their body’s communication and immune system. This typically results in the alleviation of allergy and asthma symptoms.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can chiropractors help with seasonal allergies?
A benefit of chiropractic adjustments is that they can help regulate histamine and cortisol levels in your body. Curbing histamine production is a big help during allergy season, as this compound within the body is responsible for many allergy symptoms.
Can a misaligned spine cause allergies?
Your brain and spinal cord must communicate properly to coordinate optimal immune system function. When a misalignment of the spine interferes with communication, the immune response may become exaggerated, sparking an allergic reaction. Irritation in the upper cervical joint, for example, may compromise immunity and amplify allergy symptoms.
Can your spine affect your immune system?
Spinal misalignments and spinal cord injuries increase inflammation levels in the body. An elevated inflammatory state (especially chronic inflammation) contributes to a weakened immune system, as evidenced by reduced lymphocytes (white blood cells) and elevated numbers of cytokines and autoantibodies.
Can chiropractors help with asthma?
Chiropractors can check for interference in the nerves supplying different parts of the respiratory system. If nerve function in the respiratory system is compromised, it could result in asthma symptoms such as constricted airways or over-production of mucus in the lungs. Chiropractic adjustments remove nerve interference and allow the body to function optimally.
Book Your First Allergy & Asthma Exam
Exam includes in-depth whole-body analysis with provider, posture pictures and insight nervous system scans (provided if necessary). Consultation & plan of action will help you understand your care options.