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4 ways to naturally boost the immune system that doesn't involve diet and nutrition.

12/18/2020

Now more than ever it seems the world wants effective means by which to naturally boost the immune system. We've already learned a lot about what strengthen our immunity before this pandemic and even more afterwards.

What we know is that functional impairment of antigen-specific T cells is a hallmark of chronic infections and viral disease.

There are many considerations for boosting immunity and T cell function. Supplements most notable for this are:

Vitamin D3 with K2
magnesium
zinc
selenium
melatonin

In addition to supplementation, staying hydrated and eating well are usually the first things people think about when wanting to boost their immune system. I mean, you are what you eat right. But what ways naturally boost the immune system that goes beyond what you put in your mouth? Here are 4 ways to boost the immune system naturally that doesn't involve diet and nutrition:

Reduce stress - when your mental health is attacked, inflammation is seen throughout the body because of your hormonal response to cortisol. Chronic inflammation causes an imbalance in cell function and can lead to illness and disease. Managing your stress levels by practicing mindfulness techniques, speaking to a licensed counselor, journaling your thoughts, socializing with friends, receiving a massage, reading a book, reducing screen time, or enjoying a favorite activity can all help keep your immune system functioning properly.(1,2,3)
Restful sleep - most of us have experienced a time in our life when we consistently got less and less sleep and were more prone to getting sick. Adequate rest will significantly impact the ability to fight illness and infections. Our bodies need sleep to recover from everyday stressors, whether that be mental or physical. Aim for 7 hours of actual sleep time if you are an adult, 8-10 hours for adolescents, and 14 hours for young children and infants. (4,5,6)
Exercise - moderate intensity exercise will place a healthy amount of oxidative stress on your body that causing your immune system to adapt over time to this stress and slowly strength immune cellular function. It can be tricky because chronic high-intensity exercise can also cause enough stress to the immune system resulting in an unfavorable outcome of suppressing the immune system. Brisk walking regularly is one of the most often studied forms of exercise that shows consistent results for boosting the immune system. (7,8,9)
Chiropractic adjustments - okay this one I'm certain I will need research to support. Last thing I need is someone saying I said Chiropractic adjustments cure COVID-19. I am not saying that. In no way shape or form am I suggesting that chiropractic can cure, treat, prevent, or mitigate COVID-19 because the evidence to substantiate such a claim does not exist. The practice of chiropractic however focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. There is a growing body of evidence showing a positive relationship between the chiropractic adjustments, the nervous system and the immune system. (10,11,12,13,14,15)

Want more tips and tricks on keeping your body healthy and strong? Hit us up at Gaitway Chiropractic @ Spokane Wellness in Spokane, Wa. 509-466-1366

Request an appointment now!

References:

Dhabhar FS. Effects of stress on immune function: the good, the bad, and the beautiful. Immunol Res. 2014 May;58(2-3):193-210. doi: 10.1007/s12026-014-8517-0. PMID: 24798553.
Cohen S, Janicki-Deverts D, Doyle WJ, Miller GE, Frank E, Rabin BS, Turner RB. Chronic stress, glucocorticoid receptor resistance, inflammation, and disease risk. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2012 Apr 17;109(16):5995-9. doi: 10.1073/pnas.1118355109. Epub 2012 Apr 2. PMID: 22474371; PMCID: PMC3341031.
Carlsson E, Frostell A, Ludvigsson J, Faresjö M. Psychological stress in children may alter the immune response. J Immunol. 2014 Mar 1;192(5):2071-81. doi: 10.4049/jimmunol.1301713. Epub 2014 Feb 5. PMID: 24501202.
Prather AA, Janicki-Deverts D, Hall MH, Cohen S. Behaviorally Assessed Sleep and Susceptibility to the Common Cold. Sleep. 2015 Sep 1;38(9):1353-9. doi: 10.5665/sleep.4968. PMID: 26118561; PMCID: PMC4531403.
Besedovsky L, Lange T, Haack M. The Sleep-Immune Crosstalk in Health and Disease. Physiol Rev. 2019 Jul 1;99(3):1325-1380. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00010.2018. PMID: 30920354; PMCID: PMC6689741.
Nagai N, Ayaki M, Yanagawa T, Hattori A, Negishi K, Mori T, Nakamura TJ, Tsubota K. Suppression of Blue Light at Night Ameliorates Metabolic Abnormalities by Controlling Circadian Rhythms. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci. 2019 Sep 3;60(12):3786-3793. doi: 10.1167/iovs.19-27195. PMID: 31504080.
Simpson RJ, Kunz H, Agha N, Graff R. Exercise and the Regulation of Immune Functions. Prog Mol Biol Transl Sci. 2015;135:355-80. doi: 10.1016/bs.pmbts.2015.08.001. Epub 2015 Sep 5. PMID: 26477922.
Abd El-Kader SM, Al-Shreef FM. Inflammatory cytokines and immune system modulation by aerobic versus resisted exercise training for elderly. Afr Health Sci. 2018 Mar;18(1):120-131. doi: 10.4314/ahs.v18i1.16. PMID: 29977265; PMCID: PMC6016983.
Khosravi N, Stoner L, Farajivafa V, Hanson ED. Exercise training, circulating cytokine levels and immune function in cancer survivors: A meta-analysis. Brain Behav Immun. 2019 Oct;81:92-104. doi: 10.1016/j.bbi.2019.08.187. Epub 2019 Aug 24. PMID: 31454519.
Fidelibus, J.C., An overview of neuroimmunomodulation and a possible correlation with musculoskeletal system function. J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 1989. 12(4): p. 289-92.
Teodorczyk-Injeyan, J.A., H.S. Injeyan, and R. Ruegg, Spinal manipulative therapy reduces inflammatory cytokines but not substance P production in normal subjects. J Manipulative Physiol Ther, 2006. 29(1): p. 14-21.
Lohman, E.B., et al., The immediate effects of cervical spine manipulation on pain and biochemical markers in females with acute non-specific mechanical neck pain: a randomized clinical trial. J Man Manip Ther, 2019. 27(4): p. 186-196.
Teodorczyk-Injeyan, J.A., et al., Elevated Production of Nociceptive CC Chemokines and sE-Selectin in Patients With Low Back Pain and the Effects of Spinal Manipulation: A Nonrandomized Clinical Trial. Clin J Pain, 2018. 34(1): p. 68-75.
Kovanur-Sampath, K., et al., Changes in biochemical markers following spinal manipulation-a systematic review and meta-analysis. Musculoskelet Sci Pract, 2017. 29: p. 120-131.
Teodorczyk-Injeyan, J.A., et al., Enhancement of in vitro interleukin-2 production in normal subjects following a single spinal manipulative treatment. Chiropr Osteopat, 2008. 16: p. 5.

Disclaimer
The Content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition.

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What conservative treatments for pain do Chiropractors and physical therapist typically use?

12/18/2020

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Effective conservative treatments for musculoskeletal related pain that you will most often find in the chiropractic or physical therapy clinic include:

Spinal manipulative therapy (AKA "an adjustment") - this involves the application of accurately determined and specifically directed manual forces to the body with the intent to improve mobility in areas that are restricted whether the restrictions are within joints, in connective tissues, or in skeletal muscles.
Soft tissue therapy (AKA "massage") - though massage is commonly interchanged with soft tissue therapy the two are not synonymous. This involves some form of hands on or instrument-assisted means of improving the flexibility of soft tissues; things like, muscles, tendons, ligaments, fascia, skin, etc.
Traction - this involves mechanical stretching apart of two structures over either a short or long period of time with the intent to decrease contracture, improve disc fluid absorption, reduce muscle spasm, increase nerve root canal size, and increase circulation to the nerve root and spine.
Hydrotherapy (AKA "hot and cold") - this involves the direct application of heat or cold, usually ice, to allow for pain relief, blood vessel changes, reduced inflammation and increase relaxation. The clinical effectiveness of operating temperatures for heat is 140°-160° Fahrenheit and for cold is 50°-60° Fahrenheit.
Functional Strength Training (AKA "FST") - this is the means of engaging the body in a variety of strength challenges in multiple positions to effective train the small stabilization muscles as well as the large primary movement muscles to improve movement patterns, increase tissue load capacity making them more resilient to injury, and reduce muscle imbalances.
Low Level Light Therapy (AKA "laser" or LLLT) - this is a fast-growing technology used to treat a multitude of conditions that require stimulation of healing, relief of pain and inflammation, and restoration of function. Typical it is achieved using red and near-infrared wavelengths.
Ultrasound - this incorporates soundwaves through a patient's skin and tissues to reduce adhesions, fibrosis, and increase molecular and fluid movement. It can also be used to administer therapeutic topical agents to deliver benefits directly to the local injured tissue.
Electrotherapy - this can include a variety of treatments such as electrical muscle stimulation (EMS), transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), diathermy (microwave), interferential electrical currents, low volt and high volt galvanic currents, and microcurrents. All of these have different clinical outcome goals in mind but generally the target goal is increased tissue healing, pain relief, muscle relaxation, decreased swelling, and decreased inflammation.

Of course, there exists other conservative treatment options like nutritional needs analysis, topical analgesics, acupuncture, brain based therapy, hypobaric oxygen therapy, etc. However, the list above is what most often what a Chiropractor or physical therapist might recommend to you. Before you decide which treatment or combination of treatments you decide to go with, it is important for you to be an equal team member in the decision making process of your own health.

Want tips and tricks on getting rid of headaches, back pain, neck pain, shoulder pain, hip pain, knee pain for good?

Hit us up at Gaitway Chiropractic at Spokane Wellness in Spokane, Wa.
509-466-1366

Request an appointment now!

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What is deep referred pain?

12/17/2020

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Deep referred pain is also called "scleratogenous" referred pain and is far more likely a cause of symptoms referring down a patient's arms or legs than is a true nerve root or "radicular" problem. We also call deep referred pain "somatic referred pain" where the "soma" or body tissues like muscles, bone, joint, ligaments, skin and fascia.

Once a trained clinician in the area of pain has ruled out central and peripheral nerve damage, their consideration of a patient's pain source causing referral should be that of joints, ligaments, or muscles. This is the most common scenario. The cause of this type of referred pain comes from our understanding of a patient's modulation of pain perception. There are several proposed theories for referred pain including:

pain signaling received at the spinal cord - this includes concepts such as the Convergent-Projection Theory, the Convergent-Facilitation Theory (AKA central sensitization), the Axon-Reflex Theory, and the Hyperexcitability Theory. In these cases pain can be perceived and inhibited or excited at the level of the backside of the spinal cord. This can alter the pathway of pain that an individual feels in response in a painful stimulus.
pain signaling received in the brain - prevailing theories here include the Gate Control Theory, Central Modulation Theory and the Thalamic-Convergence Theory where pain can be modified by higher cortical centers in the brain allowing for either inhibition or excited pain pathways to an individual's response to pain.

Examples of a patient's deep referred, "somatic" or "scleratogenous", referred pain that is most commonly seen with spinal related complaints could be from things like:

Facet syndrome - joints of the spine are often called the facet joint. They may be injured by trauma, be that small or large, sustained postural loads, or simple activities of daily living that overload the facet load capacity. This can lead to pain inputs affecting some of the theories explained above, especially in chronic examples of facet syndrome.
Intervertebral disc injury - common causes of pain, especially in the region of the low back, is annular fiber tears of the intervertebral discs. This can occur even if there is no herniation into the spinal canal. Tears or local swelling can stimulate pain receptors in the spine and brain that, once again, can affect the theory of referred pain as explained above.
Joint Dysfunction - because of their relationship to facets and discs, joints are considered capable of creating local and radiating symptoms similar to described above. Pain referral patterns in the thoracic spine and between the shoulder blades have often referred pain into the chest especially during activities in which the hands are held out in front of the body.
Myofascial pain syndromes - trigger points can cause referred pain, numbness, or even paresthesia (a change in the normal sensation one feels in the skin) along the arm and legs. For instance, a common deep referred pain like this is seen in the shoulder. Trigger points in the rotator cuff muscles (e.g., supraspinatus, infraspinatus, subscapularis, and teres minor) can project pain into the arms.

Though describing the concept of deep referred pain as above may make it sound simple and easy to comprehend, the truth is that deep referred pain can overlap considerably with other clinical pain presentations and differentiation may be difficult. A way to remember "scleratogenous" pain is that it may be:

Deep
Dull
Achy
Hard to localize
Diffuse

Want tips and tricks on getting rid of deep referred pain for good? Request an appointment now.

Request an appointment now!

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"Bridge the gap between injury and performance"

4 ways to naturally boost the immune system that doesn't involve diet and nutrition.

What conservative treatments for pain do Chiropractors and physical therapist typically use?

What is deep referred pain?

Dr. Jared Wilson, DC, MS

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"Bridge the gap between injury and performance"

4 ways to naturally boost the immune system that doesn't involve diet and nutrition.

What conservative treatments for pain do Chiropractors and physical therapist typically use?

What is deep referred pain?

﻿Dr. Jared Wilson, DC, MS﻿

Archives

Categories

Dr. Jared Wilson, DC, MS