Many of you may not know, but allergies (specifically spring) were one of the main reasons I decided to become a chiropractor. You see, I started seeing a chiropractor my sophomore year at the University of Washington. As a college athlete, I was struggling with a lot of lower extremity and plantar fascia injuries and after exhausting every other option and specialist, I decided to give chiropractic a try. I felt amazing getting adjusted and after a few months of seeing my chiropractor I was back to training at 100% and was embracing chiropractic for not only staying injury free but for overall health and wellness. It wasn’t until the following spring that I also realized that I was sleeping better, recovering from workouts faster, getting sick way less often, and I had even stopped using all of my super intense allergy medications. The spring prior to starting chiropractic care I was on 3 different allergy medications and still struggling every day with itchy eyes, a runny nose, and trouble breathing. Not only was I still struggling but I was always tired, drowsy, and had trouble concentrating when on them.. That first spring allergy season since starting chiropractic I had just forgotten to start taking my medication because I really just didn’t need it. To this day, 19 years later, I have been able to manage my allergies with chiropractic care, proper sleep, proper diet, and sometimes as needed a natural remedy of some form if it’s pollen central outside.
How does Chiropractic Care help allergies?
Before explaining how chiropractic care helps allergies, it would be a good idea to explain what causes allergies. Simply put, seasonal allergies are the immune system’s response to pollen. When our immune system incorrectly interprets pollen as a health threat it triggers an inflammatory response. For most of us (roughly 25 million Americans) this means annoying symptoms like itchy eyes, runny nose, and sneezing.
I have found that when a patient’s nervous system and immune system is worn down and in a chronic state of fight or flight they are more likely to experience seasonal allergies or chronic illness. When we get their nervous system functioning optimally and balanced, address better sleep and eating habits, we improve our immune response. By doing this we can better prepare for seasonal allergies, cold season, etc. With that being said, true health changes take time and consistent positive changes every single day. If you commit to this, you will be rewarded! Also, some of us are going to struggle more or have to work harder to get through these seasons than others, but I can say confidently that if we make sure our nervous system and health is functioning optimally, you will have the best chance of thriving through this spring allergy season.