Chiropractic & The Immune System: The Science Behind Subluxation-Based Care
At Purpose Driven Chiropractic, we’ve seen it time and time again—patients who receive regular chiropractic care experience stronger immune systems, faster recovery times, and better overall health.
But how does chiropractic care influence immune function at the neurological and cellular levels?
A newly published review, Vertebral Subluxation and Systems Biology: An Integrative Review Exploring the Salutogenic Influence of Chiropractic Care on the Neuroendocrine-Immune System, dives deep into the science, offering insight into how removing subluxations supports the body's innate ability to heal and adapt.
Let’s explore the highlights!
🧠 Your Nervous System: The Command Center for Health
Your nervous system, endocrine system, and immune system are intricately connected and work together to maintain homeostasis.
🔹 The brain regulates immune activity by sending signals through the nervous system to organs like the spleen, thymus, and bone marrow, which produce and control immune cells.
🔹 The autonomic nervous system (ANS) regulates inflammation, dictating whether the body fights off threats effectively or becomes prone to chronic conditions.
🔹 Subluxations disrupt this communication, leading to dysregulation, weakened immunity, and systemic inflammation.
✨ By correcting subluxations, chiropractic care restores proper nervous system function, which in turn strengthens immune resilience.
🔬 The Research: How Chiropractic Care Enhances Immune Function
A growing body of research, including this recent review, is confirming what we see in practice—chiropractic adjustments influence multiple physiological systems that control immunity, inflammation, and stress responses.
📌 1. Chiropractic Regulates the HPA Axis (Your Body’s Stress System)
The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis is responsible for regulating stress, inflammation, and immune function. When the body is under chronic stress, this system becomes overactive, leading to high cortisol levels, which suppresses immune function and increases inflammation.
🛠 Chiropractic adjustments have been shown to regulate the HPA axis, reducing stress responses and enhancing immune resilience.
📌 2. Chiropractic Improves Neuro-Immune Communication
Your nervous system directly influences immune function through the autonomic nervous system (ANS), which regulates the body’s ability to respond to infections, repair damaged tissues, and manage inflammation.
✅ Subluxations interfere with this signaling, leading to immune dysfunction.
✅ Chiropractic adjustments restore proper nerve communication, allowing the immune system to detect and fight off threats more efficiently.
📌 3. Chiropractic Helps Reduce Chronic Inflammation
Chronic inflammation is at the root of many diseases, including autoimmune disorders, allergies, and chronic pain conditions.
✨ By reducing vertebral subluxations, chiropractic care helps regulate inflammatory pathways, lowering systemic inflammation and promoting long-term immune balance.
📌 4. Chiropractic Lowers Stress Hormones That Suppress Immunity
🔹 Cortisol (the primary stress hormone) plays a major role in immune suppression.
🔹 High cortisol levels weaken the body's ability to fight infections and heal properly.
🔹 Studies show that chiropractic adjustments help lower cortisol, allowing the immune system to function optimally.
📌 5. Chiropractic Improves Heart Rate Variability (HRV), a Key Marker of Immune Resilience
HRV is a measure of nervous system adaptability and overall health—a higher HRV means the body can respond to stress more effectively and recover faster from illness.
📖 Research confirms that chiropractic adjustments improve HRV, supporting better autonomic nervous system function and greater immune resilience.
🔎 The Salutogenic Model: Chiropractic Focuses on Health Optimization
Traditional healthcare follows a pathogenic model—meaning it waits until disease presents before intervening. Chiropractic, however, operates from a salutogenic perspective, which focuses on:
✔ Optimizing the body's natural defenses
✔ Enhancing adaptability to stressors
✔ Promoting long-term wellness, not just symptom managementThis proactive approach aligns with what research is now showing—a well-functioning nervous system leads to better immune regulation, reduced inflammation, and overall greater health resilience.
🌟 Chiropractic & Whole-Body Health: More Than Just Pain Relief
When you remove interference from the nervous system, the body does what it was designed to do—heal, adapt, and thrive.
Chiropractic care isn’t just about back pain relief—it’s about restoring neurological function, balancing immune responses, and enhancing the body's ability to maintain long-term health.
✨ Want to dive deeper into the research?
📖 Read the full study here:
👉 Vertebral Subluxation and Systems Biology: An Integrative Review
🧠 Stay Tuned: Neurological Workshops Coming Soon!
We are excited to announce a series of upcoming workshops that will explore:
👶 How birth trauma affects a baby’s neurological development
💡 The connection between the nervous system, behavior, and learning challenges
🦠 Why the neuro-immune connection is the key to lifelong health
🛠 Hands-on strategies to support nervous system function at home
📅 Dates & Details Coming Soon—Stay Tuned!
📢 Final Thoughts
The science is clear—chiropractic care supports immune function, reduces stress, and enhances the body's ability to adapt.
Whether you’re seeking preventative care, recovering from an illness, or looking to optimize your family’s long-term health, regular chiropractic adjustments help your nervous system operate at its best—which means better immunity, faster healing, and greater resilience.
🌿 We’re here to support you every step of the way. Schedule your next adjustment and give your nervous system the care it deserves!
🔹 Next Steps:
📍 Read the full research article: Click here
📍 Follow us for updates on Neurological Workshops
📍 Book your next adjustment & experience the benefits firsthand!
