06 Jun What can chiropractic do for asthma attacks?
You don’t have to spend much time in deep thought before you think of someone you know who has asthma. In fact, most of us know someone in our close circle of friends or even our family that suffers from asthma or other breathing disorders. For years, the only route people would pursue would be the medication route and it was only able to manage the symptoms with no true correction insight. But lately, I have been hearing this more and more… “What can chiropractic do for asthma attacks?”
From an anatomy and physiology standpoint, when you breathe, your body takes in the air that passes through the nose, the windpipe and the bronchi. It is then filtered, purified, cleansed, warmed and humidified before it enters your lungs. That’s a lot of steps!! All of this happens under the watchful guidance of the nervous system. However, in those who suffer from asthma, the small tubes in the lungs (called bronchioles) become inflamed and irritated. This irritation causes them to contract and even spasm which produces thick mucus that can plug up the breathing passages. If you have seen someone suffering from an attack, you see them literally gasp for air and these attacks can last for minutes, hours and the condition can persist for a lifetime.
Allergies, stress, pollen, pollution and other air-born particles can bring on life-threatening attacks. Children (and adults) are condemned to a life of bronchodilators, drugs and cortisone- all of which have nasty side effects. Some have suggested that asthma is a reaction to a lack of water and it is recommended that those who suffer increase their consumption of clean, pure water. Other researchers have theorized that an increase in asthma diagnosis can be attributed to our ever-increasing vaccination program. Those who state this say that the vaccination alters the normal immune response and makes a child’s immune system overreact to the particles in the air.
What can chiropractic do for asthma attacks?
Chiropractors have been helping children with asthma for many years. We understand that the body is a self-healing, self-regulating organism. As long as our nervous system is allowed to function with no signal interference, the body should function normally (free from asthma).
Often, however, some of the vertebrae in the spine become subluxated (shift out of place) and that has a direct effect on the function of the nervous system which controls and coordinates every function of the body. By correcting and stabilizing these subluxated vertebrae and thereby eliminating the interference to the nervous system, the individual is able to resume a higher level of function and often resolve the condition without the continued use of drugs or other interventions.
There are also some natural supplements that may help with asthma:
1. Vitamin B-complex plus Vitamin C stimulates the immune system and reduces the effects of stress on the body.
2. Quercetin and bromelain act together as an immunostimulant and anti-inflammatory.
3. Vitamin A aids in tissue repair.
4. Lobelia is helpful during an active attack. It is an expectorant and relaxes the muscle walls of the bronchial tree.
5. Coenzyme Q10 helps to counteract the release of histamine.
6. Magnesium and calcium tend to cause some dilation of the muscle walls in the bronchi.
The bottom line is this… You were designed to be healthy. In every case, asthma is abnormal and a result of dysfunction in the body. As chiropractors, our sole purpose is to correct the dysfunction in the body thereby allowing the body to return to the function it was created to have. Healing comes from above-down and inside-out. External therapies often do nothing more than lessen the symptoms but never address the cause of the condition. If you know someone who suffers from asthma, I challenge you to have this conversation with them. We are grateful for the referrals and often have tremendous success with these cases. To schedule a visit, it’s as simple as calling Eastern Oklahoma Chiropractic at 918-940-4630. Dr. Ring will sit down with you and discuss your options for treatment. Thank you in advance for letting us serve you.