A recent chiropractic study found that spinal manipulation may improve the functioning of the immune system, even in patients who aren’t experiencing specific pain.
Researchers from the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College investigated effects of spinal manipulation on interleukin-2, a signaling protein that controls immune responses. The study was based on 74 test subjects with no current symptoms or recent history of chiropractic manipulation. The patients were assigned to one of three treatment groups to receive either a control venipuncture treatment or two types of spinal manipulation. Each group was treated on a single day and blood samples were collected before each treatment, twenty minutes after the treatment, and two hours after the treatment.
The researchers compared the blood samples to determine if there was any increase in the levels of specific antibodies: induced immunoglobin G (IgG) and immunoglobin M (IgM). These two antibodies typically appear in the bloodstream in response to an infection and they are some of the immune system’s most powerful tools.
The patients that were treated with spinal manipulation with cavitation had significantly increased levels of IgG and IgM twenty minutes after the session. After two hours, these patients had elevated IgM levels compared to the baseline and to the control group. These findings suggest that chiropractic spinal manipulation can have what is called a “priming” effect on the immune response of the body, possibly resulting in a faster response to infection. This research provides preliminary evidence that spinal manipulation may affect the functioning of the body’s immune system and help maintain overall health.
A Montgomery chiropractor may be able to improve your body’s immune function. For treatment, or for answers to your questions about spinal manipulation, the immune system, or treating pain, we recommend contacting our licensed Montgomery chiropractic clinic.
Teodorczyk-Injeyan JA, McGregor M, Ruegg R, Injeyan HS. Interleukin 2-regulated in vitro antibody production following a single spinal manipulative treatment in normal subjects. Chiropractic & Osteopathy 2010, 18:26
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