You Don't Have to Get the Flu

Unless you’ve been under a rock, you know the flu and other illnesses are running rampant throughout the U.S. Local school systems have been closed for up to a week because so many students and teachers are battling the flu. So far this year, according to the Center for Disease Control, more than 60 children have died from complications associated with the flu. There were 40,414 deaths in the U.S. during the third week of 2018, the most recent data available, and 4,064 were from pneumonia or influenza, according to the CDC data.I’ve been asked by a number of you recently how people die from the flu. Well, people don’t die from the flu. They die because of complications stemming from flu symptoms such as fevers or respiratory issues affecting the lungs; or they die because they got the flu on top of existing health conditions. But the good news is - no one has to get the flu.You know that eating right, exercising regularly and getting plenty of sleep—and of course, washing your hands frequently—are key to staying healthy all year long. But chiropractic care is important, as well. Chiropractic can help you avoid colds and flu by ensuring your immune system is working optimally. The spine is a part of the body’s communication system, also known as the central nervous system. This part of the body takes messages from the brain, and sends them to the other systems in the body (such as the immune system) to ensure proper and efficient function. When the spine is unhealthy, it causes a chain reaction of bad consequences. It can cause the central nervous system to be unhealthy, which causes the communication to be misconstrued, which then causes inefficient function of the body systems. And when the immune system isn’t working, it means that germs (such as the flu) can slip in and make you ill.The immune system protects us from all manner of bugs and strives to get us well again when our immune system becomes weak. Like every other system in the body, the immune system is coordinated by and works intricately with the nervous system. In fact, the brain and immune system are the two major adaptive systems in the body. During an immune response, the brain and the immune system ‘talk to each other’ and this process is essential for maintaining homeostasis or balance in the body.