I was recently asked what I take when I get a cold. I had to smile a little because the treatment in our household is much different than the norm. My response to that question was “Well, we don’t really take anything.” Surprising? It surprised the person who was asking. I was then asked what my family does instead. I said that what we do is get as much rest as possible, drink a lot of water (and I mean A LOT), and get adjusted. That’s basically it. Since this is not the typical treatment to the common cold, I thought I would share a little more about the why behind each of these things.
A Chiropractor’s Approach
Get As Much Rest As Possible
The body does most of its repair work while we are sleeping or resting. This is true of both the everyday upkeep and fighting off an illness. When the body is resting, there is less going on so more attention can be devoted to dealing with problems or focusing on fighting off a foreign invader. I have noticed when I feel I am ‘coming down’ with something, if I get some extra rest often not much more comes of it. Not that taking naps all day is really an option for most people, but when you can, get in a nap or go to bed a little earlier so your body can heal better.
Drink Lots of Water
Staying well hydrated is important all the time, but especially when you’re sick. When we are dehydrated our immune system cannot function at its best. White blood cells move through the blood and lymph to get to where they need to go. When we are dehydrated this process is slowed down. And especially when it comes to a cold, extra fluid is needed to flush out the viruses and wastes created by the immune response. While it can be very annoying, that runny nose serves a purpose, and you need to take in more fluid to replace that which is being lost.
Get Adjusted
Now most of you don’t have the advantage my family has of having an in-house chiropractor to deliver adjustments whenever needed. But even without that, regular chiropractic care can help you be healthier to prevent you from getting sick in the first place and helps boost your immune system, giving you the best chance to recover quickly, if you are sick. Regular chiropractic care helps keep every system in your body running smoothly so your body is better able to resist foreign invaders to begin with. If you are sick, adjustments help the body to get back in balance and fight off whatever is causing the problem. Studies have shown that there is increased activity in some of the components of the immune systems immediately following an adjustment.(1,2) With colds, many people find that their sinuses start draining for at least a little while following an adjustment. Always a nice thing when you’ve been congested. I can also check and adjust the sinuses themselves, which often also helps with drainage.
A Few Other Things
Those are the main components of cold treatment in our family. We occasionally use one of the nasal rinse pots to help when congestion is bad. A steamer or humidifier can also be helpful, particularly here where it is so dry, to increase moisture in the respiratory tract and help loosen some of the mucus. We have found that not using cold medicine helps our family get over colds faster than if we took things to relieve our symptoms. Instead, we have learned to rely on our bodies’ natural abilities to heal. Cough and fever suppressants actually hinder the body’s natural response for dealing with foreign invaders. Now there may be times when medications are needed, but there is a lot to be said for trusting your body and letting it do what it is supposed to do. That’s part of the reason I decided to become a chiropractor. I believe in providing a natural way to manage your pain, recover from injuries and sickness, and add years to your life and life to your years—without drugs or surgery.
References
- Brennan PC, et al. Enhanced phagocytic cell respiratory burst induced by spinal manipulation: potential role of substance P. JMPT, 1991;14:399-408.
- Brennan PC, et al. Enhanced neutrophil respiratory burst as a biological marker for manipulation forces: duration of the effect and association with substance P and tumor necrosis factor. JMPT,1992;15:83-9.
