Don’t skip your adjustment because cold and flu season showed up
Every fall, the same thing happens. The calendar fills with holiday plans, the sun clocks out at 5 p.m., somebody brings donuts to the office, and your schedule starts looking like a game of Tetris. The first thing to get bumped is usually the “maintenance” appointment. We get it, but this is the exact time of year to keep it.
Your immune system does not work alone
Your immune system is not a standalone department. It is in constant two-way communication with your nervous system through the autonomic nervous system, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, and signaling molecules like cortisol, neurotransmitters, and cytokines. This field is called psychoneuroimmunology, and it is well established. Short bursts of stress are a normal part of healthy immune function. It is the prolonged, unrelenting kind, where your body stays in a sympathetic “fight or flight” state, that can shift immune responses in ways that make defense less effective.
What makes cold and flu season harder on us
Several things pile up at once, and most of them are very human.
Sugar. Halloween candy gives way to Thanksgiving pie, which gives way to holiday cookies. High intake of added sugar is associated with increased systemic inflammation and blood sugar swings, and some early studies suggest it may blunt the activity of certain immune cells. That last part is limited evidence, but it is one more reason the sugar-heavy stretch of the year is not doing your defenses any favors.
Chronic stress, even the good kind. Eustress is still stress. A wedding, a new job, hosting twelve relatives, or a joyful but exhausting holiday season all activate the same stress pathways. When that activation is sustained, research (including well-known work on stress and susceptibility to the common cold) shows immune cells can become less responsive to cortisol’s own “calm down” signal. The result is that inflammation may run hotter than it should.
Less vitamin D. Shorter days and less sun mean lower circulating vitamin D for most people. Immune cells carry vitamin D receptors, and the vitamin plays a role in both innate and adaptive immune responses. Low levels are associated with a higher risk of respiratory infection, though the evidence for supplementation is mixed. It appears to help mainly in people who are actually deficient, and large trials in the general population have been largely neutral. A blood test can tell you where you stand, and your primary care provider can guide supplementation if needed.
Sleep and routine. Travel, late nights, and disrupted schedules cut into sleep, and short sleep is associated with greater susceptibility to the common cold.
Where chiropractic fits in
Let’s be clinically honest. We do not claim an adjustment will make you immune to anything, and the research on chiropractic care and direct immune outcomes is limited. What we can say is that the nervous system is our wheelhouse, and it is the system that helps coordinate everything else.
Spinal adjustments provide input to mechanoreceptors and proprioceptors that feed into the central nervous system. Small studies have looked at whether this input may influence autonomic balance, heart rate variability, muscle tension, and pain perception, and findings so far are preliminary and inconsistent. What is better supported is that reducing pain and muscle guarding can make life easier on a body that is already working hard. Less pain, better movement, and a calmer stress response are all things your body can put to good use during a long winter.
Think of it as maintenance, not emergency repair. Massage therapy can be another tool for relaxation and downshifting out of fight or flight, and the people who feel better tend to keep showing up for the habits that keep them well.
Good choices still do the heavy lifting
Chiropractic works best alongside the basics, and none of them require perfection.
Eat protein and colorful produce at most meals, and enjoy the pie without making it a daily personality.
Get outside in daylight when you can, and ask your doctor about checking your vitamin D.
Protect your sleep like it is a standing appointment.
Build in small stress breaks, like a walk, slow breathing, or five quiet minutes in the car before you walk in the door.
Hydrate, wash your hands, and stay home when you are truly sick.
If you are feeling a little off, come in anyway (mostly)
If you can manage to make it in, please do not cancel. We would much rather see you than have you fall off your routine right when your body needs support.
If you have symptoms or any concern at all, just tell us. We will mask for safety, and we are happy to adjust how we work with you that day.
One friendly reminder: our cancellation policy still applies when you are sick. That is not us being grumpy... it is because a last-minute opening is hard to fill, and we want to keep the schedule available for the people who need it. If you are running a fever or feeling truly unwell, call us as early as you can so we can talk through your options.
Your health is a long game, and consistency beats heroics every time. Take care of your nervous system, make the good choices when you can, and give yourself grace when you cannot.
Ready to get ahead of the season? Book your next visit with us today.
