Newsletter

Human beings have always searched for methods
to preserve health in the face of aging, infection and disease.

One such route to health has increasingly been the promotion of the body’s own self-protective and self-healing mechanisms. These mechanisms, in turn, are dependent upon the strength of the body’s “natural immunity,” its inherent ability to defend itself against infection and degenerative disease.

For most people, this natural immunity has been compromised to a greater or lesser degree by the stressors of modern living. Prolonged stress in the form of unhealthy dietetics, toxicity, fatigue, injury or emotional upset can reduce the body’s ability to keep up with the deleterious effects of these and other such stressors.

Natural Immunity and Disease
The inability of a person’s natural immunity to cope adequately with a multitude of stressors is, in fact, the cause of disease. Hans Selye, M.D., author of The Stress of Life, puts it another way when he says that “disease is failure of adaptation to environment (internal or external).”

How does stress interfere with natural immunity? In practical terms, natural immunity depends upon the degree of functionality of the body’s nervous system and blood circulatory system. When the body’s nervous system can no longer adapt to stress, its venous and lymphatic circulatory systems will no longer be able to effectively drain toxins from its cells or bring fresh blood to nourish and regenerate tissues.

Dr. Andrew Taylor Still, D.O., father of osteopathy, has said: “Remove the cause which stops or clogs the blood flow, and the blood itself will work the cure.” It is, however, the nervous system that first registers the symptoms of distress and tries to adapt to the changing environment. And it is by restoring health to the nervous system that the blood circulatory system can restore health to the body.

Many osteopaths, along with many chiropractors, have focused on the adverse effects of excessive fatigue, undue excitement, toxic exposure, indigestion, gravity, physical or mental shock and spinal distortion in disrupting normal nervous system and blood circulatory functions. Any of these common factors affect the nervous system and blood circulation simultaneously, but we’ll be addressing here the role of the nervous system as the first line of defense.

Locating Immune System Headquarters
It was discovered 60 years ago that the aspect of the nervous system most frequently involved in health challenges is located in the digestive system. Terrance Bennett, D.C., the chiropractic founder of Neurovascular Dynamics, wrote, “Life is maintained through the abdominal nerve plexuses. We have a means through the abdomen to control the autonomic nervous system.” The gastro-intestinal tract, richly supplied by the enteric (gut) nervous system, reacts adversely to dietary or emotional stress.

Current research validates the empirical observations of these early pioneers. The gastro-intestinal tract has been found to house from 60 to 70% of the body’s lymphoid or immune-defensive tissue.

Although lymphoid tissue resides in many places in the body, including the throat, stomach, appendix, bone marrow, spleen and lymph nodes, the bulk is in the small intestine. This gut tissue, also called GALT (Gut Associated Lymph Tissue) permits the absorption of needed nutrients. It also defends the body against unwanted food or chemical toxins by producing antibodies, antigens and other specialized cells. Consequently, the small intestine (situated literally in the center of the body) can be considered the headquarters of the immune system and must be in good working order to provide optimum defense.

Emergence and Impact of “Leaky Gut Syndrome”
Our fast-paced lifestyle, combined with processed foods often laced with pesticides and herbicides, frequently inflames the immune cells lining the walls of the small intestine. Inflammation of this delicate lining creates tiny openings which allow the absorption of toxins back into the bloodstream. This condition is known as “Leaky Gut Syndrome.”

The introduction of toxins into the bloodstream via Leaky Gut can manifest a myriad of health conditions such as asthma, arthritis, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, skin conditions, allergies, chemical sensitivity, mental or emotional disorders, hyperactivity, gastro-intestinal disorders and premature aging.

Healing the Immune System
It is obvious, then, how vital it is to restore health to this region when immune function is impaired. This involves three important steps:

1. The removal of the dietary agents that may be irritating the entire digestive system, particularly in the area in the small intestine.
2. Periodic detoxification in order to re-open all channels of elimination.
3. Restoration of normal blood and nerve supply to the inflamed gut tissues through manual chiropractic methods.

When circulation and nerve supply are restored to the gut, healing can begin and optimal immune function restored.

Delay or failure in taking these steps will hamper the healing process by keeping natural immunity in a repressed state. Natural immunity, critical in these challenging times, can be re-awakened and supported when these often overlooked areas are recognized and addressed.