Chiropractic care has a powerful therapeutic effect on the body’s systems. This includes the nervous, muscular, skeletal, and lymphatic. The lymphatic system is a part of the immune system. It circulates lymph, a fluid comprised of white blood cells that support the immune system, proteins, and fats. The lymphatic system collects toxins, moves waste, and protects the body from foreign invaders. Together with the immune system, the lymphatic system keeps the body balanced. However, imbalances occur due to misalignments, subluxations, compressed nerves, chronic conditions, and injuries. Chiropractic care, massage, and decompression therapy can help mobilize stuck or misaligned joints, reduce muscular tension, alleviate nerve inflammation and discomfort, and restore optimal function.
Spinal Lymphatic Detox
Lymphatic System
The lymphatic system is a network throughout the body. The system drains lymph fluid from the blood vessels into the tissues and empties it back into the bloodstream through the lymph nodes. The main functions of the system include the following:
Regulates fluid levels in the body.
Activates when bacteria or viruses enter.
Manages and removes cancer cells or cell byproducts that could result in disease or disorders.
Absorbs some of the fats from the intestine.
The lymph nodes and other structures like the spleenand thymushouse specialized white blood cells called lymphocytes. These are ready to go and can rapidly multiply and release antibodies when bacteria, viruses, and other stimuli, enter the body.
Fluid Balance
The blood in the vessels is under constant pressure. Nutrients, fluids, and certain cells need to circulate throughout the body to supply the tissues and maintain the system’s defense. The lymphatic system:
Removes all fluids and contents that leak into the tissues.
Eliminates waste products formed in the tissues.
Eliminates bacteria that enter through the skin.
The digestive and respiratory systems are lined with lymphatic tissue because the systems are exposed. The most important sites are the tonsils, the intestinal region, and the appendix. Lymph nodes are the filters. Viruses and cancer cells get trapped and destroyed in the lymph nodes. More lymphocytes are produced when an infection is present, which is why the nodes experience swelling. When the lymphatic system does not drain fluids from the tissues properly, the tissues swell and can cause symptoms of discomfort. If the swelling is only for a short period, it is called edema. If it lasts more than three months, it is called lymphoedema.
Symptoms of Unhealthy Circulation
Unhealthy circulation can include the following symptoms:
Fatigue
Concentration problems
Cold hands or feet
Swelling
Muscle cramps
Numbness
Tingling
Stinging
Throbbing
Development of ulcers on the feet, ankles, and legs.
Chiropractic Care
A chiropractic spinal lymphatic detoxtreatment releases stagnant fluid collected in the joints, muscles, and tissues. A personalized treatment plan will consist of massage therapy to increase circulation, release and relax the muscles and nerves, chiropractic to realign the body, decompression to open the spine, stretching techniques to improve flexibility, and nutritional guidance to support optimal circulation. The benefits include:
Discomfort and pain relief.
Stress and anxiety relief.
Balanced and realigned body.
Relaxed muscles.
Helps with allergy symptoms.
Detoxes bacteria along the spine.
Lymphatic Anatomy
References
Dmochowski, Jacek P et al. “Computational Modeling of Deep Tissue Heating by an Automatic Thermal Massage Bed: Predicting the Effects on Circulation.” Frontiers in medical technology vol. 4 925554. 14 Jun. 2022, doi:10.3389/fmedt.2022.925554
Majewski-Schrage, Tricia, and Kelli Snyder. “The Effectiveness of Manual Lymphatic Drainage in Patients With Orthopedic Injuries.” Journal of sport rehabilitation vol. 25,1 (2016): 91-7. doi:10.1123/jsr.2014-0222
Mihara, Makoto et al. “Combined conservative treatment and lymphatic venous anastomosis for severe lower limb lymphedema with recurrent cellulitis.” Annals of vascular surgery vol. 29,6 (2015): 1318.e11-5. doi:10.1016/j.avsg.2015.01.037
Mortimer, Peter S, and Stanley G Rockson. “New developments in clinical aspects of lymphatic disease.” The Journal of clinical investigation vol. 124,3 (2014): 915-21. doi:10.1172/JCI71608
Weerapong, Pornratshanee et al. “The mechanisms of massage and effects on performance, muscle recovery and injury prevention.” Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) vol. 35,3 (2005): 235-56. doi:10.2165/00007256-200535030-00004
The body needs consistent energy to get through the day. The central nervous system runs from the brain, down through the spine, and then towards every organ and region of the body. The central nervous system works by sending signals to the organs or the body’s moving parts. But when there is a kink, misalignment, damage, or injury in the spine or other joints, the signals don’t get sent or received correctly.
Pressure builds on the nerves causing the signals/messages sent from the brain to the body to start to slow down and the body’s responses. This includes not just physical reactions but the body’s metabolism. Slow metabolism causes the body to become sluggish and slow. Regular chiropractic adjustments can remove the kinks restoring proper energy flow. When the body’s cells and organs are sending and receiving the signals correctly, the body gets the full force of the energy that the body has stored.
Energy Drain
Spinal misalignments can cause a multitude of symptoms. The most common problem is pain. Misalignments can also lead to energy-draining problems. These include:
Headaches
Difficulty concentrating
Joint pain
Inflammation
The body absorbs toxins from the air, water, food, or direct contact. A buildup of toxins can make the body sluggish. Chiropractic adjustments release these toxins so that the body can rid itself of them. Being out of alignment and balance requires the body to use more energy to get anything done. Even easy to do activities, chores, tasks, etc. When the body’s natural balance is restored, the result is more available energy.
Stress Management
Stress management is vital as chronic stress increases the risk of developing health problems. Learning to manage stress can help increase energy. Therapeutic massage can help with stress relief. A chiropractor will determine the best type of massage for each individual’s situation. The physiological effects of massage to reduce stress include:
Increased endorphins, serotonin, dopamine.
Decreased cortisol.
Increased tissue elasticity.
Endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine are neurotransmitters that are released by the autonomic system when stimulated.
Endorphins are responsible for relieving anxiety.
Serotonin prevents depression and gives a sense of well-being.
Dopamine increases motivation and prevents self-doubt.
When the body lacks these positive hormones, an individual can become stressed, anxious, and overwhelmed. A therapeutic massage stimulates the autonomic system, increasing the release of positive hormones. Increasing the level of positive hormones reduces stress and anxiety and improves overall mood.
When a decrease in cortisol occurs, stress is also reduced. Cortisol is a negative hormone released from the adrenal gland when stimulated by the brain’s hypothalamus region. The adrenal gland is located on top of the kidneys. Cortisol is released into the blood and is transported around the body. Cortisol increases:
Stress
Anxiety
Depression
Responsible for the fight or flight response.
When large amounts of cortisol are released in response to pain, stress levels increase, and the immune system is suppressed. A massage helps flush out the cortisol from the blood and replace it with the positive hormone endorphins, serotonin, and dopamine, decreasing stress and increasing relaxation.
Central Nervous System and Chiropractic
Chiropractic looks for the root cause of the problem and addresses that issue. Individuals can keep their bodies stay in balance by:
Chiropractic treatment can help improve quality of life and overall health.
Body Composition
Neglecting A Healthy Diet
Individuals might begin a weight loss journey by going to the gym, which is great, but neglecting a healthy diet is just wasting energy. Fat loss happens when the body is in a caloric/energy deficit. This means an individual has to take in fewer calories than the body is using. According to the CDC, individuals need to reduce food intake by at least 500 calories a day to lose around a pound of body fat a week.
Individuals that start increasing exercise/workouts make the body instinctively want to increase calorie intake.
Eating more calories than are burned means the individual is wasting the workout.
For example, the body needs a 2,100 calorie diet to maintain its weight, and on average, an individual eats 2,100 calories.
This means the weight won’t change much, if at all.
If an individual burns 300 calories from a workout, the body needs 2,400 calories to maintain weight.
If no changes are made to the diet, the individual will be in a negative -300 caloric deficit.
Suppose an individual starts increasing their caloric intake because they think their metabolism is speeding up, which is not how it works, then the individual negates any energy deficit that they worked for, leading to no fat loss.
References
Carlson, Linda E et al. “Integrative Approaches to Stress Management.” Cancer journal (Sudbury, Mass.) vol. 25,5 (2019): 329-336. doi:10.1097/PPO.0000000000000395
Kültür, Turgut et al. “Evaluation of the effect of chiropractic manipulative treatment on oxidative stress in sacroiliac joint dysfunction.” Turkish Journal of physical medicine and rehabilitation vol. 66,2 176-183. 18 May. 2020, doi:10.5606/tftrd.2020.3301
Salleh, Mohd Razali. “Life event, stress, and illness.” The Malaysian Journal of medical sciences: MJMS vol. 15,4 (2008): 9-18.
After a chiropractic adjustment, the body can feel weird or out of sorts. This is completely normal and can be attributed to toxin release. This release flushes out the toxic particles in the body. The adjustments get the blood and nerve energy circulating properly. As the toxins travel through and out of the bloodstream, they can make the individual body feel strange, even a little sick. This could lead to side effects that last around 1-2 days.
Toxin Release
It is a normal sign and starts during or slightly after the adjustment. This often occurs with subluxation treatment. Subluxations can block/interfere with proper blood flow around the spine. This leads to pain and inflammation. As the chiropractor treats and releases, the subluxations, proper blood flow is restored. This can overwhelm the body, which can lead to release symptoms.
Duration Side Effects
The unwellness goes away within a few hours or days, depending on the individual and their condition. However, if the symptoms do not go away after a week, contact the chiropractor to let them know what is happening. Going through a few episodes of release is expected, especially during the first chiropractic sessions. It also depends on where the individual is healthwise. Usually, the first session is the most intense. As all the toxins are being removed from around the:
Spine
Joints
Muscles
Symptoms
Symptoms vary, but the most common include:
Cold or flu-like symptoms
Fever
Sweating
Night sweats
Fatigue
Headaches
Dizziness
Nausea
Diarrhea
Muscle tension
The intensity of these symptoms depends on the number of toxins being released. The symptoms improve but don’t hesitate to contact the chiropractic clinic with any questions or concerns.
Benefits
Individuals that have to go through release symptoms for a few days will find that their body feels cleaner and highly energetic. Brain functions increase because of optimal communication through circulation. Individuals with anxiety find that their body feels more relaxed. This is because the toxins that were irritating the nervous system have been flushed out.
Treating Toxin Release
There are a few ways to calm the body if symptoms present.
Drink Water
Water will expel the toxins out of the body quicker. It will flush through the bloodstream and then through the bladder where they are discarded. This will help the body recover faster. Eight glasses a day is the recommendation. This will keep the body hydrated and enhance the toxin release. Add some lemon juice to maintain mineral levels during the recovery. Lemon juice contains:
Electrolytes can help reduce toxin release pain and help prevent symptoms.
Calcium
Magnesium
Potassium
This will maintain muscle health and function.
Added Rest
Make sure to rest the body after a chiropractic adjustment. It is not recommended to not try to fight through the symptoms. This could be dangerous as the body is in recovery mode. If overwhelmed the symptoms could worsen. This does not mean staying in bed and sleeping, just not overexerting the body. Engage in calm relaxing activities.
Fruits and Vegetables
These will nourish the recovering body with vitamins and minerals. They also aid in reducing pain and increases energy. Plus fruits and vegetables are filled with antioxidants that can keep the muscles and bones strong. These include:
Cranberries
Raspberries
Cherries
Tomatoes
Spinach
Kale
It is recommended to get at least one serving of fruits and vegetables per meal. Avoid processed or sugary foods, as they can cause inflammatory responses to present. This could make the toxin release symptoms worse.
Yoga Poses
The body will more than likely feel sore and weak from the adjustments and the toxin release. Yoga can alleviate the symptoms. Poses can seem difficult because of the side effects, but the movement and stretching will make the body feel better. Here are a few that many chiropractors recommend.
Detoxification diets are tools that are used by medical professionals and are not intended for quick or healthy weight loss. Naturopathic Practitioners have been shown to use a wide range of detox methods and products that include:
Vitamins
Minerals
Diet
Lifestyle adjustments
Health coaching
Physiological changes during detox diets
Metabolism is the rate at which the body burns energy. This rate can change from different factors that include a temporary increase when excessive calories are taken in. There is no difference in weight loss from diets that focus on reduced-fat vs. reduced carbohydrates. Individuals should consult with their physician before starting any body detox cleanse, especially if there are underlying medical conditions like diabetes or kidney disease. If struggling with obesity, then a physician can provide recommendations on a traditional diet, exercise, and other medically approved approaches.
References
Gardner, Christopher D et al. “Effect of Low-Fat vs Low-Carbohydrate Diet on 12-Month Weight Loss in Overweight Adults and the Association With Genotype Pattern or Insulin Secretion: The DIETFITS Randomized Clinical Trial.” JAMA vol. 319,7 (2018): 667-679. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.0245
Seaman, David R. “Toxins, Toxicity, and Endotoxemia: A Historical and Clinical Perspective for Chiropractors.” Journal of chiropractic humanities vol. 23,1 68-76. 3 Sep. 2016, doi:10.1016/j.echu.2016.07.003
Valdivieso, Paola, et al. “Does a Better Perfusion of Deconditioned Muscle Tissue Release Chronic Low Back Pain?.” Frontiers in medicine vol. 5 77. 20 Mar. 2018, doi:10.3389/fmed.2018.00077
IFM's Find A Practitioner tool is the largest referral network in Functional Medicine, created to help patients locate Functional Medicine practitioners anywhere in the world. IFM Certified Practitioners are listed first in the search results, given their extensive education in Functional Medicine
