Can Chiropractic have any effect on a fever?
Can Chiropractic have any effect on a fever?
Yes, but probably not in the way you think. The effect Chiropractic has on a fever is not a medical approach to treating a fever. Before I delve into the Chiropractic effect on a fever, what exactly is a fever?
A fever is a normal, healthy immune response to invading pathogens. A cascade of events will raise body temperature to assist in the process of killing the invading germ. The first line of defense we have against a pathogen is a white blood cell called a macrophage. Most of the time, the macrophages can destroy the attacking germ.
If the macrophages can’t contain the pathogen on their own, reinforcements are called in. The assistance comes from proteins and pyrogens in the body and the hypothalamus in the brain. The proteins and pyrogens inform the brain that the hypothalamus needs to raise body temperature.
The hypothalamus will generally raise body temperature a couple of degrees. The Nerve System will also release specific biochemicals to protect the body from the temperature increase. The exact temperature is based on its ability to communicate with the body's production of proteins and pyrogens. Broadly speaking, an increase in the pathogen increases the proteins and pyrogens. This then increases the body temperature via the hypothalamus. It is a supply and demand equation.
What is considered a normal fever?
A true low-grade fever is anything between 100 and 102.2 degrees F. This is a beneficial temperature to kill most germs and assist the body in repelling the invader.
A moderate-grade fever is typically between 102.2 and 104.5 degrees F. This temperature is still considered beneficial. This range is best to fight off certain bacteria or viruses that are attacking the body.
A high fever is going to be in the range of 104.5 to 107.9 degrees F. This fever may cause discomfort and irritability. A high fever is generally indicative of a bacterial infection. This means that the body is fighting something a little more serious than the common cold. A fever at this temperature will not cause brain damage or any other harm to you or your child. It is recommended to seek assistance from your healthcare provider at this point if you wish.
A serious fever is one that is at or above 108 degrees F. This fever can be harmful to certain people and it is wise at this point to seek assistance from your healthcare provider.
What is the medical approach to a fever? For the most part, the strategy involves trying to reduce the fever and/or treat the symptoms associated with the fever.
What is the common symptom of a fever? The main symptom is the invading pathogen. And the most common way to kill off the pathogen is through antibiotics.
But the thing is, antibiotics don’t kill off all germs. In fact, antibiotics can only kill bacteria. Antibiotics don’t kill viruses.
Also, antibiotics only kill some bacteria. More and more bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics. The medical overuse of antibiotics has led to the creation of superbugs.
How does medicine reduce a fever? You guessed it, fever-reducing drugs. But, if we actually follow the guidelines, this is not the best first course of action. For example, the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) does not recommend fever-reducing drugs initially. Quoting from the AAP:
“Fever is not an illness, rather, it is a symptom of sickness and is usually a positive sign that the body is fighting infection.”
Now if you're like me, you might find this statement from the AAP a little confusing. How can a fever not be an illness but can be a symptom of a sickness?
With this in mind, let’s put on our Chiropractic lenses. A fever is not a “symptom of sickness” as much as it is an “expression of health.” Remember, a fever is a normal, healthy response of our immune system to an invading pathogen. How can a healthy response be a symptom?
And this idea leads us to the effect Chiropractic can have on a fever. Chiropractic aims to improve the expression of health by removing a Nerve System disruption. The nerve disruption we deal with as Chiropractors is a vertebral subluxation.
A vertebral subluxation has the potential to interfere with the communication between the brain above and the body below. A vertebral subluxation can interfere with the communication between the hypothalamus (a part of the brain) and the body.
How can a vertebral subluxation interfere?
Example #1: the body is producing the right amount of proteins and pyrogens to inform the hypothalamus about the pathogen. But, because of a vertebral subluxation, the message sent to the hypothalamus is disrupted. The hypothalamus is unsure what the ideal body temperature should be to kill the pathogen. So it might raise the body temperature, but not enough to kill the pathogen at the greatest potential. Or it might raise it too much and cause more damage to the body than needed.
Example #2: A vertebral subluxation could be interfering with how the body is producing the proteins and pyrogens. It could be producing not enough. A less than ideal amount of pyrogens and proteins will cause the hypothalamus not to raise the temperature high enough to kill the pathogen.
Chiropractic corrects a vertebral subluxation via the adjustment. What effect does the adjustment do for a fever? It depends. Sometimes after an adjustment, the fever might rise. Sometimes after an adjustment, the fever might lower. And sometimes after an adjustment, the fever will stay the same.
You see, there is no such thing as a “fever adjustment.” The adjustment aims to remove a disruption to the Nerve System. A vertebral subluxation prevents the proper expression of brain-to-body communication. The only thing that is certain after the adjustment is that the brain and body will have a greater potential to communicate with each other. Better communication means better health expression.
So to summarize: Chiropractic aims to improve how health is expressed. A fever is an expression of our health. So Chiropractic aims to improve the expression of a fever by correcting a vertebral subluxation.
- Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP
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