Beyond the ability to reduce pain and heal injuries with non-pharmacological, manual therapies, chiropractic also has a lot of “fringe benefits”. Fringe benefits are additional results of treatment that improve your overall daily life. For example, chiropractic care for children can help reduce colic and ear infections. Adjustments can also help relieve sinus pressure from allergies.
While you wouldn’t normally pair these ailments with chiropractic in your mind, they can be greatly intertwined. Asthma and chiropractic is no different!

How Asthma Works

Roughly 1 in 13 people have asthma, according to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America. That means over 26 million Americans find themselves having difficulty breathing at any given time.
Acute asthma or an asthma attack can be the result of a myriad of triggers from allergies to exercise, to no apparent trigger at all. During the onset of asthma, individuals experience trouble breathing due to inflamed airways. Unfortunately, there is no cure for it and people must often depend on inhalers to help them maintain their breath. However, chiropractic could help reduce the frequency of and impact of attacks.

How Chiropractic Impacts The Respiratory System

In a 2001 pediatric study on the effects of chiropractic on chronic asthma symptoms, patients reported an increase of quality of life by at least 10% and a reduction of severity in asthma symptoms by 39%. Just like any other ailment in the body, asthma is a result of inflammation. We already know that chiropractic helps reduce inflammation throughout the musculoskeletal system, but that impact can also impact other systems in the body.
The connection happens in the nervous system. Breathing is controlled by the brain, so when the brain and nervous system is functioning properly, breathing should come easier. A chiropractic adjustment that realigns the spine and body can reduce the pressure your nervous system is putting on your respiratory system. When those nerves are functioning properly, they are less easily triggered and symptoms are reduced. 
This is just one of the many ways our body systems work together – whether they’re working for you or against you is your choice. Early treatment from youth can have a major impact on your asthma as an adult, but it’s never too late for you to start going! See if one of our doctors can help you feel better and live better!