Chiro Adjustments Increase Functional Activity

Polymorphonuclear neutrophils and monocytes demonstrate increased functional activity after chiropractic adjustments. In the 1991, the Journal of Manipulative and Physiologic Therapeuticspublished a study in which the participants were divided into three groups. They either received chiropractic adjustments to the thoracic spine, had a sham adjustment (light force with no joint release), or had soft tissue manipulation (light massage). Blood was drawn before and after their treatments and it was found that the people in the group receiving chiropractic adjustments showed increased functional activity of polymorphonuclear neutrophils and monocytes, whereas the people in the other two groups did not demonstrate this increased immune activity. Note: Polymorphonuclear neutrophils are phagocytic white blood cells. Monocytes are also phagocytic and are involved in the process that activates lymphocytes to produce antibodies when non-self proteins are present.