Chiropractic and the 1918 Flu Pandemic 

Twenty million people died from the global flu pandemic of 1918. Half a million Americans perished within six months. Chiropractic had been emerging for 23 years and still in the early stages of research and development in Davenport, Iowa. The populace of the community suffered through the influenza scare like most every community across the country. Fifty medical doctors treated 4,953 cases of the flu. 274 of those people succumbed to their illness. One hundred fifty chiropractors and chiropractic students in the same city treated 1,635 cases of the flu. Only one of those patients died. Statistics and records from 1918 document 925 deaths out of every 10,000 people treated medically for the flu but only 25 deaths out of every 10,000 people treated with spinal adjustments.

Historical data shows that people under chiropractic care have a 98% better chance of surviving the tragic pandemic. Chiropractic helped to both prevent the flu and restore health to those already experiencing the illness. 1918 marked a pivotal era in chiropractic awareness and literally put the new healing profession on the map by communicating the impact spinal care has on immunity.

The science of today validates exactly why chiropractors of the past and present see incredible results with immunity through spinal adjustments. New research from 2014 proves that the health of the nervous system directly influences the strength of the immune system. The study examined a group of patients who had just been diagnosed with cancer tumors. Medical examiners of the past would typically only look at the size of a tumor to make a prognosis about the future health and recovery of the patient. If the tumor was small, the prognosis and recovery outlook were deemed positive. The 2014 study changed that process altogether. The most important prognostic factor in determining recovery of a cancer tumor exists within a specific branch of the nervous system called the vagus nerve. The vagus nerve directly connects to the body’s ability to prevent sickness and recover from an affliction. Pharmaceutical labs and medical professionals responded to this discovery by initiating development of new drugs and technology focused on improving the function of the vagus nerve.

Chiropractic research long ago proved that adjustments improve vagus nerve function along with dramatically improving the overall health and function of all organs connected to the nervous system. The connection between adjustments administered in 1918 and the health and recovery of patients exists within the proper function of the immune system. The positive impact of a healthy family radiates throughout the home. Immune system health improves substantially when regular chiropractic adjustments become part of every family health plan.