Your immune system works to keep you 100% natural, organic, unadulterated, you! It recognizes and destroys bacteria, viri, pollutants, dust, pollen, drugs, tumors, debris and artificial substances (metal and plastic, however, don’t trigger an immune reaction).
Many things influence how well your immune system functions: your nervous system, endocrine system, diet, genes and emotions.1-3
Allergens and allergies
The most common immune system disorder is the allergy that occurs when the immune system overreacts to an allergen (dust, pollen, milk, dog or cat dander, strawberries, etc.) and the body produces too many neutralizing chemicals (especially histamines) in response.
What causes allergies?
There is increasing evidence that the cause of allergies is childhood vaccinations; they cause immune system hypersensitivity.
[Childhood vaccinations are responsible for] allergies and immune system abnormalities: food allergies (wheat and milk especially), arthritis, lupus, celiac disease, pernicious anemia…. Respiratory problems: asthma and SIDS (due to vagus nerve palsy).4
The medical approach
Orthodox medicine has no cure for allergies, only treatment of symptoms. Since many allergy symptoms—runny eyes, irritation, redness, fullness in the sinuses and others—are caused by histamines, antihistamines are often prescribed to dry mucous membranes. However, antihistamines can cause heart problems5 and should not be used with alcohol, sedatives or tranquilizers.
The chiropractic approach
Allergy sufferers have praised chiropractic care for over a century. Chiropractic care is not a treatment for allergies though. The goal of chiropractic care is to locate and correct subluxations—serious nervous system stress. Chiropractic enables the immune system to function more effectively, something all allergy sufferers need since a nervous system with less stress functions more efficiently.
KST and allergies
After developing Koren Specific Technique (KST), I was often asked if it could address allergies. I’m happy to report that doctors are finding that KST can be used as a simple, yet powerful, procedure to help allergy sufferers.
The allergy “posture”
First the patient is analyzed and adjusted so they are cleared out: no subluxations. Now the patient is put in the “posture” of the allergy.
How is that done?
It is rather simple to do. All you do is tell the patient to think of their allergy. While they are thinking of it, their body will subluxate into their “allergy pattern.”
Now the allergy pattern must be located. I have found this is best done using a dynamic bio-indicator analysis system that is quickly able to locate subluxations. Bio-indicators are used by applied kinesiology (AK); muscle weakness, directional non-force technique (DNFT™) and Activator™ (a derivative of DNFT); the short leg reflex, Toftness ™; skin autonomic response and others.
KST employs the occipital drop (OD) that was discovered by Lowell Ward, DC, developer of Spinal Column Stressology, as a bio-indicator. Dr. Ward discovered that the occiput/mastoid area of the skull will appear to lower on the left when the person is stressed by a subluxation. By using the OD, the patient does not need to lie down to be checked and there is no muscle fatigue.
To continue the allergy protocol: While the patient is thinking of their allergy, the practitioner locates the subluxations that appear. In most cases, the subluxation involves the left and right greater wings of the sphenoid (anterior) and occipital bone (inferior).
In addition, sometimes a subluxation will involve the temporal or upper thoracic.
Now, the correction.
As the patient is thinking of their allergy, their subluxations are corrected or adjusted. I find an adjusting instrument works best, as this permits the patient to stay in one position while the force/energy/information (adjustment) can be directed specifically.
Next, ask the patient to think of the allergen again. There should be no OD. If there is an OD, go through the analysis and adjustment again. You may have missed something.
Are we finished?
Not quite. We have to see if the patient’s relationship with the allergen has been completely defused. Now ask the patient to think about the allergy from a different angle. For example, tell the patient, “Imagine taking the allergen and putting it in your mouth.” Then test for an OD. If you get it, locate and correct their subluxations (usually they will be the same ones you already corrected).
Try other statements to defuse the allergy. Tell the patient to imagine how they feel when they have an allergic reaction. Tell them to imagine breathing the allergen. Tell them to imagine clear sinuses or being free of other allergy symptoms.
Go through a number of these exercises until you simply can’t elicit an OD from the patient.
That’s it
It’s usually that simple. You may find an emotional reaction associated with the allergy, but that’s rare.
What exactly are we doing?
As with other allergy elimination protocols (i.e., NAET, JMT) we appear to be breaking a neurological reflex that causes the patient to overreact to an allergen.
With KST, we find that, when putting patients in the toxin posture of subluxation and adjusting them while in that posture, the allergy reflex is broken.
KST is a refinement in locating and correcting subluxations. Using KST procedures, chiropractors can easily and quickly locate and correct subluxations as they reveal themselves in any posture—physical, emotional or chemical.
Koren Specific Technique, developed by Tedd Koren, D.C., is a quick and easy way to locate and correct subluxations; it is gentle and low-force. Using KST, practitioners can specifically analyze and adjust themselves. For seminar information, go to www.teddkorenseminars.com or call 1-800-537-3001. Write to Dr. Koren at [email protected].