Adjusting to Help AIDS Patients
(Crystal A. Proxmire)
When Dan Farkas was 20, a car accident altered his life forever. “I couldn’t walk for over 30 days. I was in so much pain and my legs just didn’t want to work. I went through all kinds of treatments and therapy. Finally I went to a chiropractor and got adjusted and I walked out of the office. It was amazing. I was sold on chiropractic ever since.”
Not only did the adjustment help him walk, it led him down the path of becoming a chiropractor himself and being able to help others. “When most people think of going to the chiropractor they think of going after a car accident or a slip and fall. But I also see people for things like headaches, stress, digestion problems, pregnancy issues and people who were injured by vaccines,” Farkas said.
Another problem he helps with is treating patients with HIV/AIDS.
Dr. Farkas will be giving a presentation on the ways that chiropractic care can benefit AIDS patients on October 11, 2010 at 7pm at his office at 22540 Woodward. Members of the HIV/AIDS advocacy group Higher Ground will be treated to refreshments and have an opportunity to ask questions. Anyone who is interested in learning more about treatment for themselves or others is welcome to attend.
AIDS is an autoimmune disease that causes patients levels of white blood cells, known at T cells, to decline, reducing the body’s ability to fight disease. Since the 1980s studies like “Noradrenergic sympathetic neural interactions with the immune system: structure and function” by Dr. DL Felton et al. have found a connections between the immune system and the central nervous system through the endocrine system.
A more recent study shines a glimmer of hope that there could be a correlation between spinal adjustments and T cell levels. In 1994 Dr. JL Hightower of the Sid. E. Williams Research Center of Life Chiropractic University studied HIV positive patients for six months. One group of patients received regular chiropractic adjustments, and the control group was given “fake” adjustments. Patients who were treated experienced a 48% increase in CD4 cells, while the control group actually saw a 7.69% drop in levels.
Enhanced Phagocytic Cell respiratory Burst Induced by Spinal Manipulation, a study that came out in 2001, revealed that following an adjustment a patient begins reacting by strengthening its resistance to disease.
“To me it just makes sense,” Farkas said. “The spine houses a big part of your nervous system, and your nervous system is what carries messages from your brain to the rest of your body. Improving that communication, but adjusting your spine, helps the rest of the body work well.”
In addition to sharing AIDS related research, Dr. Farkas plans to speak on the benefits of good spinal health 
for any individual. Listeners can learn how a small spinal misalignment (called a subluxation) can deteriorate the body over time. Rick Henning of Higher Ground will also be on hand to talk about the group and their work advocating for HIV/AIDS patients.
For more information on Dr. Farkas and his practice, go to www.ferndalechiropractor.com. For more on Higher Ground go to www.higherground.org.
Thank you to Just 4 Us at 211 W. for being the Annual Sponsor of our LGBT News section. Stop in for unique gay-themed gifts and adult novelties. Stick around and enjoy some gourmet coffee or tea.
The Ferndale 115 News is seeking a sponsor for our Health section. A low cost annual sponsorship gives us the resources to cover more news in our communities. Please contact Proxmire at editor@ferndale115.com for more information.