12 | BACK TO SCHOOL • 2022
BOOSTING THE IMMUNE SYSTEM Advice from a Local Family Chiropractor Written By Abby Weingarten
Holistically Germs, exposure and all things COVID-19 are still at the forefront of families’ minds during the transition back to school. So, it’s essential that, no matter what the circumstance in the classrooms, little immune systems stay strong this schoolyear. Dr. Ali Schweitzer, the founder of Active Family Chiropractic & Wellness in Bozeman, is a pregnancy and pediatric chiropractic specialist who regularly treats children. As a mother of two, she knows the importance of encouraging immune-strengthening practices in school settings. “School is about to be in full swing, and with
that comes all the colds, boogers, flus and who knows what else,” Dr. Schweitzer said. “It’s always funny to me how, by the end of summer, I’m ready for my kids to get back into a routine, for things to slow down a bit—and then, when they come home with that first sign of a cold, I think back to how nice the summer was when they were outside, playing in the dirt and healthy.” As the schoolyear kicks off, kids begin to head indoors, develop closer contact with their peers, and become exposed to far more germs than they did during the summer months. But that doesn’t mean colds and flus have to run rampant. “There are plenty of things we can do to help strengthen our children’s immune systems now—
at the start of the school season—so when they do come home with the sniffles, they are back to feeling better in no time,” Dr. Schweitzer said. So, what does Dr. Schweitzer recommend? She has five tips for parents and guardians to keep their back-to-schoolers on the right track: 1. Make sure your child is getting plenty of sleep. When they sleep, their bodies are recovering from all the day-to-day stresses. If they are deprived of sleep, their bodies are missing out on important healing times. 2. Keep those kids hydrated. As they head back to school, they may forget their water bottles. If they become dehydrated, fatigue can set in. A fatigued body is a weaker body, and those bacteria and viruses love to attack the weak.
