It was just past noon on a Sunday at the House of Chiropractic in Brooklyn. The waiting room was bustling. A well-dressed man in his early 30’s sat in one of my adjustment rooms. He had come to seek treatment for neck pain. After conducting a neurological, structural, and Chiropractic exam, I discovered a subluxation, or a misaligned vertebra, in his neck. It had decreased nerve flow to the surrounding musculature and structures, limiting his neck’s range of motion. After performed an adjustment, he seemed relieved.
“Is it possible that I’m actually thinking more clearly?” he asked.
“Absolutely,” I smiled. “The adjustment takes pressure off the nervous system by correcting subluxations in the spine, allowing the nerve flow to be restored to 100-percent between the organs and muscles.
After a Chiropractor adjusts you, the connection between your brain and body functions at a higher rate.
“I can feel it ” he said confidently.
Organ Innervation / Nerve Flow
Vertebral subluxations are small misalignments of the spine that affect the nervous system. They are often the underlying cause of many health issues, including asthma, ear infections, headaches, and high blood pressure. Because nerve impulses originate in the brain and travel down the spinal cord to various organs, muscles, and arteries, a subluxation at any level can hinder the effective transmission of nerve impulses and restrict communication between the brain and the body. A chronic subluxation left untreated for years or decades can frequently lead to degenerated vertebral discs within the cervical, thoracic, or lumbar spine. Those discs are vital because they act as cushions between each segment of the spine and help counteract the pressure of gravity.
Phases of Spinal Degeneration from Chronic Subluxations
I grew up in a Chiropractic family but didn’t become interested in learning about these things until I started receiving Chiropractic adjustments in my early 20’s for my asthma and allergies. In school, I studied cadavers for six months and left with an appreciation for the precise organization and perfectly executed machine-like quality of the human body. While learning about the heart, I was fascinated by how electrical impulses allow its chambers to pump at different rhythms. was even more intrigued by the central nervous system, the conduit for nerve impulses in the body, and how the body seemingly distributes millions of nerve fibers to the organs, muscles and glands effortlessly and seamlessly.
Atlas Subluxations / C1 Misalignments
When adjusting the spine, I always take time to focus on the brainstem, the area between the brain and spinal cord that is protected by the two upper neck vertebrae. Keeping this region clear is crucial for many reasons. Any interference can inhibit basic bodily functions such as breathing. A small amount of pressure on the upper cervical spine, for example, can inhibit the left and right phrenic nerves, which pass motor information to the diaphragm.
The upper cervical area is also home to the Vagus Nerve, which regulates the spleen and thymus in the immune system. Any lack of motion around the upper cervical spine can reduce nerve impulses to those glands and lower immunity to viral infections such as a cold.
Chiropractic, in the words of its pioneer B.J. Palmer, essentially “takes the handcuffs off nature.” Even though the body has an innate ability to heal itself, subluxations in the spine can curb its effectiveness. An adjustment by a Chiropractor removes those obstructions to recovery. It can also improve cognition. A recent study in Neural Plasticity reveals that a spinal adjustment improves brain function by 20-percent by activating the prefrontal cortex. A Chiropractor can achieve this by applying a high-velocity, low-amplitude thrust on subluxated segments of the spine with his or her hands. The patient lies face down or on his or her side, while the Chiropractor checks and unlocks bits of the spine’s cervical, thoracic, and lumbosacral sections.
There is no limit to what the body can achieve when adjusted. A clear path between the brain and the body allows one to perform at optimal levels. Though spinal adjustments are not usually considered the first line of defense against common sicknesses, simple changes in your posture, such as sitting up straight without pushing your head forward, can greatly improve your health.
This Article was originally published in Undo Mag, and written by me, Michael Fenster!
