The Neurology of Chiropractic

Did you know that spinal adjustments have a direct effect on the brain? Consequently, this means that subluxations (misalignments) have an effect on the brain as well. With this idea, it makes sense to understand that your back or neck pain is more than just back or neck pain. The misalignment of your spine is actually a health problem because of its direct effects on the nervous system.

The nervous system consists of your brain, your spinal cord and all the nerves that travel throughout your body. Their main task is to control EVERYTHING in your body. This includes your major organs, your muscles and every cell lining your body. With that being said, the spine plays a crucial role in the function of your nervous system. Not only does it physically protect parts of your nervous system, but it also has a direct link to the brain. Any subluxation that causes your spine to be misaligned causes changes to happen throughout your body.

When a subluxation occurs due to the stresses we put on our bodies, your nervous system then sends negative signals from that subluxation to your brain, which is your body’s way of warning the brain that something bad has happened. As a result, your brain responds by sending negative signals back down to the body to compensate for the misalignment. Your body then goes into defense mode, putting you in flexed postures and releasing stress hormones to the troublesome areas. Inflammation builds up in your subluxated joints to help with the healing process, causing local changes such as pain, swelling and tightness and tenderness to surrounding muscles and ligaments.

Your body is amazing at responding to subluxations and is very prepared to do so. However, what we have to realize is that these responses are supposed to be temporary. Once the subluxation is fixed, the nervous system replaces the negative signals with positive ones to the brain. As a result, the brain no longer responds in defense mode and sends normal positive signals back down to the body. But what happens when we don’t fix the subluxation? Basically, the negative signals keep going up to the brain, and we never get out of defense mode. Our body starts to adapt to the changes happening in our body. This presents as chronic poor postures, degeneration in our joints, weaker immune systems, low mood and energy levels – the list goes on!

The spine also plays a crucial role in providing nourishment to our nervous system. Lining the brain and the spinal cord is a substance called Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF). This fluid is responsible for providing nourishment to the nervous system and also helps in flushing out any toxins or waste that our nervous system encounters. Regular spinal movement helps in pumping the CSF throughout our nervous system. However, if the spine isn’t able to move properly due to subluxation, the CSF won’t be able to flow properly. This can lead to areas of malnourishment and waste can even build up in areas of our brain, which causes plaque build-up.

All of this points to the importance of a healthy spine. It’s more than just a back or neck problem – it’s a HEALTH PROBLEM! This is why we encourage our patients to maintain a health spine with regular check-ups and adjustments so that YOU and your nervous system can function at full capacity. If you would like to find out more about how our Mississauga chiropractors can help you with your overall health, please call our office at 905-821-4951.