There are a few things I think everybody should understand about their bodies. So, here is an abbreviated version of how I explain things in a patients first chiropractic visit. This is to give you a little insight into why things feel the way they do.
Your brain is the master computer for your body. It tells your body what to do by sending electrical impulses through your spinal cord and nerves. The bones of your spine are put together beautifully like puzzle pieces, they wrap around the spinal cord, to protect it. When the bones are seated properly there are spaces between those bones for the nerves to exit and go out into the body. If something shifts a bone out of place it can pinch the nerve root and cause pain or dysfunction in the distribution of that nerve. So, similar to hitting your funny bone can shoot to your hand, if you were to have a nerve pinching in your low back you might feel it shoot all the way down your legs into your feet. This is commonly called ‘sciatica’. If you have a nerve pinching at the base of your neck, (which is common when working on a laptop) you might experience your arms or hands falling asleep. And if you have a nerve pinching at the base of your head, you might experience a headache or pain that shoots over the top of your head, or around the sides of your head. It can also give you pain in your jaw or pain in your ears or behind your eyes.
But the body does more than just show you pain. Believe it or not, there are two nervous systems in the body. One is called ‘fight or flight’ where the nerves supply the energy to the muscles. This is stimulated if someone jumps out at you and your whole body jumps away or you gasp. The other is ‘rest and digest’. which is a description of what your body is doing when it’s not in a state of excitement. Your heartbeat and respirations continue without you having to think about it because of this system. A very important cranial nerve in this system is called the Vagus Nerve. This nerve exits the brain and regulates the lungs, the heart, and the digestive organs. Many times, my migraine patients report that they might throw up with their headaches. This can be attributed to the very powerful Vagus nerve. Incidentally children with colic seem to get a significant amount of relief with a very gentle adjustment on the C1 vertebrae at the top of the spine to help relieve the pressure on the Vagus nerve. This helps digestion, which then makes them more comfortable.
If you would like more information on the fascinating human body, reach out to us and let us know if we can help!
Yours in health,
Dr. Wendy
1 Thomas Koonce, K. (2020). Colicky baby? Here’s a surprising remedy.
<https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3183958/>.
