How important would you say your brain is to the function of your body?
Vital.
But, what does your brain actually do?
I ask this question to people every day in practice, and even though people think they don’t know the answer, they usually know a lot more than they thought they did. Common answers are usually along the lines of: “It controls everything” or “it makes everything work”. After some discussion, people usually find out that they already know that the brain controls the body by sending signals or messages through the nerves to all the parts of the body. So, if you wanted to move your foot all you had to do was think the action, a message travels to your foot and it does what you want it to.
But, have you ever considered that the brain not only controls things we have to think about, such as talking, moving, walking etc. but, also things we don’t have to think about like digestion, heart rate, sleeping, healing, hormones, immune responses, temperature regulation, blood pressure regulation, blood sugar regulation…you get the point, the list is endless. Needless to say the brains’ function is vital to the health of your body.
The brain is one of only two structures in your body that is completely protected by bone; the other is your spinal cord. The spinal cord is essentially a big bundle of wires that flow from your brain and is surrounded by your spinal bones or ‘vertebra’. Between the spinal bones there are more wires or nerves that go from the spinal cord to all of your body parts.
Now, if the structure of your spine shifts out of place (what Chiropractors call a Structural Shift) and affects the delicate little nerves as they exit the spine (what Chiropractors call Nerve Pressure), interfering with the communication between your brain and your body, do you think this might impact how your body functions? If the nerve supply to your organs is disrupted do you think your body will make the right amount of enzymes to digest your food? Would it make the right amount of adrenalin to adapt to your daily stresses? Would your body be able to regulate and heal itself optimally?
How about the nerve supply to your muscles? Would your body perform as well in sports? What would your reactions be like when you drive a car? What would your posture look like?
Most people are under the mistaken impression that when a vertebra is out of place it causes pain, generally in the back or neck. Some people also think that a misaligned vertebra, by virtue of the interference it causes in the nerve system, can be the cause of pain elsewhere in the body. For example, they may think a Structural Shift that interferes with the nerve supply to the stomach causes stomach pains, or one in the neck may cause headaches.
The fact is, Structural Shifts rarely cause pain or any other Secondary Conditions (symptoms). In fact, it may be that these Structural Shifts in the spine never cause pain. This is due to the simple fact that less than 10% of your nerves are feeling or sensory nerves. So, a Structural Shift may play a role in particular Secondary Conditions like neck pain, back pain or headaches but most likely it has been affecting you on levels you haven’t even been aware of. Affecting you in ways that affect your overall expression of life.
So, how do you tell if you have a Structural shift?
Simply go and see a Structural expert, a Chiropractor, they will use specific objective tests assessing the structure of your spine and the function of your nervous system. If a Structural Shift is present Chiropractic adjustments will help clear up the communication between your brain and body, leading to better function, less accidents and a healthier you.
If you know of any friends that can benefit from these ideas, please share with them by email or Facebook.
Have a fantastic day!
Ryno
