When most people think about chiropractic care, they almost immediately associate it with the spine. While it is certainly true that the spine serves as the fundamental base upon which all of chiropractic care rests, there is more to it than just that. Chiropractic care recognizes that there is a relationship between the various parts of the nervous system and the brain. Read further, as Dr. Nathen Horst explains how this relationship actually works.

Parts of the Nervous System

The human nervous system is divided into two sections. The central nervous system comprises the brain and the spinal cord, which is connected to the brain by the brain stem at the base of the skull. The peripheral nervous system comprises the network of nerves that branch out of the spinal cord to various parts of the body, including the organs, muscles, torso, arms, and legs.

How Do the Central and Peripheral Systems Work Together?

You can think of the brain as the central processing unit for the human body. It is responsible for sending out signals telling the body what to do in response to certain external stimuli, as well as responding to internal stimuli, based on those signals it receives back from various parts of the body. The brain uses the central and peripheral nervous systems as a series of road ways, along which these signals travel.

Example of How Nerve Signaling Works

As a simplified example of how this signaling from the brain to an organ works, let’s say you look at your cat. First, your brain sends a signal that will tell your optic nerves to look at an external stimulus because it walked past you. Your brain sends out this electrical signal via a type of cell called a neuron, which is specifically keyed to your visual cortex. This signal then hop-scotches from neuron to neuron, via an axon at one end and dendrites at the other end, and is converted from electrical to chemical as it jumps from one neuron to the next.

Eventually, the signal activates your eyes to focus on your cat. A signal is then sent back to your brain, which it then processes as not just a cat, but specifically one with which you are familiar because you own it. Keep in mind that all of this is taking place in microseconds, along your central and peripheral nervous system pathways.

Nerve Signaling and Chiropractic Care

Now that we understand how nerve signaling works under optimal conditions, we can address what happens when this process is impeded, as well as how chiropractic can help improve it. If these electrical signals are somehow impeded as they are going back and forth between the brain and the various parts of the body, it is obvious that the body will not be functioning at its peak.

In fact, this is precisely what can cause back pain and joint stiffness. If the vertebrae of the spine shift out of alignment, they can pinch or compress the nerves leading in and out of the spinal cord. A misalignment can be the result of poor posture, excess weight, or even environmental issue, such as air pollution. Once this occurs, the signaling pathway discussed previously is disrupted. The end result can be an increased susceptibility to injury, particularly of the joints, and illness.

When Dr. Horst performs a chiropractic adjustment on your spine, he is actually shifting those misaligned vertebrae back into their proper position, thereby relieving pressure on the nerves, helping restore proper signaling pathways and relieving pain, soreness, and stiffness in joint, tendons, and muscles.

He does this by using a special technique to open up the space between each of the vertebra to allow those that are misaligned to slip back into their proper position. This is done by what is called a chiropractic manipulation, using either his hands, or a small devise called an adjusting instrument.

Your central and peripheral nervous systems are like a city’s network of freeways and streets that must all work to keep traffic properly flowing. Fortunately, proper chiropractic care can help remove any road blocks in the way of good health.