The human body continually monitors all body functions, adjusts every function second by second, and is self-healing.
Read that again! Pretty amazing that the body is continually monitoring, regulating, and healing.
The logical next question is what gets in the way of the body being able to regulate and heal?
THE AUTONOMIC NERVOUS SYSTEM
The nervous system is the system tasked with monitoring, regulating, and healing and it is the Autonomic Nervous System (ANS) that does this. The ANS is divided into 2 divisions with very different functions:
- SYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (SNS): the SNS is referred to as the “fight or flight” system. It does a lot of great things but when it comes to the long term loss of health, it is the system that responds to any “stress” by:
- Increasing heart rate
- Increasing breathing rate
- Increasing muscle tension
- Increasing inflammation
- Impairing digestion
- Impairing immune function
- Interfering with sleep
A long term overactivation of the SNS known as Sympathetic Dominance is associated with the vast majority of chronic illness. This also results in an inhibition of the Parasympathetic Nervous System (PNS) and more specifically the Vagus Nerve.
- PARASYMPATHETIC NERVOUS SYSTEM (PNS) or VAGUS NERVE: this is the “rest and digest” system. It supports every aspect of long term health and wellness such as:
- Healthy heart rate
- Healthy digestion
- Rest and recovery
- Restorative sleep
- Lowered inflammation
- Healthy immune response
- Human connection
- Intuition (Gut feelings)
Anxiety, stress, poor sleep, gut health, autoimmune disorders and much more are helped by a combination of Corrective Chiropractic care and activation of the Vagus Nerve.
Our modern world continually activates the SNS, resulting in lowered activity and function of the health supporting Vagus Nerve. The key to achieving a significant improvement in anxiety, stress, gut health, autoimmune disorders and general health lie in achieving greater balance in the ANS.
CORRECTIVE CHIROPRACTIC CARE
Corrective chiropractic differs from traditional chiropractic in a couple of key ways. Where traditional chiropractic focuses solely on restoring movement, corrective chiropractic seeks to:
- Restore spinal joint motion
- Restore balance to the pelvis and spine
- Restore alignment to the spine
- Remove sources of pressure and irritation of sensitive nerves
How does this relate to the Vagus Nerve and the SNS?
In the upper neck the Vagus Nerve travels right in front of the top vertebrae in the neck. Any misalignment here tends to inhibit Vagus Nerve activity. Misalignments in the pelvis also tend to inhibit the Vagus Nerve.
In the mid and lower back misalignments have the opposite effect as they irritate the Sympathetic Nervous System and increase activity of the “fight or flight” system.
Corrective chiropractic helps remove sources of pressure and irritation to the ANS and move the ANS to greater balance. A balanced ANS is essential for health.
VAGUS NERVE ACTIVATION
As a result of long term activation of the SNS it is often not enough to simply remove the irritation. If the Vagus Nerve has been inhibited enough to result in challenges like…
- Anxiety
- Chronic Stress
- Poor Sleep and Insomnia
- Impaired Digestion
- Autoimmune Disorders
…the Vagus Nerve benefits from practices that help “wake it up” and increase its tone.
At Life Chiropractic in Grass Valley we teach patients how to first correct dysfunctional breathing patterns that repeatedly activate the Sympathetic System. Then they can practice learning how to breathe in ways that activate the Vagus Nerve as well as specific Vagus Nerve practices.
If you suffer from any of the conditions listed above it is a sure sign of a significant imbalance of your Autonomic Nervous System that would benefit from a combination of removing irritation to the ANS and enhancing Vagus Nerve activity.
About Dr. Berkowitz
Bringing more than 3 decades of practice experience, Dr. Bill Berkowitz focuses on balancing and corrective care, applying his expertise to provide patients with predictable, repeatable and measurable results.
Dr. Bill consistently strives to enhance the well-being of his patients by addressing the root imbalances of their problems and promoting optimal balance, alignment, and function of the spine and nervous system.
Bill’s wealth of knowledge and experience has allowed him to develop a nuanced understanding of the human body and its intricate connections. With each adjustment, he supports the body in returning to a state of balance that goes beyond mere symptom relief, focusing instead on long-term correction for his patients’ well-being.
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