Ahoy Mateys! Discover Your Nervous System.
Posted on October 25, 2016 in Dr. Rachel Family Chiropractic, Uncategorized
Our Discovery Adventure went extremely well! The ship set sail without a hitch, and the crew enjoyed every minute of their adventure led by our dedicated crew. Our crew discovered that there is a lot to the nerve system. If you missed the adventure, have no fear! I’ll get you up to speed! Here’s a fun fact for you: Did you know that a piece of brain tissue the size of a grain of sand contains 100,000 neurons (nerve cells) and 1 billion synapses (nerve cell connections) all communicating with each other? And it’s hard to imagine that more than 100,000 chemical reactions take place in your brain EVERY SECOND!
On the adventure we learned that your brain is the Conductor in the body. Your brain is in charge of everything, from what’s second nature such as knowing how to brush your teeth every day to things you have to think about like solving complex math problems or prioritizing your to-do list. The brain is often compared to a computer, a clock, or the internet. But, be thankful that your brain is a lot smarter than all of these! And of course we can’t forget that your brain conducts your digestion, your respiration, your vision, your hearing, your hormones, your mood, you name it. These are the things you don’t have to think about, part of the Autonomic or “Automatic” system. And you actually have 50,000 thoughts each day. Now that, my friend, is a lot to think about!
We also learned that the nerves and spinal cord are the Connectors in the body. Sort of like electrical wiring in a house or the roots of a plant. The nerves are bound up like a giant rope forming the spinal cord within the spine. It really is beautiful to think how complex the nerve system is in its nerve connections to every cell, tissue, organ, and organ system in the body. This spinal cord runs from the brain to the body, and within the brain each nerve cell makes 40,000 connections known as synapses. The nerves outside the brain and spinal cord that connect to the rest of the body are known collectively as the peripheral nerve system. And 90% of these are nerves that you are unable to feel. You can feel only 10% of them!
The coordination it takes to climb a hill, for example is spectacular. Your heart rate increases, your breathing rate increases, and your blood is sent from your organs to your muscles. Your skin sweats so that your body temperature is regulated, and bodily processes that normally take place when you are at rest tone down. This includes your digestion, absorption of nutrients, and rebuilding of tissues. Your body is quite intelligent! And the nerves are very important to ensure that the proper messages are communicated for all of this to take place. Hence why Chiropractors communicate the importance of caring for your Connectors!
And then we learned that the bones in the spine, in addition to the skull bones, protect the nerve system. These bones, or vertebrae in the spine are your Protectors. They are designed to fully encase the nerve system. The 24 movable vertebrae protect the Connectors because the Connectors are so important to your body’s healing function. The protectors take 25 years to fully form into bone. There are parts that are still firm collagen like that of your nose until you are 25 years old.
And did you know that the bones are constantly being reshaped and resculpted according to your body’s internal and external stresses? Your body is always at work. Internal and external stresses in the form of physical, chemical, and emotional injuries cause spinal imbalance also known as subluxation which left alone has serious health consequences for the individual. These change the relationship of the nerves to the spinal cord, changing the ability of nerve messages to properly travel to all body systems. A nerve connected to the heart affected by subluxation will change the function of the heart. A nerve connected to the lungs affected by subluxation will change the function of the lungs. A nerve connected to the stomach affected by subluxation will change the function of the stomach. A nerve connected to any organ affected by subluxation will absolutely change the function of that organ.
In fact, if subluxation formed because of these childhood physical injuries remains unchecked and in the spine, evidence can be seen in the bones of the spine on an x-ray. Most people, in fact demonstrate changes on Insight Technology spinal stress scans done in our office. This is why regular spinal checks are so important for people at any age, especially a baby whose spine is forming so quickly, let alone toddlers who fall over 30 times per day! If the bones of the spine form correctly before they shape into bone (in other words without the stress of subluxation, which would hinder this proper formation) a child’s foundation of balanced nerve function for life is amazing. Complicated and amazing! It’s much easier to help a young sapling grow up straight than it is to reshape a tree!
The beauty of chiropractic at Life Expression is, much like our Adventure, that a healthy spine and nerve system is quite a family experience. Families choose chiropractic because they understand the great value of chiropractic care with this unique focus. When individuals experience better healing because the balance of their spine and nerve system fully allow their body to regenerate, rejuvenate, and heal at 100% with nothing hindering its ability to do so, this is such a blessing! This is as the body was designed to be!
To say that chiropractic is limited to people who are experiencing an issue which is directly related to the spine or any symptom at all for that matter would be a HUGE disservice to humanity and would be extremely lacking in the truth. You don’t need a drooping or diseased plant to know that it needs adequate water to grow well do you? We don’t need to be experiencing signs or symptoms to know that we need adequate nerve flow to grow well and flourish either. (Yet if we are experiencing such things balance in the nerve system is certainly very much important to proper healing.) This is why I care for babies, mothers during pregnancy, children, teens, young adults, adults, and seniors. All individuals and families deserve the blessing of a healthy and well-balanced nerve system no matter their walk in life so that they can heal optimally not just today, but for the rest of their lives.
It is my hope and prayer that I communicate this truth to all of my patients and to our community so that they continue to learn the value and unlimited potential that every individual has to heal and to be well. Thank you for reading my passion for sharing what I know to be true in our design, in our health, and in the healing process! Please help me by sharing this message with your loved ones, and by experiencing this potential for yourself!
