Understanding the Role of Chiropractors in Nervous System Health

Understanding the Role of Chiropractors in Nervous System Health

Hello! Dr. Brant Hulsebus here. Welcome to another edition of “Ask the Chiropractor.” This is my little podcast where I answer your questions about chiropractic care. I’m a chiropractor in Rockford, Illinois, and I graduated from Palmer College of Chiropractic. I am also the proud team chiropractor for the Rockford Icehogs.

Let’s dive into today’s topic!

The Question from a Medical Doctor

Today’s topic comes from a question by a medical doctor. He heard that chiropractors claim they can cure things like asthma and digestive problems, but he didn’t believe it. So, let’s talk about how chiropractic care affects the nervous system and get to the bottom of this.

What Chiropractic Does: No “Cure,” Just Adjustment

First things first, chiropractic does not cure asthma or digestive problems. Chiropractors help correct and stabilize something called vertebral subluxations. A vertebral subluxation happens when one or two bones in your spine are misaligned and under stress. When this happens, your body starts to react with a “stress response.”

How Stress Affects Your Nervous System

When two vertebrae (bones in your spine) are misaligned, your body recognizes this as a problem. It releases chemicals called catecholamines at the stressed area. These chemicals travel down the nerve connected to the misaligned vertebrae and can cause issues wherever that nerve goes. For example, if the misalignment is at T1 (between your shoulder blades), it may affect your ribs or skin around that area.

Where Medicine and Chiropractic Agree and Disagree

Medical doctors and chiropractors agree on many things about the nervous system. For example, if your C5 vertebrae (in the neck) are misaligned, it could cause neck, shoulder, and arm pain. Both fields agree this is due to a nerve issue. However, chiropractors believe that these misalignments can also affect the body’s organs and glands, which is something medicine does not fully accept.

The Autonomic Nervous System

Your autonomic nervous system has two modes: fight and flight (danger mode) and homeostasis (everything is fine). A vertebral subluxation can trigger the fight and flight response, causing your body to release stress hormones. Chiropractic adjustments can help bring you back to homeostasis.

What Happens After an Adjustment?

Chiropractic adjustments help regulate autonomic nervous system responses. For instance, if you have high blood pressure and receive a C1 adjustment, it may improve. This doesn’t mean chiropractic “cures” high blood pressure—it means it helps the body function better by reducing stress on the nervous system.

The Role of the Vagus Nerve

The vagus nerve, which starts in your neck, helps calm your body back to normal after a stressful event. If you have a vertebral subluxation in your C1, it may be hard for you to relax or sleep. Adjusting this vertebra can restore normal function, helping you sleep better and feel calmer.

Infertility and Chiropractic Adjustments

Sometimes, chiropractic adjustments can even help with fertility issues—not by curing infertility but by making sure the nervous system works properly. For example, if a woman has trouble conceiving, adjusting her lower back and tailbone might help by reducing stress on the nerves that affect her reproductive organs.

Chiropractors and Nervous System Health

In summary, chiropractic adjustments help regulate the autonomic nervous system and improve how the body responds to stress. We’ve seen this help many people with various problems. If you have any more questions, feel free to ask below.

Conclusion

Thanks for reading! Remember, if you have a question about chiropractic care, ask a chiropractor. Medical doctors may not fully understand how chiropractic adjustments affect the autonomic nervous system. Thanks again, and see you next time for another edition of “Ask the Chiropractor.”