Chiropractic Care Affects Brain Function!

What does the chiropractic adjustment ACTUALLY do?

Chiropractic itself was discovered by observing positive health changes in people following chiropractic adjustments… without knowing exactly how. Initially it was thought that the misaligned vertebra physically puts pressure on the nerves as they exit the spine, like a kink in a garden hose, however more recent research is showing that chiropractic works because it actually influences brain function!

How does chiropractic influence brain function?

The position sensors in your spinal joints and muscles (called proprioceptors) constantly pass information to your brain, in particular to your cerebellum and the prefrontal cortex. The cerebellum is well known for controlling things like balance and coordination (think all the things you lose control of after a few drinks). The prefrontal cortex is a pretty cool part of the brain that effectively influences how we experience our world. This part of our brain controls our ‘higher functions’ that separate us from other mammals and has influences over many parts of our life including memory, intuition, empathy, emotional regulation and communication.

If the bones of your spine are misaligned or not moving properly, your brain isn’t getting accurate messages from the body (via the proprioceptors), which in turn affects the outgoing messages from your brain back to your body. Therefore, the body’s innate ability to self-regulate, self-balance and self-heal is compromised.

This is why research has shown that a chiropractic adjustment improves limb position sense, and has been shown to reduce falls in the elderly. It might also explain why some children have fewer emotional meltdowns, and bed-wetting episodes when they receive regular chiropractic care, or people feel like they think more clearly after getting adjusted.