Back to the Basics: Why Your Spine Might be Causing Your Symptoms

Did you know that your spine is often related to the symptoms you are experiencing in other places of your body?

These maps or pathways can give doctors a window into the function of your central nervous system (CNS) and peripheral nervous system (PNS) to better understand where the problem is coming from.

What is the CNS?

The CNS is made up of our brain and spinal cord. The spinal cord travels down the middle of our spine connecting our brain to the rest of our body. The spine not only provides structure for our posture, but it also provides protection for our spinal cord.

What is the PNS?

The Peripheral Nervous System, or PNS, consists of the nerves that exit each level of the spinal cord. There is a pair of nerves that exit each level of the spine and follow a specific pathway throughout our body. These nerves have branches that travel to places such as our facial features, hands and fingers, feet and toes, and to all of our vital organs and tissues.

The brain sends information down the spinal cord and through the peripheral nerve to its destination. Once the organ or tissue at the destination has received the information, it communicates by sending information back up the peripheral nerve, into the spinal cord and back up to the brain. This is the circuit that your brain uses to communicate any sensation, motor function or organ function throughout your entire body.

If the signal is unable to reach its destination it means it has gotten “lost” somewhere along the pathway from your brain. A “lost” signal can include a muscle that has weakened, a muscle that no longer works, decreased coordination, or decreased organ function. Other examples of a “lost” signal can include numbness, tingling into the hands and fingers or feet and toes, or pain into the head, shoulders and arms or hips and legs.

So how do I know the symptoms I am experiencing are related to my spine?

The first step is to schedule a consultation with one of our board certified Doctors of Chiropractic at Modern Chiropractic Center. The doctor will perform a thorough examination and take the necessary spinal x-rays to find root of your symptoms and the cause of your condition. Our doctors are all certified by Chiropractic Biophysics® which utilizes Mirror Image® Exercises, Mirror-Image® Adjustments and Mirror-Image® Traction to correct abnormal spine alignment that may be causing your sciatica. The doctor will then work with you to find the best course of treatment for your individual needs and get your spine back to its optimal health.

 

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