A pair of relatively recent scientific discoveries have come to light that provide a possible mechanism for some of the dramatic results I have seen in my office over the years. These discoveries also make it more obvious how important it is to have an optimally functioning spine and how a trauma or insult TODAY can have dire consequences many years down the road.
The first revolves around a new syndrome that many clinicians are not even aware of – Cerviocranial syndrome. Much of the research on CCS has been conducted by Dr. Raymond Damadian, the medical physician who invented the first MRI scanner. CSS is a misalignment (caused by trauma or degeneration) that can lead to secondary conditions such as neck pain, dizziness, sinus pain and headaches.
Dr. Damadian’s MRI research has also been able to connect neurodegenerative disorders such as MS, Parkinson’s disease, ALS, Alzheimer’s disease and even autism to CCS. The proposed mechanism is that the neck misalignments restrict the flow of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) into the brain, thus leading to a breakdown in function.
When linked to a trauma they found that the average amount of time between the incident (a car accident, for example) and the development of the condition was 11 years!
Another incidental finding was that when the cervical (neck) misalignment was corrected, remote conditions such as low back pain sometimes improved, which certainly matches up with my clinical experience using Neurospinal Optimization.
You can watch a 13 minute video of one of Dr. Damadian’s presentations with some fascinating graphics and video by clicking HERE
The second discovery by researchers at the University of Virginia School of Medicine was that there were lymphatic vessels present in the brains of mice. It was previously believed that there was not lymph tissue present in the brain. These vessels serve to bring immune cells to the brain as well as circulate our old friend CSF, thereby removing waste from brain tissue.
It is hypothesized that restriction of lymph flow – like previously with the CSF – can result in a build up of waste and contribute to MS, Alzheimer’s and meningitis. You can read the article by clicking HERE.
So what do these findings mean to us? Obviously, none of us want to develop neurodegenerative disorders down the road so taking care of our spines regardless of pain or symptoms is probably a good idea.
Even if we are not in danger of developing one of those terrible diseases, what these discoveries tell us is that there is a closer relationship between the spine and brain than we previously thought. Could smaller, less obvious shifts in the structure and function of the spine negatively impact the function of our brain in a sub-clinical way? I think so.
Most of our patients choose to use Neurospinal Optimization as both a tool of prevention and to optimize their health and performance in life. They choose this because they experience the difference. These scientific findings give us a greater understanding about why they have those experiences.