It Just Takes 25¢

Several years ago a study from the University of Colorado proved that as little as 10 mm of pressure on a nerve root coming out of the spine would cause at least a 50% reduction of the electrical impulse traveling down that nerve from the spinal cord.  10 mm of pressure is equivalent to the weight of a quarter and this pressure could come from sources including simple misalignment of the individual vertebrae, bulging of the disc, swelling of the soft tissues, or arthritic degeneration.  Whatever the cause, minimal pressure on the delicate nerve root exiting the spine would diminish the electrical signals going out to the body by at least half!

Certainly anyone who has experienced what is so commonly called a “pinched nerve” running down their arm or leg can attest to the significance of this research.  But let’s look at the bigger picture.  What controls, organizes, and regulates every function in your body?  Hopefully you’re thinking: The Brain.  But to function, the brain must communicate with the rest of the body and it does this through the nervous system – that network of wiring that communicates with all parts of the body.  The nervous system carries thousands of messages between the brain and body every second and all these signals travel through the spinal column and the holes found between the individual bones of the spine.  If there was pressure or tension on the nerves where they exit through these holes found in the spinal column, doesn’t it stand to reason that that could cause problems not only at the point of pressure, but also wherever that nerve travels?  Obviously, if this pressure were on the sciatic nerve going down your leg it could cause leg pain or if the tension was on the greater occipital nerve going back to your head, it could cause headaches?  But what if the pressure was on the nerves going to your stomach, bladder, or colon; would they work better or worse?  Fortunately, the body is smart and it doesn’t devote just one nerve to every organ and gland, but it stands to reason that any interference with those signals would decrease efficiency and function.

This research and the simple philosophy behind it has been the basis of chiropractic care since its inception in 1895.  When you reduce tension from the nervous system, you improve the communication between the brain and body which in turn improves the body’s ability to feel right, heal right and function right.