What is Your Back Story?

The story of your spine is your “back story”. Many people know that the spine helps to protect the spinal cord, the neurological freeway that connects the brain to nerves in the body. The spinal cord is not a separate organ from the brain, and in many ways it can be considered the “back of the mind”.

We experience our world through our nervous system (brain, spinal cord, nerves, and sense organs). Sometimes, this world can be stressful on our bodies and our minds and this is reflected in the spine. The body will prioritize stability over freedom when it is under duress or if it perceives it is under duress. This means that whether the stress on the body and the spine is material (physical or chemical stress) or psychological (mental/emotional stress), the body and the spine will respond in the same way.

Sometimes it is important and necessary to trade stability for freedom, but more often than not this state is only beneficial when temporary. Life is the expression of motion and motion requires freedom. This is nowhere more apparent than in the spine. If the spine is not allowed to freely express movement through a balanced and coordinated range of motion, the entire communication system of the body becomes challenged. When there is reduced quantity and quality information being communicated within the body, especially when this occurs over long periods of time, we see the consequences of dis-ease manifest.

Dis-ease can take different forms. Dis-ease can look or feel like pain, fatigue, tension, or challenges with how the body functions. No matter what the symptoms, dis-ease in the body indicates a compromise to the body’s internal communication system.

The role of the chiropractor is, therefore, to address the compromise to body's internal communication system. In chiropractic, this compromise when found in the spine is called the vertebral subluxation. The chiropractic adjustment is an information signal delivered to mobilize the innate wisdom of the body, in order to allow the nervous system to reorganize where and how ease and dis-ease are present.

The stories that we write with our lives are the stories that are reflected in our spines. To see the integrated whole, we must acknowledge that nothing exists in isolation, there must be a balance of freedom and stability, and that this process of story writing is ultimately a creative one.

Winter Mint

As we transition from the chaos of the Holiday season back to the normalcy of routine and the onset of winter, I encourage several things to help boost the immune system. In addition to seeing your friendly neighborhood chiropractor, getting adequate rest (aka sleep), keeping hydrated (aka drinking water), and having clear lines of communication in your personal, professional, and social lives are some of the best things you can do to support your immune system and your overall well-being.

I would also like to share some info about one of my favorite warm winter beverages: peppermint tea.

The use of mint leaves in herbal, folk, and medicinal traditions has roots worldwide. The cultivation of mints in China and Japan is an ancient practice. Mint has been found in Egyptian tombs that date back to 1000 B.C. Mint was part of the pharmacopeia of ancient Greece and both Eastern and Western medicine utilize mint for a variety of ailments.

Peppermint (mentha piperita) is hybrid of spearmint and watermint, and as a perennial herb, it is naturalized throughout Europe and North America. It is purported to have many actions, especially as an essential oil, not the least of which include analgesic, anti-inflammatory, anti-septic, and anti-spasmodic. Historically, peppermint has been used as a digestive aid, to freshen breath, and to relieve headaches. Aromatically, peppermint has been traditionally used to soothe upper respiratory ailments. More recently, peppermint aroma has been shown to improve memory and reduce mental fatigue.

As any evidence-based empirical machine likes to do, Western medicine has studied this plant and its effects in its reductionist, sterile sort of way. They have studied its use as a pharmacologic “alternative” for conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), non-ulcer dyspepsia, and gastrointestinal spasm, and have come to the resounding conclusion that peppermint oil is “probably effective”. With regard to tension headaches, two trials have shown that topical application of peppermint oil is effective in reducing symptoms. In fact, in one of those studies, it was compared to acetaminophen (Tylenol), and was found comparable (“no significant difference in effectiveness”), with the difference being that the peppermint oil had no adverse effects.

More recently, a more detailed biochemical investigation into the protective effects of the phytochemicals in peppermint found several interesting results. Compared to industry standard anti-oxidant chemicals used to preserve food, peppermint essential oil was found to be a more potent scavenger of free radicals. In addition, clinical findings in rats showed a significant decrease in serum uric acid (marker for gout) and an increase in HDL (“good”) cholesterol.

Although these recent scientific claims support the medicinal aspects of a natural plant and it’s beneficial effects on the body, it is important to keep in mind the weight of tradition. The use of peppermint, peppermint essential oil, and all other essential oils and traditional remedies has been studied and refined for centuries. The appropriate use of them, as with any healing modality, needs to be put into context. Context means not looking at the results with disregard to the entire process. Ultimately, I encourage you to explore the “alternative” avenues of natural healing, but to do so with respect. For me, I am already looking forward to a cup of warm peppermint tea. 

Network Spinal Analysis

Network Spinal Analysis is a chiropractic discipline that focuses on the patterns of stress in the central nervous system and how they are reflected in the body. Using gentle, precise, and specific contacts made along the spine, the body is able to become self-aware, to unwind these tension patterns, and to learn new strategies for how to adapt to the physical, chemical, and mental/emotional stressors in life.

There is a tremendous amount of research in this discipline. Case studies have reported improvement in things as diverse as cervical lordosis and lumbar scoliosis (restoring normal curvature), vision in a diabetic, psoriasis, balance and Meniere's disease, attention in adults, and continue to be published by the Annals of Vertebral Subluxation Research.

More interestingly, Network Spinal Analysis has published one of the largest chiropractic studies to date evaluating quality of life changes in people receiving this care consistently (ranging from 1 month to 3 years under care).

It found significant positive progressive self-reported improvements in all categories: physical state, mental/emotional state, stress evaluation, life enjoyment, and overall quality of life.

Perhaps most interestingly, the Somato-Psychic wave, a phenomenon unique to Network Spinal Analysis, is being studied as a Central Pattern Generator (CPG). As practice members progress in care, their spines are naturally able to release old patterns of tension and reorganize movement patterns at higher levels of complexity. When this occurs, it looks as though a wave is traveling along the spine. Gait (how we walk) is also a CPG. It too represents a fundamental, complex, and unique sensori-motor pattern of an individual.

The gentle and profoundly effective chiropractic discipline of Network Spinal Analysis offers the opportunity for people to make significant positive change in their body, their outlook on life, and their overall quality of life. As it has been and continues to be researched, there does not seem to be a limit on how people perceive the improvements in their well-being while receiving this care.

Retrospective Assessment of Wellness and Quality of Life  

Literature Review Involving NSA Care