In Your Head
There are 22 bones in the skull that comprise the face and the cranium. They are connected through joints called sutures and are assumed to this day by many to be fused and rigid. For functional and neurological reasons, as well as 12 years of study and practice in this area, I believe that the bones and articulations of the head change position. When they do so in a way that produces excess or abnormal pressure on the brain or sense organs, the integrity of the central nervous system is impacted and the body’s ability to process information is diminished. This could be for any number reasons, but some of the most common are birth, falls, and dental/orthodontic work.
80% of the central nervous system resides in the head. While most chiropractors most of the time focus on the relationship between the spine and the nervous system, I find that relieving cranial pressure and restoring balance through the structures of the skull makes a big difference in improving how the body can regulate movement, sensation, and cognition. Headaches and TMJ issues are common symptoms that often reflect increased tension on the skull. Beyond the discomfort of these conditions (which are trying to get your attention) is the effect this functional strain has on blood flow and the circuits of information being relayed through and within the brain.
Reflection
Both water and the spine have the capacity to mirror. The tone and tension of the spine reflects the tone and tension of how someone is living their life. A tense spine reveals bound energy, which is often the precursor to dis-ease. Like flowing water sustains the earth, a spine that is free to move - to transmit information and energy that organizes and heals - can nourish the body.
The fascial covering of the brain is called the meninges. The outer layer is called the tough mother (dura mater). The meninges protect, contain, and guide fluid within and around the brain. The places where the dura folds are called reflections. These areas create anatomic regions, “separating” the right and left hemispheres and the cerebrum from the cerebellum. I say “separating” because everything in the body is connected and any division we recognize is one imposed by the mind, not one that exists in the continuity of the living body.
The dura covers the brain and the spinal cord, creating a sleeve around tail of the brain as it exits the skull. The dura anchors into the tailbone (coccyx). When we talk about tension in the spine, we are talking about tension in the dural sleeve. This tension can be seen, palpated, and measured in chiropractic analysis. The tension on the spinal cord is transmitted to the dura. The muscles, joints, and posture of the spinal system reflect this deeper tension on the tissues of the central nervous system.
Adverse tension in the spine alters nerve signal and blood flow. Our ability to express health, maintain balance, and adapt to challenge requires clear and effective communication between the brain and the body. Chiropractic looks to identify where communication is being impeded and adjust the local conditions so that information, energy, and ease can flow into and through the body.
Yoga and Chiropractic
I often connect yoga with chiropractic as examples of disciplines that are often narrowly understood. Is yoga a form of exercise? Yes. Is it therapeutic? Yes. Do you need special clothing to practice it? Not really. But, here’s the thing - the purpose of yoga is not physical fitness. You can use asana as an exercise, but that is not its sole or primary function.
Similarly, the purpose of chiropractic is not relief of neck and back pain. It is certainly effective in addressing these and other musculoskeletal issues, but this is not and never has been its sole or primary function.
Like yoga, there is a science, philosophy, and art that informs the practice of chiropractic. Simply, the energy of life that sustains and coordinates health and harmony in the body transits the nervous system. When there is interference with the conversation between the brain and any part of the body, we experience dis-ease/dis-order. Chiropractic identifies where and how this interference is affecting the nervous system (often in the spine), and offers a specific signal in the form of an adjustment to help reestablish equilibrium.
This perspective means chiropractic is not a treatment for a condition any more than yoga is a marketing vehicle for stretchy pants. When we acknowledge that freedom, clarity, sanity, coherence - the expression and experience of intelligence in matter - is the objective, we can see that the therapeutic aspects are a natural and downstream effect from starting closer to the Source.