Insomnia and the Upper Cervical Spine
In the upper cervical spine, there are four main structures to focus on. They are:
The Foramen Magnum of the Occipital bone
The Atlas vertebra (1st cervical bone)
The Axis vertebra (2nd cervical bone)
The Brainstem of the Nerve System.
The Brainstem exits from the Foramen Magnum. The Atlas and Axis bones protect and surround the Brainstem. The brainstem connects all the nerves from the brain to the nerves of the body.
Regarding Insomnia, the focus is on the medulla oblongata section of the brainstem.
Located in the lower brainstem (medulla oblongata) is a group of neurons with a high glutamate concentration. Glutamate is a neurotransmitter that helps manage sleep-wake cycles. These neurons have projections that connect directly to the preoptic area (POA), a prominent sleep-promoting region found in the hypothalamus. This brainstem-hypothalamic circuit helps control the wake-sleep transitions.
The Nerve System in general has four main functions:
It controls all the movements we make
Senses everything we feel
Regulates all our body organs
Relates us to the outside world
When nerves get stressed, it effects their sensitivity, perception and behavior to perform these functions. There are three types of stress we deal with in life. The stresses are physical, chemical and emotional in nature. These stresses create nerve tension and spine imbalance.
One specific job of the brainstem is to adapt to these stresses and help bring the spine back into balance. If the stresses are too significant for the brainstem to adapt, compensations arise. A vertebral subluxation is one particular compensation in the upper cervical spine.
A vertebral subluxation will cause the Atlas and Axis bones to get locked in a misaligned position. This lock will perpetuate spine imbalance and Nerve System tension. This tension will lead to abnormal sensitivity, perception and behavior of the brainstem and associated nerve tracts. Nerve System function is disrupted.
Over time, this disruption can lead to symptoms of the involved nerve structures. The usual symptoms of Insomnia are:
Difficulty falling asleep at night
Waking up during the night
Waking up too early
Not feeling well-rested after a night's sleep
Daytime tiredness or sleepiness
Irritability, depression or anxiety
Difficulty paying attention, focusing on tasks or remembering
