Neurophysiological Importance of the Upper Cervical Spine
The Nerve System is highly stimulated for the first 5 years of life due to the amount of brain development that occurs. About 25% of all brain development happens during our first year of life. 80% of brain development occurs by age 3 and 90% by age 5. It takes roughly 20 years for the last 10% to develop.
The brain develops from the “bottom-up” and from the “inside-out.” For the 1st year of life, a lot of neurological development occurs in the brainstem and related structures. This “bottom-up/inside-out” development is not by chance, but by design.
The brainstem is at the “cornerstone” of brain development. The brainstem is pivotal to all the vital functions of life. This includes respiration, heart rate, blood pressure and temperature. It also associates with other functions such as sleep, wakefulness, concentration and emotion. These are all foundational aspects of health and the building blocks of well-being.
Brainstem development is very active during the 1st year of life. Without the right foundation, you can’t build proper working structures up from there. As we age, other brain areas become more activated and develop further. Higher areas such as the cerebellum, midbrain, limbic and cortex become more activated as we grow.
The Nerve System can develop at its greatest potential if, in part, the communication routes between the nerve structures are free of impairment. Nerve fibers transmit electrical signals between nerves to send and receive messages. These messages are vital for muscle movement, organ regulation, sensation and perception. This is critical to health and homeostasis.
The greatest concentration of nerve fibers is in the lower brainstem region. This is a switching station for nerve fibers between the brain and spinal cord. Nerve fibers from the brain and the spinal cord convene here to organize, relay and integrate information.
The majority of the brain is protected by the skull. The skull, made of skeletal tissue, is the hardest substance in the body. The brain is made of the most delicate substance, nerve tissue.
The lowest part of the brainstem does not rest within the confines of the skull. This section of the brainstem is surrounded and protected by the two top bones of the cervical spine. Both the skull and cervical bones are made of skeletal tissue but have very different biomechanics.
We often look at the skull as one bone, but it is actually composed of 22 smaller bones joined together. Eight of those bones surround and protect the brain. Skull bones are joined together by sutures. Sutures are very tight fibrous joints that allow very little movement. Since these joints are restricted in their motion, their ability to misalign is minimized.
The brainstem is protected by one cranial bone and two vertebral bones: the occipital bone, the atlas vertebra, and the axis vertebra. The bones of the upper cervical spine are held together by synovial joints. Synovial joints have the greatest mobility. The greatest range of motion is also found in the upper cervical spine.
The increased range of motion of the upper cervical spine comes at a price. Although the upper cervical spine has a great capacity for motion, stability is compromised. When stability is compromised, there is a greater susceptibility for injury. The joints can misalign creating added pressure on brainstem nerve tissue. This added pressure can interfere with nerve function. This is a vertebral subluxation.
There are four neurological impairments brought on by a vertebral subluxation. They are dyskinesia, dysafferentation, dysponesis and dysautonomia. All four attributes start with the prefix ‘dys’, which means “abnormal, difficult or impaired”. Interference to the transmission of electrical signals can result in all four of these impairments.
Dyskinesia impairs voluntary movement. Dysafferentation impairs sensory integration. Dysponesis impairs involuntary movement. Dysautonomia impairs organ regulation. A vertebral subluxation impairs all the essential functions of the Nerve System.
A vertebral subluxation disrupts the integrity of nerve communication between the brain and body. A subluxation during the formative years of life, the first 5, has the potential to negatively effect nerve function and brain development.
Chiropractic addresses nerve disruption by correcting the vertebral subluxation via a specific adjustment. A specific Chiropractic adjustment improves brainstem function and Nerve System potentiality. By taking pressure off nerve fibers found in the upper cervical spine, neurological impulses can send their signals better. Nerves can sense, perceive and behave at a greater potential. The expression of health and homeostasis improves.
As an Upper Cervical Specific and Pediatric Chiropractor, I want to help give your child the opportunity to express his or her Nerve System at their greatest potential throughout their life. A healthy functioning brainstem is paramount to the growth of a thriving child and the maintenance of a prosperous adult.
Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP is a pediatric, family wellness and upper cervical specific Chiropractor. He is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). Dr. Jarek has postgraduate certification in Pediatric Chiropractic through the ICPA. Dr. Jarek also has postgraduate certification in the HIO Specific Brain Stem technique through The TIC Institute. Dr. Jarek is happily married to his wife Regina. They live in Youngstown, Ohio with their daughter Ruby.
