The Importance of Spinal Health, Nervous System Regulation, and the Breath on the Flow of Cerebrospinal Fluid.
I’m often asked by new patients of mine, “why do Chiropractors care so much about spinal restrictions?” While there are many reasons for this, I often tend to give them my personal number one reason as to why we’re making sure these joints in your spine can share motion through their segments. That reason is cerebrospinal fluid flow. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is a clear, colorless liquid that is produced by the ventricles in the brain & surrounds the brain and spinal cord within the central nervous system (CNS). It serves several critical functions: cushioning and protecting the brain and spinal cord from trauma, circulating nutrients, removing metabolic waste, and helping maintain a stable environment for the CNS. One essential function of CSF I want to focus on is the delivery of nutrients and the removal of waste products because when these functions are sub-optimal, stress presents itself, and more stress feeds into more dysfunction of these systems, so it basically becomes a hamster wheel you do not want to be on.
It is generally accepted that inspiration elicits a cranial (towards the head) movement of CSF, while expiration elicits a caudal movement (towards the pelvis). Excessive pressure in the thoracic part of your spine (middle back) can hinder optimal flow up and down the spinal cord, so the brain doesn't receive all it can with each breath. Irregular breathing will increase this pressure within the spine as well and cause a never-ending stress response. When the spine has restrictions in movement, the flow of CSF is absolutely altered in a negative way. For example, the sacrum bone, the triangle shaped bone at the bottom of your spine can be crooked. This is super common with so many people. Why this matters for CSF is the sacrum should normally pump forward & backwards with normal spinal movement, and if it’s misaligned that pumping action of the sacrum is severely limited. This misalignment can disrupt the normal pumping mechanism that helps circulate CSF between the brain and spinal cord, particularly in the lower spinal regions. As a result, CSF flow may become sluggish or blocked, leading to potential neurological issues, increased intracranial pressure, or poor waste clearance from the central nervous system, ie Brain Fog. Chiropractic adjustments aim to correct sacral & vertebral misalignments and to restore proper CSF dynamics, resulting in a more present & less stressed state of being.
When we can make sure pressure within the system (the body) is at an optimal threshold, nutrients get to the brain better, and metabolic waste is removed more effectively. This causes the lungs, brain, heart & spinal cord to work better, and the electrical signal from the brain to the body, back up to the brain to be faster & less impeded. This translates to a multitude of better functions for the individual including a more balanced state of being, ie LESS STRESS & PAIN & MORE PEACE & EASE. This is my goal at Ruach, to bring you to a more centered state of being & help teach you how to self-regulate your nervous system to keep you doing what you love.
If you’re feeling chronically stressed, and are not receiving chiropractic care, please reach out to me & let's get you in the office & discuss a plan to get you back to a body that is thriving!
With Love,
Christopher Rhoten, D.C.
