The Basler Blog

Dec 13
0

Handbrake In Your Brain

By | ADHD, Allergies, Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment, energy, High Blood Pressure | No Comments

Handbrake in Your Brain

Does it feel like you have a handbrake on your muscles and you don’t have your usual strength?

This idea of having a handbrake on your muscles may actually be more real than you think – maybe not a handbrake on your muscles, but a handbrake in your brain which is what controls your muscles and tells them to contract.

Chiropractic care can make you stronger over the last few years studies have shown that when you get adjusted by a chiropractor it can make you stronger. One study reported in a group of students who received chiropractic care, that they were actually able to produce 16% more force in their leg muscles after a chiropractor had gently checked and adjusted any dysfunctional spinal segments, or what chiropractors call vertebral subluxations.1

What does the research show?

Researchers in New Zealand followed up this study in Tae Kwon Do athletes, and again showed that even in a group of elite, highly trained athletes, a single session of chiropractic care can improve their strength.2 But what does this have to do with handbrakes in the brain you may wonder? Well, in a new study by the same team of researchers, they wanted to see if chiropractic care resulted in an increase in the way the brain could drive the muscle in the subject’s arms.4 To do this, they measured the participant’s bicep’s muscle strength, and then measured something that’s called ‘central inhibition’, before and after a single session of chiropractic care, or just moving their heads around as a control intervention. This ‘central inhibition’ measure is a bit like the brain’s handbrake to the muscle. There are two ways the brain can increase the way your muscle contracts. It can either press the gas pedal or it can release the ‘hand brake’ to that muscle. The scientists wanted to know if a particular type of handbrake changed after these subjects got adjusted. The technical term for the method they used to record this was ‘TMS twitch interpolation technique’ and it allows them to explore the way the participants brains are driving their arm muscles… in other words it measured the degree to which their brain was pulling the handbrake to that particular muscle. What they found was that there was a difference in the degree of central inhibition to the bicep’s muscle only after they were adjusted, compared to when they did the control movement of the neck. There was less inhibition, suggesting the brain had released the handbrake to the muscle after they got adjusted. So, this may be one of the reasons why the previous studies showed that chiropractic care could increase strength, because maybe chiropractic care is reducing the central inhibition to your muscles, or in other words, releasing the handbrake to your muscles making it easier for your brain to move your muscles and produce more strength. So, if you feel like you’ve got a handbrake in your muscles or in your brain, maybe you should go see a chiropractor and see if they can help your brain release the handbrake so that your brain can more efficiently control your muscles and perhaps even help you to get that jam jar open.

Disclaimer and References

 This information is provided for educational purposes only. It is not intended to be professional advice of any kind. Haavik Research Ltd encourages you to make your own health care decisions based on your own research and in partnership with a qualified health care professional.

Niazi IK et al. Exp Brain Res Epub 2015/01/13. 2. Christiansen TL, et al Eur J Appl Physiol 2018;118(4):737-49. 3. Holt K, et al. Scientific Reports 2019;9(1):2673. 4. Kingett M, et al. Brain sciences 2019;9(6)

@Haavik Research 2021

• Dr. Heidi Haavik BSc(Physiol) BSc(Chiro) PhD • Dr. Kelly Holt BSc, BSc(Chiro), PGDipHSc, PhD • Dr. Jenna Duehr BChiro, BHSc(Nursing), MHSc

chiroshub.com

Mar 18
0

Structure Over Posture

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment, kids chiropractic, pregnancy | No Comments

The presence of good posture is a missing trait among the growing populas today that often begins at a very young age. We can blame technology, the newest gizmos or maybe just a lack of knowledge. True to form with our society, anything that is often hard to do or misunderstood is saturated with quick fixes, gadgets, or misleading objects that are for sale to “fix your posture.” Instead of looking for the outward source, why not pay attention to what’s  inside?

Structure. The spinal column at an early age forms its outlook for life beginning with our “tummy time” and then into our crawling stages. At this time the three distinct curvatures of the spine (cervical, thoracic, and lumbar) begin to take shape, enabling  our body to be able to withstand the constant battle of gravity with biomechanical sound curvatures in the spine. The rest of the body takes shape as a result of the spinal column.

Typically when you encounter a daily event, activity, or engage in repetitive behavior over and over again, the spinal column is unable to properly adapt and overcome a spinal subluxation (misalignment within the spinal column creating nerve interference.) This ensues over time. This subluxation will create chaos in the musculoskeletal system, creating an overproduction of muscle imbalances for years.

The subluxation will create inadquecies in proper muscle firing, thus leading to a constant battle with improper posture. Over time when a subluxation is left uncorrected, the structure of the spine begins to change. This is something you can actually see and is called improper posture. The structure of the spinal column is hidden from plaint sight, yet will appear in the posture that we exhibit in our daily lives.

Maintaining good posture is a important. Why not address the reason posture is even a talking point first by focusing on your spinal column which protects the most important system in the human body, the central nerve system (CNS). With proper coordination to the CNS, the particular system—the musculoskeletal system—which is often left to blame for “bad posture,” begins to work effortlessly and with normal tone to make sure your “butt is out, back straight, and chin out” all the time.

Mar 11
0

March Of Spines

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment, immune system, inflammation, kids chiropractic | No Comments

Marching towards your health goals begins with owning the certainty of what you would like to achieve. Defining these health goals helps retain focus on performing positive actions over and over again. Take, for instance, the path deemed to be “best” to sustain a healthy life.

 To be “healthy,” we are often persuaded by external stimuli that have given someone else some relief. While changing and maintaining health may begin with a transitional day, for instance, New Year’s Day, being present in health is a constant march that requires your time and energy on a routine basis.

Exercise…check. Food…check. Mindset…check. Spinal care….often left un-checked. Your spine protects the most crucial system in the human body, the central nerve system (CNS). Think of your spine as the body of your vehicle and the CNS as the engine, which is necessary for your vehicle to run properly. Without constant check-ups to your engine and regular care the engine begins to suffer, thus leading to early problems that could have been prevented.

The march towards health is a ever changing game. Being healthy and not healthy is not a black and white picture. In between these two states there are several different shades of gray that you must transition past in obtaining whichever state you would like to be in. You are either marching towards the health state or away from it, either way you must march to your own beat, towards your own goals.

The Chiropractic adjustment is the one thing that fine tunes your engine to do exactly what it needs to do when you need it most…naturally and specifically. The great news is that not all engines are the same and with our system of Gonstead Chiropractic this enables us to perfect your mechanizing to generate results that allow you to perform the march of health on a consistent basis without limitations.  

Feb 12
0

Kids Chiropractic: It’s Not New

By | Chiropractic Myths, kids chiropractic | No Comments

Did you know that currently 54% of children in the US suffer from a chronic health condition?  1 in 6 children have a developmental delay/disability, 1 in 11 children have ADHD, 1 in 12 children have asthma, 1 in 36 have autism and 1 in 285 will be diagnosed with cancer by the age of 20.

While severe subluxation resulting in nerve damage may be clinically obvious at birth, more frequently the trauma remains subclinical with symptoms arising at a later time. These symptoms include, but are not limited to, irritability, colic, failure-to-thrive syndromes, and those syndromes associated with lowered immune response. (Clinical Guidelines)

The true cause of disease lies within the body.  Taking care of your family’s health should be a priority. Your lives depend on it! Chiropractic focuses on being preventative rather reactive. Instead of waiting for something to arise, prepare and act now.

Complicated deliveries represent a higher risk to the child suffering spinal damage during the birth process.  Any condition that arises to change the normal birth process frequently results in subluxation at the level of greatest stress. (Clinical Guidelines)

With this defensive attitude, that externals are to blame for illness, it is no wonder that many individuals are chronically worried about their health. “If people believe they live in a germ filled, polluted environment and that they are weak because of inherited psychological and physical deficiencies, they will perceive themselves as helpless and victimized when they become ill.” – Dennis T. Jaffe, Ph.D

The brain that is created upon conception makes every living tissue, organ, cell, and gland that the body needs. Collectively the central nerve system regulates every function in your life. Wouldn’t it be wise to make sure this master system was free of any interference to regulate your child’s overall health and well-being? Chiropractic is for all, and to serve all.

Apr 06
0

Time To Recover

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

Too soon? Of course not! We have to start somewhere and now is a perfect time to start. The principle of time – There is no process that does not require time. Now, more than ever we need to start the discussion of the road to recovery. In Chiropractic care we enforce this principle on a daily basis, there is no such thing as the quick fix, “the magic adjustment”, or any other fallacies that Chiropractic is a one and done paradigm. Gaining a state of constant homeostasis is necessary for continued health…meaning time is a necessity.

Adapting to stressors is of great importance to being optimally healthy. This, of course, is a practical impossibility to achieve as a constant. A startle reflex is born into us (Adaptability). So, what do we do? We need to adapt and recover in a controlled and quick recoup from the stressors in life. Consistently adapt and recover when and how we need to. Trust the master control system – The Central Nerve System to make coordinated actions to allow the body to be intelligent and work with unity and proper arrangement.

How IMPORTANT is the Central Nerve System – science showed that in cancer patients with tumors the doctors thought that severing the nerve supplying the tumor cells would diminish the tumor and the cancer would regress. On the contrary the complete opposite happened and the cancer would overtake the patients. This making clear the Central Nerve System was slowing the spread and destruction of the cancer.

In order to accomplish a sense of healing and adapting the Central Nerve System need be free of any limitations that directly impacts its coordination. Subluxations (misalignments within the spinal column) place undo stress upon the Central Nerve System creating incoordination in our bodies ability to adapt appropriately. Communication signals between the brain and body keep homeostasis constantly in a state of union. Whenever there is a disruption in the normal movement of the vertebrae in your spine, health will begin to suffer and dysfunction will take over. Silver Lining? WE ARE GOOD AT HELPING YOU!

Mar 20
0

Attacking Stress From Within

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

The current situation in the world today is stressful. At Basler Family Chiropractic we are continuing to sustain our normal routine spinal check-ups. We have made modifications and updated standard operating procedures to keep up with guidelines. With the stress that builds up during this current situation it is our job to make sure your central nerve system is free of any interference and functioning to its optimal potential to enable your body to adapt appropriately during these times.

Chiropractic does not cure anything. The science of Chiropractic is not based upon a “cure” it is based solely on adaptability. Principle No. 24 The Limits Of Adaptation. Innate Intelligence adapts forces and matter for the body as long as it can do so without breaking a universal law, or Innate Intelligence is limited by the limitations of matter.

Attacking your stress from within happens through your central nerve system. Whether you believe it or not, every human experience you have is controlled, processed, and coordinated through your central nerve system.

When your stress begins to accumulate you begin to change the trajectory of your health from within. How so? Through your central nerve system which controls the tissue cell of every organ, gland, and muscles of your body. The top three hormones that change your outlook and breed more stress are:

·  Cortisol

·  Adrenaline

·  Noreprenephrine

The more you welcome stress the more you change your health and well-being. This changes your state of adaptability and will result in incoordination of your immune system and every system for that matter. It curves your bodies ability to adapt and respond in a timely healthy manner.

By focusing on the central nerve system the bodies autonomic nerve system is better able to coordinate and function. A large study included 520 subjects receiving a single Chiropractic adjustment, and 111 subjects receiving care for a period of four weeks. Consistent significant increased total power of HRV (heart rate variability) was reported. The authors stated that results signified a return of healthy autonomic nerve system coordination upon the Chiropractic adjustment of vertebral subluxation. (Sinnott)

It’s the inside that counts. By taking care of the central nerve system you will limit the stress hormones that come with it. Your body knows what to do to heal itself. Chiropractic works by restoring the natural, innate connection between the body and the brain. 

Feb 20
0

Why A Spinal-Check Up Is First, Then The Adjustment

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment, Chiropractic Myths, High Blood Pressure, immune system | No Comments

Why wouldn’t you want to access something first before making a change? Accessing the damage before alterations are made sounds pretty smart to us. In Gonstead Chiropractic we utilize the initial X-rays every spinal check-ups coupled with our tool of choice, the Neurocalometer (Scope). The Scope allows us to see inflammation along the spinal column and then to match it accordingly with your X-rays to see if this is an actual subluxation that needs an adjustment or if this is a compensation that is created via a subluxation that does NOT need adjusted.

Often times when it comes to your body and more specifically the spinal column, we assume that the area of pain is the area of correction. This is more often NOT the case. When a subluxation (misalignment within the spinal column placing undo stress upon a single nerve fiber) exists it disrupts the communication between the brain and body. Meaning? It changes the outcome of every tissue cell that is supposed to be in ideal function for that specific moment. A subluxation disrupts your body’s ability to be properly adapt and changes the course of your health. It doesn’t allow your brain an accurate reality of what is really happening.

Why in Gonstead Chiropractic do we use Neurocalometer before we adjust the spinal column. This is our tool of choice that we use for daily visits to access the spinal column looking for minute differences in temperature from one side of the spine to the next. Neural relationships to skin temperature offer a noninvasive method of quantifying neural function.

No other metric of healthy function has been used for as long as skin temperature. Nearly 2,500 years ago Hippocrates was said to have used a slurry of mud over the skin to identify those areas that dried fastest due to heat levels of the skin. As current research explains, thermal variability in humans is a sign of a healthy system (Adaptability Textbook).  

Feb 07
0

Enhancing Athletic Performance With Chiropractic

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

The science of Chiropractic is founded on the premise that a proper Central Nerve System is essential to controlling and regulating the functioning of the human body by being able to properly ADAPT to the loads of internal and external stressors. This is impressive, am I right?  Guess what? The science is not new. The founding principles have existed way before the application of Chiropractic existed.

Innately the Central Nerve System (CNS) uses nerves to control every system in your body. Much like electricity uses wires as a conduit to travel across. Just like training the muscles through training and practice the spinal column needs regular check-ups during the stress you place on it. There is no healing force outside of the human body – Dr. Issac Jennings

Athletes are always looking for the edge to make sure the body is in peak potential. Understand when minor misalignments of the spine, referred to as subluxations occur they immediately cause nerve interference and weaken the entire structure of the human body. When subluxations exist for a period of time they inhibit biomechanical function that the athlete needs. Athletic injuries are often caused by improper biomechanics of muscle imbalances within the spine. Over time subluxations begin to inhibit performance which means

  • Delayed muscle response
  • Slower muscle contractions
  • More susceptible to injuries
  • Delayed mental activity
  • Etc Etc

Dr. Wolpert a Neuroscientist said it best with this statement – To understand movement is to understand the whole brain. And therefore it’s important to remember when you are studying memory, cognition, sensory processing, they’re there for a reason, and that reason is ACTION.

The body feeds on motion, and being an athlete, proper motion is KEY to optimal performance. Overuse is the top concern for athletes and combating the negative impact begins by making sure the CNS is free of interference to allow the body to heal after repetitive use. It’s not just the competitive nature of maintaining a healthy and optimal CNS, overall it benefits you in the long run.

Jun 03
0

Hope Hope Hooray!

By | Benefits of Chiropractic | No Comments

There is a sense of overwhelming peace when you know that there is hope in any given situation. This simple four-letter word provides security for not only the future, but also for time and space where one currently resides. Commonly seen today in the medical model approach, hope seems to be the first thing that is stripped away. Labels of weakness, dis-ease, and fear understandingly drive any mind to a place where optimism simply cannot exist.

We are here to tell you that there is hope! The body is not weak nor is it destined for sickness. All of us have an intelligent, self-governing and self-regulating system that controls every function of the body and its healing capabilities. In fact, this innate intelligence that is in you today, has been with you since one cell became two in your mothers womb – Pretty neat. However this internal homeostatic-system can become reduced when bombarded with external factors. Similar to poor cell reception, when stress, i.e. physical, chemical, or emotional stress is placed on the body, necessary nerve communication becomes less than optimal, insert dis-ease here.

A chiropractors primary responsibility is to locate this undo stress placed on the Central Nerve System via vertebral subluxations. When this subluxation is corrected and optimal communication of our Central Nerve System is restored, healing will naturally occur. Healing is an inborn potential that simply needs to be unleashed. Bj Palmer said it best, “While other professions are concerned with changing the environment to suit the weakened body; Chiropractic is concerned with strengthening the body to suit the environment.” We know that the body needs no help once we remove nerve interference, and this is the role of the chiropractor. Outside of altering normal physiology (drugs) and altering normal biomechanics (surgery) what if there was a different way? Because the Central Nerve System controls every tissue, organ, glad, and cell in our body, healing can still exist when optimal communication between brain and body is restored. This is why it is crucial to get checked.

Feb 08
0

The Role Of Chiropractic In Your Life

By | Benefits of Chiropractic, chiropractic adjustment, immune system, inflammation | No Comments

The Role Of Chiropractic In Your Life

What is the role of Chiropractic in your life?  The primary focus of Chiropractic is to simply remove those things that interfere with the body’s natural ability to heal.  Chiropractic is a science, art and philosophy about the inner workings of the human body.  By understanding how the spine and central nervous system is connected, the scene is set for exploring how dysfunction within the spine can lead to impaired health and well-being.

The key focus of Chiropractic study is to detect and correct vertebral subluxations.  In turn this will restore the healthy function of the spine and nerve system.  Remove the vertebral subluxation in order for your body to better be able to adapt and correctly function.  When a vertebral subluxation exists it will create tension and stress on the spinal nerve due to the strain of the disc in between the vertebrae.  The effects of the displacement protrudes the disc and creates stress on the spinal nerve.  Edema will create pressure on the nerve resulting in one of two things happening, stimulation or inhibition.  As a direct result the cells, tissues, glands, and organs that the nerve supplies will either be stimulated or inhibited.

Everyone should have access to chiropractic care right from birth through to the day they pass away.  I believe a lot of suffering could be prevented if this was the case.  Changing our health care system is and will be at the top forefront of a healthier lifestyle for all. There are lots of people who could stand to benefit from learning how to take better care of themselves. We know the function of the spine impacts our brain’s ability to interpret other things that are going on in and around us, an internal reality.  Effective health care begins with an accurate inner reality.  Adjusting the spine to restore optimal spinal function, actually changes the way the brain functions.  Remove any source of irritation to the central nerve system by keeping your spine healthy and aligned.