The Nervous System's Role in Blood Pressure

Are you managing high blood pressure?

If you’ve been diagnosed with hypertension, you've heard the standard advice: watch your salt, move more, manage stress, and take your medication as prescribed. All of those things matter. But many people are surprised to learn there's another piece of the puzzle: the health of your spine and nervous system.

Your blood pressure is controlled by your brain and nervous system. Your autonomic nervous system constantly adjusts your heart rate and blood vessel width to keep pressure in a healthy range.

When your body is under stress, it releases hormones like cortisol and adrenaline. These constrict your blood vessels and speed up your heart, driving blood pressure up. That's a normal, short-term response. The problem comes when the system stays "on" and never settles back down.

This is where the spine comes in. The spinal cord is the main highway for signals between your brain and body. When the vertebrae in your neck and upper back are misaligned, they can interfere with the nerve signals that help regulate your heart and blood vessels, keeping your body in a state of heightened tension.

Learn more in our latest article.

Talk with an Ann Arbor Chiropractor

If you've been managing high blood pressure and you're curious whether spinal health could be part of your plan, call your local Ann Arbor Chiropractor at 734-221-0362 or click here to schedule a complimentary consultation today.

How Specific Structural Chiropractic Helps Trigeminal Neuralgia

In our last blog, we talked about what trigeminal neuralgia is. Here, we’ll discuss how specific
structural chiropractic can help treat TN: 

How can specific structural chiropractic help?

Instead of just masking the pain, we focus on specific structural correction — a precise method of analyzing and correcting misalignments in the spine, particularly in the upper neck.

Here’s why that matters for trigeminal neuralgia:

• The trigeminal nerve originates in the brainstem, which sits right at the top of the spine. If the upper neck bones are misaligned, they can create tension, irritation, or altered fluid dynamics around the brainstem. This can directly affect how the trigeminal nerve functions.
• By gently and specifically correcting the alignment of the upper cervical spine, we can reduce the mechanical tension on the brainstem and the surrounding nerve roots. This allows the nervous system to function more normally and can reduce the frequency and intensity of TN episodes.
• Unlike general chiropractic adjustments, specific structural correction is tailored to your unique spinal structure. It's precise, low-force, and designed to hold the correction over time, not just provide temporary relief.

Learn more in our latest article.

Go to your local Ann Arbor chiropractor for a combined approach

By pairing specific structural correction with shockwave therapy, your local Ann Arbor chiropractor can offer a comprehensive, non-invasive, drug-free path forward.

If you're tired of living with the unpredictable, shocking pain of trigeminal neuralgia, you don't have to settle for "managing" it. You deserve a real look at the cause.

A consultation with us is always a conversation, never a commitment. We'll listen to your story, review any imaging you have, and explain exactly what we see and how we might be able to help. 

Call us today at 734.221.0362 or schedule a complimentary consultation to learn more.

How Specific Structural Correction Helps Trigeminal Neuralgia

Do you struggle with shooting pain in your face?

If you have TN, you know it's not just a simple headache or toothache. It feels like sudden, severe, electric-shock-like or stabbing pain in the jaw, cheek, teeth, gums, or lips. 

Instead of just masking the pain, we focus on specific structural correction — a precise method of analyzing and correcting misalignments in the spine, particularly in the upper neck.

Here’s why that matters for trigeminal neuralgia:

• The trigeminal nerve originates in the brainstem, which sits right at the top of the spine. If the upper neck bones are misaligned, they can create tension, irritation, or altered fluid dynamics around the brainstem. This can directly affect how the trigeminal nerve functions.
• By gently and specifically correcting the alignment of the upper cervical spine, we can reduce the mechanical tension on the brainstem and the surrounding nerve roots. This allows the nervous system to function more normally and can reduce the frequency and intensity of TN episodes.
• Unlike general chiropractic adjustments, specific structural correction is tailored to your unique spinal structure. It's precise, low-force, and designed to hold the correction over time, not just provide temporary relief.

Learn more in our latest article.

Go to your local Ann Arbor chiropractor for a combined approach

By pairing specific structural correction with shockwave therapy, your local Ann Arbor chiropractor can offer a comprehensive, non-invasive, drug-free path forward.

If you're tired of living with the unpredictable, shocking pain of trigeminal neuralgia, you don't have to settle for "managing" it. You deserve a real look at the cause.

A consultation with us is always a conversation, never a commitment. We'll listen to your story, review any imaging you have, and explain exactly what we see and how we might be able to help. 

Call us today at 734.221.0362 or schedule a complimentary consultation to learn more.

How Can ESWT Help with Chronic Pain?

Extracorporeal shockwave therapy, or ESWT, is a non-invasive treatment that uses high-energy sound
waves to stimulate healing in damaged soft tissues. It's particularly effective for chronic conditions that haven't responded to other treatments — things like plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, chronic muscle pain, and joint pain.

Here's how it works: the sound waves trigger your body's natural healing response, increasing blood flow and breaking down scar tissue in the affected area. This helps reduce pain, improve mobility, and speed up recovery, all without surgery or medication.

We often use ESWT alongside specific structural correction. While chiropractic adjustments address the structural shifts in your spine, ESWT targets the soft tissue damage that can develop as a result of those shifts. Together, they provide a more complete path to relief.

Learn more in our latest article.

Discuss Treatment Options with an Ann Arbor Chiropractor

Chronic pain doesn't have to be your new normal. Whether you're dealing with back pain, neck pain, numbness in your hands or feet, or a nagging injury that won't heal, we're here to help.

Schedule a complimentary consultation at our Ann Arbor chiropractor’s office — no pressure, just a conversation about what's possible for you. Call 734-221-0362 or submit a contact form here.

How Does Specific Structural Correction Help Chronic Pain?

Most people think of chiropractic care as a quick adjustment to pop things back into place. Specific
structural correction is different. It's a targeted, science-based approach designed to correct the actual structural shifts in your spine — the kind that put pressure on your nerves, throw your body out of alignment, and lead to chronic pain over time.

Think of your spine as the foundation of your home. If the foundation is off, everything else is affected — the walls, the doors, the windows. Your body works the same way. When your spine is out of alignment, it can lead to pain in your back, neck, shoulders, hips, and even your hands and feet.

Specific structural correction focuses on making lasting, measurable corrections to your spine's structure. It's not about quick fixes, it's about restoring your body's foundation so you can move, sleep, and live without pain.

Why Treating the Cause Matters

Chronic pain is stubborn because it's usually not caused by one thing. It's often the result of a cycle: for example, a structural shift in your spine leads to poor posture or uneven movement, which puts extra stress on certain muscles and joints, which leads to inflammation and pain, which makes you move differently, which reinforces the original problem. Breaking that cycle means addressing both the structural issue and the soft tissue damage it created. 

Learn more in our latest article.

Discuss Treatment Options with an Ann Arbor Chiropractor

Chronic pain doesn't have to be your new normal. Whether you're dealing with back pain, neck pain, numbness in your hands or feet, or a nagging injury that won't heal, we're here to help.

Schedule a complimentary consultation at our Ann Arbor chiropractor’s office — no pressure, just a conversation about what's possible for you. Call 734-221-0362 or submit a contact form here.

Structure Dictates Function (Anterior Head Syndrome Continued)

One of the foundational principles of chiropractic care is that structure influences function.

Think of a bridge. If the supports of the bridge begin to shift out of position, the bridge may still stand, but it won't distribute forces as efficiently. Over time, excess stress develops in areas that were never designed to handle it.

The human body works the same way.

The neck must support a head that weighs approximately 10 to 12 pounds. A healthy cervical curve helps distribute that load across the joints, muscles, discs, and ligaments of the neck. When that curve is lost or reversed, the body's mechanics change. The muscles may be forced to work harder, joints may experience abnormal stress, and movement patterns can become less efficient.

This is why many people with altered cervical curves experience symptoms such as:

• Neck pain and stiffness
• Frequent headaches
• Reduced range of motion
• Muscle tension in the shoulders and upper back
• Fatigue during prolonged sitting or computer work
• Discomfort during physical activity

While not everyone with a reversed cervical curve experiences symptoms, structural changes can alter how forces move through the spine and surrounding tissues.

Performance Starts with Proper Alignment

Whether you're an athlete, a busy professional, or simply someone who wants to stay active, your body's performance depends on efficient movement.

When the spine maintains healthy alignment, muscles can work more effectively, joints can move more freely, and the body can better handle the stresses of daily life. Conversely, abnormal spinal mechanics can contribute to compensations throughout the entire kinetic chain.

A reversed cervical curve doesn't just affect the neck. Because the spine functions as a connected system, changes in one area can influence posture and movement elsewhere in the body. The result may be increased stress on the shoulders, upper back, and even the lower spine.

Read more in our latest article.

Live Near Ann Arbor and Struggling with Neck Pain?

If you've been diagnosed with Anterior Head Syndrome or have been struggling with chronic neck discomfort, headaches, or postural challenges, a comprehensive chiropractic evaluation can help determine whether structural changes in your neck may be contributing to the problem. Dr. Gessert can help treat a myriad of issues related to neck pain in Ann Arbor, so if you’re unsure whether or not a chiropractor could help, give us a call at 734-221-0362 or submit a contact form here!

What is Anterior Head Syndrome?

Anterior Head Syndrome occurs when the normal C-shaped curve of the neck straightens significantly
or bends in the opposite direction. In some cases, this condition develops gradually over time. In others, it may result from trauma, repetitive stress, poor posture, or chronic mechanical strain on the neck.

Modern lifestyles often contribute to this problem. Hours spent looking down at phones, working on computers, and maintaining forward-head posture can place abnormal stress on the structures of the cervical spine. Over time, these stresses may contribute to changes in spinal alignment.

Can Anterior Head Syndrome Be Improved?

Every patient is unique, and the severity, cause, and duration of AHS all influence the potential for improvement.

Research has explored structural rehabilitation approaches aimed at improving cervical alignment and forward-head posture through combinations of corrective exercises and chiropractic care. While outcomes vary from patient to patient, the goal is often to address the underlying structural issue rather than simply managing symptoms.

A thorough examination, including posture assessment and appropriate imaging when indicated, can help determine the extent of the problem and guide a personalized care plan.

Read more in our latest article.

Live Near Ann Arbor and Struggling with Neck Pain?

If you've been diagnosed with Anterior Head Syndrome or have been struggling with chronic neck discomfort, headaches, or postural challenges, a comprehensive chiropractic evaluation can help determine whether structural changes in your neck may be contributing to the problem. Dr. Gessert can help treat a myriad of issues related to neck pain in Ann Arbor, so if you’re unsure whether or not a chiropractor could help, give us a call at 734-221-0362 or submit a contact form here!