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.

Symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease

What are the symptoms of Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD)?

In our last blog, we discussed the characteristics of DDD. Now, here is a list of the symptoms that emerge from it:

• Chronic Pain: Prolonged pain in the lower back, neck, or buttocks is common. Pain may worsen with activities like bending, lifting, or twisting.

• Radiating Pain: Pain that radiates down the arms (cervical spine) or legs (lumbar spine), known as radiculopathy, if nerves are compressed.

• Numbness and Tingling: These sensations might occur in the extremities if nerve compression is involved.

• Muscle Weakness: Muscle weakness can develop in severe DDD cases, affecting mobility and strength in the arms or legs.

• Pain Relief with Movement: Interestingly, pain may decrease with certain movements, like walking or changing positions, as these activities relieve pressure on the affected discs.

Looking in Ann Arbor for Help with Back Pain?

Chiropractic work can help you manage degenerative disc disease, as well as many other secondary conditions. For help with back pain in Ann Arbor, schedule a no-commitment consultation by calling 734-221-0362 or submitting a contact form here.

Characteristics of Degenerative Disc Disease

What is degenerative disc disease?

Degenerative Disc Disease (DDD) is a condition where the discs in your spine start to break down. This process is a natural part of aging, but it can also be accelerated by things like injury, repeated stress, or genetics.

The following are characteristics of DDD:

• Disc Dehydration: As we age, our spinal discs lose water content, which makes them thinner and less flexible. This reduces their ability to absorb shocks.

• Disc Herniation: The disc’s outer layer may weaken, leading to bulging or herniation, where the inner gel-like core pushes out. Get more detail in our bulging disc/disc herniation article.

• Bone Spurs: As discs deteriorate, the body may produce bone spurs (osteophytes) to stabilize the spine, which can cause pain if they press on nerves.

Looking in Ann Arbor for Help with Back Pain?

Chiropractic work can help you manage degenerative disc disease, as well as many other secondary conditions. For help with back pain in Ann Arbor, schedule a no-commitment consultation by calling 734-221-0362 or submitting a contact form here.

Disconnected Digestion What Causes It

The normal digestive process is crucial to our survival. If something were to interfere with this normal bodily function it would create a cascading effect of health decline. If we cant extract the vital nutrients our body needs from our food then our health and ability to function properly is compromised.

When we eat a meal our body immediately begins the process of digestion. This starts in the mouth where chewing breaks down food. The process continues when food is swallowed, travels down the esophagus and enters the stomach. When food hits the stomach, hydrochloric acid further breaks down the meal. After the food is broken down it travels into the small intestine. Throughout its length it has many folds, which helps to maximize its surface area for nutrient absorption.

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As the Twig Bends So Grows the Tree

During a complimentary consultation I briefly discuss what normal and abnormal structure is and how it affects the function of our body. A prospective patient must be familiar with this to have a better understanding of their secondary condition(s) or symptoms. A question that may come up is, “how many people come into your office having a perfect looking spine?” Well, most of the population has some type of a segmental displacement. The ones who happen to walk through the front door of my office are the ones who are experiencing secondary conditions or symptoms as a result of their structural problems. These may include neck pain, back pain, headaches, and numbness and tingling into the extremities.  The reasons why most folks have segmental displacements is because of compensations to traumas or accidents that occurred earlier in life. As the old saying goes “as the twig bends so grows the tree.”

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Clearing the Highways of Ann Arbor

Living in southeast Michigan I’m sure you’ve experienced it; bumper to bumper traffic on one of the many highways or interstates that weave through the Ann Arbor area. We all wish there were some magic button that we could push that would just clear the road in front of us. A giant plow or bulldozer perhaps that could sweep through and just move all those vehicles out of our way.  When the road is clear its easy sailing, we can get from point A to point B in a stress free reasonable time. 

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