Spinal Problems Reduce Blood Flow to the Brain

If something’s not quite right with your spine, you’re going to have problems. Chiropractors work to set your spine correctly so you don’t have those problems. However, not everyone knows to go to a chiropractor and get their spines aligned– some people don’t even realize that they have spinal problems to begin with.

Did you know there’s such a thing as “cerebral hypoperfusion?” That’s a fancy way to say a person’s experiencing a drop in blood flow to the brain. As you’d imagine, if your brain’s not getting enough blood, that’s a bad thing. After all, blood carries oxygen and nutrients to your brain. If you’re not getting enough blood up there, you’re bound to feel nauseous, faint and/or dizzy.

Should you have cerebral hypoperfusion you’re at a greater risk for dementia and/or a stroke. It should be noted that this condition is sometimes associated with migraine headaches.

When your brain’s not getting an adequate supply of blood, you’re likely to have a problem paying attention to people. You might be experiencing “brain fog” aka “cognitive impairment.” In other words, you get fuzzy thinking and can’t seem to think like a normal person would think.

A study found that cerebral hypoperfusion may be associated with neck pain and vertebral subluxations. A vertebral subluxation is the result of spinal bones with improper motion or position affecting nerve communications between your brain and your body. It’s a stress response.

In layman’s terms, if your spine isn’t functioning well, then messages to the brain may not be working well, either. A problem with your spine– a subluxation–could be messing with your spine’s communication with the brain specifically regarding the regulation of blood flow.

Think of your spine like a switch. Sometimes it’s turned on and other times it’s turned off. If it’s going to do its job, the switch needs to be in the “on” position. Chiropractors use hand manipulation and chiropractic techniques to ensure that your spine is “on” rather than “off.” The rest of your body has a hard time working properly if the spine is “off!”

Suffice it to say you could potentially benefit from chiropractic care in order to improve blood flow to your brain, if that’s something that concerns you. Dr. Gerard can explain this in person– make an appointment with him by calling Lakewoods Chiropractic at 651-464-0800.