For a couple months now, I’ve been going to a chiropractic neurologist (Dr. Powell) down in Cedar Rapids, IA. He’s the instructor of a chiropractic neurology 8-part training I’ll be completing over the next 2 years.
The drive (2.5 hours one way) hasn’t been bad: there’s not a ton of traffic on 151 South, and I can catch up on podcasts and trainings while I drive.
Why I drive so far to get adjusted:
● Being a patient is the best way for me to learn
● I want to better understand what’s going on for people who’ve ‘tried everything, and nothing has helped’
● Curious about my own nervous system regulation, and what’s possible. I want more restorative sleep and fewer food sensitivities, and to improve my thyroid function
● Resilience. My husband and I are considering foster care: I want to be as ready for that extra demand as possible
Your brain is always talking to your body, and a chiropractic neurologist makes sure all parts of your brain are having the right kind of conversation. Some parts may be yelling, other parts may be too quiet. These patterns of brain signaling can then show up in your arm, shoulder, leg, or even sometimes your digestive system.
To find these error signals, we can test your eye movements, posture, balance, coordination, and spatial awareness, to name a few.
On my exam, Dr. Powell found that my left front brain is over active, which pushes my body towards fight/ flight even when there’s no threat out there. And the brake pedal that could slow down those left front signals (found in the brainstem, a deeper more primitive part of the brain) isn’t working as well as it should.
So a part of my brain is over signaling, with no brakes. I end up managing those effects, downstream, in the body. I don’t mind having a healthy lifestyle, but I’d prefer to have those choices really add value instead of having to play catch up to get back to baseline.
My care includes:
- Adjustments to stimulate the brain in a certain way
- Neurological exercises to correct faulty brain circuitry:
– Spin to one direction in an office chair with eyes focused on a pen in front of me
– Breathing exercises to activate the brakes
– Eye movements in a way that activates the brakes
– Stretching my neck to wake up positional sensors in my right ear (vestibular system)
I decided to write about this topic because
- Some of you are curious if I get adjusted, too
- Seeing my case might give insight about things you have going on
- Knowing there are chiropractors who specialize in the tough neurological cases could be helpful for you or a loved one in the future (I’d send you to Dr. Powell ☺)
I’m grateful that after 20+ years, I’m still obsessed with this stuff. It’s so darn interesting to see what’s possible for people through a healthy and correctly functioning nervous system.
And as I’ve been learning more, I’m even more excited about the changes I get to see here every day and the approach I already use: NetworkSpinal. I’ll likely be adding in some of these new neuro pieces as time goes on – either with specific exercises or testing to better track changes in the brain and nerve system.
Stay healthy,
Dr. Laura