13/10/2024
The Vagus nerve plays a crucial role in your body, serving as a key communicator between your brain and every vital organ, including:
Heart + Lungs + Digestive System + Reproductive System + All glands (e.g., Thyroid, Adrenals, etc.)
When facing health issues, we often concentrate on the areas where we feel symptoms. For instance, if we have digestive concerns, we may think we need to adjust our diet or consult a gastroenterologist. While it's essential to rule out any serious conditions and recognise that diet is a significant factor, another critical aspect that can impact our body's functionality is a misalignment at the base of our neck. The C1 vertebra, also known as the atlas, is responsible for supporting the weight of your head. It is unique in your spine as it lacks a disc that secures it in place, making it the proverbial weak link in the chain.
This means that even without visible injuries like broken bones, bleeding, or bruising, a physical impact can lead to misalignment of this particular vertebra. Even a slight misalignment of just 2mm, though it may seem minor, can result in the atlas becoming locked in an abnormal position, which can disrupt the function of your Vagus nerve and impact your overall health. How does this happen?
The Vagus nerve originates at the base of your brainstem right at the level of the C1 vertebra, then extends down to all your vital organs, passing along the front of the cervical vertebrae. This is crucial to understand because many common activities - such as sitting, standing, sleeping, texting, typing, reading, and writing, often cause our heads to lean forward. This forward tilt can compress the atlas against the vagus nerve. One can compare this situation to having a small pebble in one's shoe: although the pebble is minor in size, its persistent friction against the foot can lead to considerable discomfort over time.
The relationship between your atlas and Vagus nerve follows the same principle.
Visit www.atlashealth.com.au for more information on Upper Cervical Care and Vagus Nerve care.
Our purpose at Atlas Health Brisbane is to make sure that the master control system is working with upper cervical chiropractic. We do this by correcting the alignment of the upper neck which is the gateway between your brain and the rest of the body. Health conditions, Upper extremities, Immune sys...