Dr. Susan M. Pisano, BS DC

12/05/2025

This holiday season, while you are busy with special events, family gatherings, shopping and all the rest of the tasks that come along with this time of year, don't forget to make time for your spine and nervous system health. Regular adjustments in December will help you handle the holiday stress more easily!

https://wellnessmediaresources.com/

11/29/2025

11/13/2025

🌊 What Is the Glymphatic System?

The glymphatic system is the brain’s unique waste clearance network, functioning similarly to the lymphatic system in the body—but with a twist. It was only discovered in 2012 by Dr. Maiken Nedergaard, and it has since changed how we understand neurodegeneration and brain inflammation.
This system relies on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to flush out waste products from brain tissue through perivascular pathways, facilitated by a type of glial cell called astrocytes. These cells regulate the flow of interstitial fluid and act as a conduit for metabolic clearance during deep sleep, especially in slow-wave sleep cycles.

🔥 When the Glymphatic System Is Inhibited: The Inflammatory Storm

When the glymphatic system is impaired, neurotoxic proteins—like beta-amyloid, tau proteins, and inflammatory cytokines—begin to accumulate in the brain's interstitial spaces. This accumulation triggers:
* Microglial activation, leading to chronic low-grade neuroinflammation
* Increased production of pro-inflammatory cytokines like IL-6, TNF-α, and IL-1β
* Oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction within neurons
* Blood-brain barrier permeability ("leaky brain") and further immune dysregulation

Over time, this chronic inflammatory state can manifest as:
* Brain fog, memory issues, and cognitive decline
* Mood disorders such as anxiety and depression
* Increased risk of neurodegenerative conditions like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s
* Worsened systemic inflammation due to vagus nerve signaling disruption

🛌 Sleep, the Glymphatic Switch, and Circadian Health

The glymphatic system is most active during deep sleep, particularly during non-REM slow-wave phases. When sleep is disrupted—whether due to stress, screen exposure, sleep apnea, or erratic sleep cycles—the brain cannot engage in glymphatic flushing.
Sleep deprivation has been shown to:
* Increase extracellular beta-amyloid by up to 43% in a single night
* Decrease the expression of aquaporin-4 (AQP4) water channels in astrocytes, impairing fluid transport
* Heighten markers of neuroinflammation, including NF-κB signaling and glial activation

🧬 Systemic Inflammation and Glymphatic Dysfunction: A Two-Way Street

Interestingly, inflammation itself suppresses glymphatic flow. Research shows that systemic infections, autoimmune flares, and even gut dysbiosis can produce pro-inflammatory cytokines that reduce CSF dynamics and glymphatic activity.
Conversely, poor glymphatic clearance can worsen systemic inflammation by:
* Disrupting hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis signaling
* Altering vagal tone and the gut-brain-liver immune axis
* Impairing clearance of immune-modulating neurotransmitters like glutamate

🌿 How to Support Glymphatic Health

1. Prioritize Deep Sleep
* Aim for 7–9 hours of uninterrupted sleep in total darkness
* Use magnesium, L-theanine, or glycine to support non-REM sleep
* Avoid screens and caffeine 3+ hours before bedtime
2. Rebound, Stretch, and Move Your Spine
* Movement of the spine and neck enhances CSF circulation
* Manual lymphatic drainage may also indirectly stimulate glymphatic function
3. Hydration & Electrolyte Balance
* CSF production is heavily dependent on fluid status
* Add trace minerals or electrolytes to water to support fluid dynamics
4. Nutraceutical Support
* Resveratrol, turmeric (curcumin), omega-3s, and NAC reduce neuroinflammation
* Melatonin not only promotes deep sleep but enhances glymphatic activity
5. Cranial and Cervical Lymphatic Drainage
* Facial and neck MLD can relieve interstitial congestion
* Techniques like craniosacral therapy or vagal nerve stimulation may further support this network

🧠 Final Thought

The glymphatic system is a vital yet vulnerable detox engine for the brain. When impaired, it doesn’t just affect cognition—it can unleash a cascade of inflammatory dysfunction that spreads throughout the entire body.

By supporting this system through sleep hygiene, lymphatic stimulation, and anti-inflammatory practices, we lay the foundation for resilient mental, neurological, and immune health.

©️

09/27/2025

People sometimes ask why I insist on them coming to my office scent free. Some are more sensitive to VOC’s than others physiologically. 🤢🤮🥴😵‍💫😵Especially MTHFR genotypes. However, all are affected. 😧🫨🤔😱So if you experience those symptoms stated, and haven’t had any change in your health , take a long look at the products you use in your home 🏘️🏚️and on your body. Your pets and children are also affected by these VOC’s!!!!!!! 🐶🐱🐦‍⬛🐥🐷🐈‍⬛🐈🐕🐕‍🦺🦮🦙Consult your alternative practitioner for advice on how to detox your system from these chemicals. You’ll be glad you did.

09/24/2025

With International College of Applied Kinesiology-U.S.A. (ICAK-U.S.A.) – I just made it onto their weekly engagement list by being one of their top engagers! 🎉

06/06/2025

We’re reaching out with urgency and hope. The 2025 Veterans Meditation R… Sally Moore needs your support for Help to save the 2025 Veterans Meditation Retreat

04/24/2025

Here’s my kitty Minuit enjoying her NRG Optimizer treatment. She’d sit there for over an hour sometimes, soaking her system with healthy frequencies generated by SRT Sympathetic Resonance technology).

04/24/2025

I didn’t know this when I was little and would watch his show at 6:30 am during the week. It came on after Popeye cartoons and felix the cat. I have memories of him teaching about tone in the nervous system, DD Palmer the originator of the chiropractic adjustment, was first a Magnetic Healer which is the vernacular of the day for energy healing.
I was destined to find Chiropractic myself after an injury and I was so excited to hear truth about real health. when I was 28 I went to graduate school and earned my Doctor of Chiropractic.
It’s led me into a unique and amazing lifetime of helping others help themselves. With an understanding of the fact that they have the power to heal .

Chiropractor Jack La Lanne, Swimming from Alcatraz to Fisherman's Wharf San Francisco in handcuffs, 1955