The Hidden Connection: Your Spine and Nervous System

Ever wondered why some patients walk out of a chiropractic adjustment feeling not just pain-free, but emotionally lighter, sleeping better, and digesting food more easily? The answer lies in the profound relationship between your spine and nervous system regulation.

Your nervous system exists in two primary states: sympathetic (fight-or-flight) and parasympathetic (rest-and-digest). When properly regulated, you can smoothly transition between these states as needed. The benefits extend far beyond stress reduction—regulated patients experience increased heart rate variability (a key marker of resilience), reduced inflammation, normalized blood pressure, improved digestion, stronger immune function, deeper sleep, balanced hormones, and enhanced mental clarity.

The magic happens through the spine—the protective housing for your body's communication superhighway. Misalignments disrupt nerve signaling, but precise adjustments stimulate mechanoreceptors that send signals to the brain, creating what research calls a "neuroplastic reset." This reboot happens within seconds, pulling you out of sympathetic overdrive. Equally important is the restoration of proper spinal curves. That natural S-shape isn't just good posture—it's functional architecture. When lost, the spinal cord stretches up to 7 centimeters, affecting cerebrospinal fluid flow and creating a permanent state of physiological stress.

I've seen remarkable transformations in my practice. Young adults regain proper cervical curves within months, while older patients might take longer but experience the same improvements in headaches, pain, and—perhaps most significantly—emotional wellbeing. People who rarely smiled begin joking again. Their nervous systems are literally being liberated.

Ready to unlock your nervous system's potential? Seek a comprehensive assessment with a chiropractor who evaluates spinal curves and alignment. Remember: adjustments create access, but daily practices maintain regulation. Your body was designed to thrive in rhythm, not survival mode—and when your spine and nervous system align, so does your life.

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Episode Transcript

Speaker 1 (00:02):
In our last episode we talked about nervous system
dysregulation, what it is, whatcauses it and how to begin
healing.
Today we're going deeper intothe miracles that happen when
the nervous system becomes moreregulated and how chiropractic
care plays a powerful, oftenmisunderstood role in that
process.

(00:22):
I've had patients who've comein for pain but after a few
weeks of adjustments theyweren't just feeling better,
they were sleeping better,deeper, their digestion improved
and they felt calmer in thesituations that used to trigger
them.
I'm Dr Enrico Dolce Cori.
Welcome to another episode ofLiving a Full Life.
This week we're diving deeperinto nervous system regulation.

(00:44):
Last week we talked aboutdeeper into nervous system
regulation.
Last week we talked aboutdysregulation of the nervous
system.
But let's go into more depth ofregulating our nervous system.
We live in a world that justdysregulates everything,
discombobulates I love that wordof everything, right?
So we got to recombobulateeverything in our lives and
that's not a word andreintegrate our nervous systems

(01:06):
to balance and homeostasis andthere's physiological benefits,
uh to regulating our nervoussystem.
A regulated nervous system ispretty much optimal tone between
the sympathetic andparasympathetic systems.
This allows the body to shiftefficiently between ready for
action and ready for recovery.
We talked about theparasympathetic and sympathetic

(01:28):
nervous system being part of theautonomic or automatic nervous
system.
It's the one that you don'tcontrol, it just it controls you
really.
It's how you perceive yourenvironment and it gets you
ready for either fight or flightor to relax and digest one or
the other.
When you're regulated, yourheart rate variability increases

(01:52):
.
You have better stressresilience.
People think of heart ratevariability and it's got to be
low their heart rate.
But heart rate variability isnot heart rate, it's the
variability between each beatand we want that to be as high
as possible.
We want as much variabilitybetween each beat so we're
always ready for the next thing.
And then that calms our nervoussystem.
It gives us better resilienceto stress.
When we're regulated,inflammation automatically

(02:17):
decreases.
We get fewer chronic conditions.
Our blood pressure normalizes,our digestion improves via the
vagal activation, so betterabsorption, less bloating, less
IBS.
Immune function strengthens,sleep deepens and REM cycles
normalize.
Hormones stabilize, so we getbetter cortisol patterns,

(02:40):
thyroid function, sex hormonebalance and then mental clarity,
memory and emotionalflexibility improve.
From a 2022 review inneuroscience and biobehavioral
reviews links parasympathetictone to improved immune,
cardiovascular and emotionalhealth.

(03:01):
So how do we directly impactthis?
Well, for once on this podcast.
I'm going to talk aboutsomething I'm almost an expert
at, and that's chiropractic howchiropractic adjustments
influence the nervous system.
It's the neurological impact ofthe adjustment that's the magic
behind all of this.
The spine houses and protectsthe spinal cord.

(03:23):
This is the superhighway of thenervous system.
Communication moves faster thanany fiber optic cable on the
planet between the brain and thebody through the spinal cord.
Misalignments or subluxationsirritate or compress nerves,
disrupting communication betweenthe brain and the body,

(03:43):
disrupting communication betweenthe brain and the body.
Adjustments stimulatemechanoreceptors which send
signals to the brainstem andhigher brain centers, especially
the prefrontal cortex of thebrain.
So the misalignments of thespine need to be detected and
found and corrected properlythrough precise chiropractic

(04:04):
adjustments.
These mechanoreceptors thatmove help send these signals
back to the brain and tell ithey, there's not a disruption
but an eruption of informationin the right areas.
This creates a neuroplasticreset, rebooting the body out of
sympathetic overdrive, and ithappens within seconds after an

(04:28):
adjustment.
People literally walk outlighter after an adjustment and
they sometimes come back and sayit was temporary.
But even in that moment hittingthat reset button, the value it
brings to the nervous system,calming down even for moments,
minutes or hours after theadjustment is adding so much
life to that person.

(04:49):
A research study in the Journalof Neuroplasticity in 2016
found that spinal adjustmentsled to improved brain-body
communication and motor control,likely through the prefrontal
cortex stimulation.
So the adjustments restore thebody's self-regulation.
They do this by reducingnociceptive pain and stress

(05:12):
input reducing nociceptive painand stress input, increasing
proprioceptive input, activatingcalm pathways in the central
nervous system and they realignthe structural foundation so the
nervous system can operatewithout interference.
These three components happenafter every single adjustment.
So the spine is the conduit ofthe spinal, of the entire

(05:37):
nervous system, and the spinehas a healthy state and an
unhealthy state.
The things we see in medicinewhen we take x-rays and MRIs we
talk about discs and disc bulgesand degenerative disc disease
and osteoarthritis and decay anddisc herniations and all the
conditions that can happen tothe spine because of wear and
tear is not exactly what we'retalking about when we talk about

(05:58):
the nervous system.
Structure versus function playsa role, but structures decay
over time.
We're just not invincible.
It's just the way it is howbones works, how everything
works.
So sometimes even a bad MRI canstill have a healthy nervous
system and, vice versa.
A healthy MRI with no issues orhealthy x-ray can have a really

(06:20):
dysregulated nervous system.
And there's some crucial thingswe look at as chiropractors and
some things that we can do tohelp ourselves with this spine
and the health of the spine andimproving this conduit of
information.
The cervical and lumbar curvesin the spine.
When you take a side x-ray ofsomebody, they have this S-shape

(06:40):
pattern to their spine, whichis natural.
It's normal and the cervicaland lumbar curves act like
springs.
So every step we take, everytime we jump on the trampoline,
every time we walk or run, weact like a shock absorber, as an
entire unit.
So this S-shaped spine acts asa slinky that absorbs shock and

(07:01):
protects the spinal cord.
It was once believed that thediscs between the vertebra were
the shock absorbers of the spine, but they're not.
They're literally cartilagewedges between the bone to give
them some space so they don'trub on each other for 95 years
and completely decay.
That's the whole point, so thatthey're they're just spacers
between the vertebra.

(07:22):
They're filled with a discmaterial, a water-based material
, and if that herniates cancause other issues.
But uh, it's pretty dynamicstructure of the spine.
It's pretty resilient.
It makes us super flexible.
We can bend.
Look at all the gymnasts andwhat they can do Pretty cool
stuff through the flexibility ofthe spine.
But it's actually the S-shapedcurve of the entire spine that

(07:42):
acts as the shock absorber.
The problem is when we losethese curves and we become a
straight neck or straight lowback or very straight spine, it
creates a tethering and tensionand neurological stress because
the spinal cord runs throughthere.
Think of it like a Twizzler oran elastic band.
If we lose these curves and wetake an S-shaped curve and make

(08:06):
it a straight line, it's goingto become longer, it's going to
become more straight.
It almost pulls on the spinalcord and stretches it.
That changes the spinal cord'stone.
It can pull the entire spinalcord.
It can pull nerve roots fromthe peripheral nervous system
and pull those and sendradiating pain down the arms or
legs or whatever it may be,wherever it's going.

(08:26):
But any pull in any neuraltissue can create dysregulation.
You can create dysregulation.
So a straight or reverse curvein the neck can stretch the
spinal cord up to five to sevencentimeters, affecting cerebral
spinal fluid flow and nerveconduction, which changes the
communication and puts usimmediately into a sympathetic

(08:47):
overdrive.
And if we're stuck therestructurally.
It's a permanent sympatheticoverdrive that we're stuck and
we're permanently caught infight or flight, permanently
caught in stress, permanentlycaught in anxiety, and then we
have the loops of panic thatcontinue to happen over and over
and over again.
The Surgical NeurologyInternational Journal in 2015

(09:10):
discusses how loss of cervicallordosis is linked to symptoms
of dysautonomia, headaches anddizziness Exactly what we're
talking about today.
So correcting spinal curvesequals long-term nervous system
balance, and we've been doingI've been doing this in my
clinic for my entire career.
By getting back the spinalcurve, we improve structural

(09:36):
integrity, consistent,unimpinged nerve signaling, less
irritation, fewer sympatheticoverreactions, better alignment,
and that equals just moreefficient brain-body
communication and lastingparasympathetic activation.
So some examples are the youngerkids.
I see, you know, maybe in theirlate teens, early twenties,

(09:58):
coming on in for headaches,whatever it may be uh, migraines
, neck pain.
We take an x-ray and they dohave a straight neck.
The nice thing about theyounger population is they can
adapt, change and correct a lotfaster.
They're dynamic.
They're still healthy tissues,optimal.
And with the ones that listenuh, within three to to six
months, we take another x-rayand they have near optimal

(10:19):
curves in their spine.
Uh, not only are they lookingbetter at that point on an x-ray
, but during that journey overthose 12 weeks they just report
back.
The headaches were gone afterweek two.
Their emotions were betterafter week four.
They were sleeping better afterweek one.
All these improvements infunction that, as a 22 year old,

(10:39):
would not really think is a bigissue With people in their 40s,
50s and 60s.
When we take these x-rays now wehave other conditions, like a
little bit maybe ofosteoarthritis or degenerative
issues, but we put them throughthe same process and instead of
three months it may take ninemonths, but when we take these
x-rays the exact same thingshappen to them the neck pain is
better, the headaches are gone,their shoulders feel better, the

(11:01):
radiating pain is better, allthe things that they came to us
is better.
But then their other functions,their sleep is better, their
nervous is, they're happier.
Some of these people come in,don't even crack a smile and as
the months go by they're jokingagain.
They're happier.
Whether they admit it or not, Isee it.
And that's what healthcare isall about is.

(11:23):
As a chiropractor, we're blessedbecause we can see people two,
three times a week or once aweek over a long period of time.
So I may see someone two dozentimes, three dozen times over
the course of nine months.
They're talking to me more thananyone else in their healthcare
Rolodex, and maybe ever tospeak to someone 36 times, and
we can uncan a lot of healthissues and guide them in the

(11:46):
right direction, which is reallycool, and the miracles happen
by restoring the spinal curves.
That's the cool part about allthat and how important that
central nervous system is to theoverall output of our overall
health.
So combining adjustments withregulation practices is, I think

(12:06):
, the perfect recipe to gettingbetter nervous system regulation
.
Chiropractic care createsaccess.
Chiropractic care createsaccess, but it's the daily
habits that maintain thatregulation and I love that.
By getting adjusted, you createaccess to a better nervous

(12:28):
system, but the daily habitsthat you maintain throughout
your life is what keeps thatregulation regulated.
Does that make sense?
So we can always try to fixthings from the outside in, but
really the only way to fixthings is from the inside out.
So breathing, deep breathingafter the adjustments, uh, cold
exposure we talked about that inthe last episode.
Walking and grounding yourself,daily mobility or hygiene

(12:50):
exercises that we usually giveour patients.
Lying on the floor putting atowel rolled up towel underneath
your neck and just lying flat,using gravity to pull you down
into the ground, into the floor,into your yoga mat, whatever it
is, and you just lying flat,that that rolled up towel puts
force up against the spinalcurve in your neck and helps
restore that natural curve,whether you're in good shape or

(13:14):
not, whether you're arthritic ornot.
Lying there, if you can only dotwo minutes, you do two minutes
, but if you're in good shapeand you have good spinal
movement, you can lie there allday.
You could probably fall asleepbecause it puts you right into
that perfect position with yourspine.
That's a great one.
Just lying there and breathingand falling asleep, whatever it
may be, even 10 minutes everynight before you go to bed.

(13:36):
Nervous system journaling thismight be something just like
when you're trying to loseweight.
You journal what you eat to seewhere the hiccups may be or
where the blocks may be in theweight loss journey.
Same thing with regulating yournervous system.
Maybe keeping a nervous systemjournal to track patterns of
stress versus calm what days didyou feel more stress, what days
did you feel more calm?
And then in the journal youjust kind of journal what you

(13:57):
did that day, you'll notice.
Sometimes we work out a littletoo hard.
Sometimes we are active, we'retrying to work out, we're trying
to do things, we're pushing ourbody and then we journal this
stuff and we're like man.
Those days where I go for mylong runs, I'm actually more
stressed.
Why is that?
I feel like I'm de-stressingduring the run, but overall that
day and the next day I'm morestressed.

(14:17):
How is that working out?
We may be pushing ourselves alittle too far with our exercise
.
That could be one thing.
Chiropractic is the key thatunlocks the door, but you have
to walk through it daily inorder to maintain it.
So just to recap today onregulating your nervous system a
regulated nervous system isn'tjust about feeling calm.

(14:37):
It's about unlocking everysystem in your body to perform
and heal at its highestpotential.
So if you've ever had yourspine evaluated or your curves
measured, this is your sign todo so.
Don't wait for symptoms toforce the issue.
Be proactive about your nervoussystem health.
See a chiropractor, getassessed, and a proper

(14:58):
assessment would be anorthopedic evaluation of the
movement of your spine, achiropractic evaluation of the
posture, a heart ratevariability test to see what's
going on how you're actuallyfunctioning.
Maybe thermography, if theyhave that in there, but more so
the x-rays to actually measurespinal curvature and alignment
and maybe find misalignments andsubluxations that can

(15:18):
immediately be corrected to helpimprove the flow of that
nervous system.
That's the magic sauce rightthere into chiropractic.
So that's this episode.
Share it with friends.
You were designed to live inrhythm, not in survival, and
when your spine and nervoussystem are aligned, so is your

(15:39):
life.
Stay well, stay healthy.
Catch you on the next episode.
Have a great week.