There are several major bodily areas or systems that can be positively impacted by quality chiropractic care, and one of the most notable that some people aren’t aware of is the nervous system. Responsible for processing information and controlling many of your body’s movements and processes, the nervous system is like a control system for your entire body – and if you’re having issues in any of its related areas, chiropractic care might be just the thing for you.
At Apollo Chiropractic, we’re proud to offer chiropractic care solutions to clients around Salt Lake City for any need, from whiplash treatments to sports injuries, concussions and even many issues that speak to the nervous system. In this two-part blog series, we’ll help you understand how chiropractic care may benefit your nervous system and resulting areas of your body in numerous ways – today’s part one will look at the key elements of the nervous system, while part two next time will dig into how chiropractic care helps.
Central Nervous System
Easily the most well-known element of the nervous system, the central nervous system (CNS) is responsible for processing and sending information throughout your body via these neurotransmissions. The CNS includes both the brain and spinal cord – in fact, without a healthy spine, your brain can’t effectively communicate with the rest of your body.
The kinds of information processed by the central nervous system are wide-ranging, from sensory inputs like pain and pressure to motor control movements, things like balance, posture, coordination and even cognitive function. Every step you take is regulated by the CNS, and if you’re having any kind of difficulty with balance, coordination or other movement tasks, it’s likely due to a problem with your central nervous system.
Peripheral Nervous System
The peripheral nervous system (PNS) is responsible for communicating between the CNS and various organs and muscles throughout the body. It’s also divided into two parts – somatic and autonomic.
The somatic nervous system is responsible for voluntary muscle movements, like walking, running or jumping. The autonomic nervous system is responsible for controlling your body’s involuntary muscle activities, such as the beating of your heart, digestion and other functions that you don’t actively think about doing.
Enteric Nervous System
One important branch of the peripheral nervous system is the enteric nervous system, which is in charge of controlling all signals to the digestive system. Any time you eat, your enteric nervous system helps break down the food into smaller pieces so that it can be digested and absorbed more easily by your body. It’s also responsible for controlling stomach secretions, digestion and bowel movements, as well as playing a role in conditions like Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS).
In part two of our series, we’ll look at how chiropractic care can help restore balance and function to the nervous system. For more on this or any of our quality chiropractic care services, speak to our team at Apollo Chiropractic today.