​As you’re quarantined at home with little to do, here is a fascinating piece of history and health to read.

The 1918 flu pandemic established Chiropractic as a valid healthcare force. The premise of Chiropractic hasn’t changed in the lifetime of the profession: health comes from the overall health of the spine, nervous system and cell health.

The Vagus Nerve:
Vagus nerve, also called X cranial nerve or 10th cranial nerve, is the longest and most complex of the cranial nerves. The vagus nerve runs from the brain through the face and thorax to the abdomen. It is a mixed nerve that contains parasympathetic fibres. The vagus nerve has two sensory ganglia (masses of nerve tissue that transmit sensory impulses): the superior and the inferior ganglia. The branches of the superior ganglion innervate the skin in the concha of the ear. The inferior ganglion gives off two branches: the pharyngeal nerve and the superior laryngeal nerve. The recurrent laryngeal nerve branches from the vagus in the lower neck and upper thorax to innervate the muscles of the larynx (voice box). The vagus also gives off cardiac, esophageal, and pulmonary branches. In the abdomen the vagus innervates the greater part of the digestive tract and other abdominal viscera.

The more you know ✌️

Allostatic load is the physiological wear and tear on the body that results from ongoing response to the being alive. It was coined in 1993 by two Medical Doctors. There are three forms of life “stress” (load) that every human encounters every single day of their lives. These stressors falls into three categories:
1. Emotional
2. Physical
3. Chemical
You can also think of these 3 as:
1. Thoughts
2. Traumas
3. Toxins.
We refer to those as the three T’s.

The allostatic load is a combination of the measurements of different factors that would increase the stress in the body. Things such as aging, weight, height to waist ratio, stress, medication use are all part of the equation. Many people experience gradual declines in physical and cognitive abilities even in the absence of clinical diagnosable disease. Increased stress has been associated with many health conditions that are widely discussed in the medical literature. Some of the most familiar include cardiovascular disease, gastrointestinal disease, and hormonal dysfunction. Prolonged or chronic stress impairs health through a complex array of physiological functions initiated by the release in the hypothalamus of corticotrophin releasing factor, CRF. CRF triggers the release of adrenal corticotrophic hormonal, ACTH, from the pituitary which in turn causes the release of cortisol from the adrenal cortex. Cortisol helps maintain blood glucose levels. Chronic stress or chronic administration of pharmacological cortisol preparations causes insulin resistance, hypertension, redistribution of body fat, and decreased protein synthesis. Further more stress compromises the immune system. The immune system is weakened through a decrease in the production of blood cells, antibodies, and gamma globulins but also through the inhibition of pro and inflammatory interleukins, tumor necrosis factor, and gamma interferon.

We have the best life saving and emergency medicine on the planet, yet the US leads the world in cancer, diabetes, and heart disease! Why? We pay little attention to ALLOSTATIC LOAD. Stress can have a wide ranging affect on the emotions, mood, and behavior. Equally important but often much less talked about are the accumulative affects of stress on the various systems, organs, and tissues of the body.

Northern Michigan Spine and chiropractic’s unique position is: Regular CHIROPRATIC increases the body’s ability to respond to STRESS, the (allostatic load)!! It does this by influencing the body’s response to it’s environment through the nervous system. This is a big thing to understand about good Chiropractic. When making decisions about your health one must discuss with their doctor the allostatic load the decision puts on the body. But the true art of spine care is to allow your body the ability to better respond to the three T’s in your life.

Chiropractic is essential to your life and planning if you want to live the best possible life you can. Genetically we all have a physiological tipping point. As the allostatic load rises beyond what we can withstand it crosses over to chronic illness and chronic disease. It is essential for you and your loved ones to be checked.

Spine health and great chiropractic are essential to living and feeling well.

To Our Health,
​Dr. MJ Wegmann

The human body is an amazing collection of synergistic systems controlled by an internal intelligence; called LIFE.  Other names used to describe the intelligence in our body have been; innate intelligence, spirit, and soul.  The body is designed to be self-functioning and self-healing to a point.  We all understand if we lose a finger we are not growing a finger back. 

We tend to think of healing only when we suffer a cut or broken bone.  Healing is actually the constant process of replacing old cells with new cells.  To give you an example.  Red blood cells, the cells we need to transport oxygen (kind of important) are replaced at a rate of 100 billion cells per day, with one trillion total red blood cells in constant circulation.  Wow, that is a lot of healing in a day.  No wonder we need to rest at night.

Health care is slowly changing from a symptom/disease based model to a function/performance based system in which the structure of the human body is restored and maintained.  Correction and maintenance of the structure of the spine, particularity the cervical spine is of paramount importance in the preservation of optimal health.  The cervical spine (the neck) is essentially the fuse box for the body with all neurological impulses passing through that structure.  Keeping the structure and that area of the spine healthy enhances the body's innate healing capacity.  

Here's how Chiropractic works:  when a cell is injured or damaged (happens from living) in the body it releases a signal that is sent to the brain via the nerve system.  The nerve system is protected and housed in the spinal column.  Due to normal wear and tear, stress and misalignment of the spine, the signal being sent to the brain can be impeded, meaning: it doesn't get to where in needs to go fast enough.  Does this cause a problem?  Yes.  Healing doesn't happen as it should, and this is a bad thing.  Chiropractic's emphasis on the spine gets directly to the problem, allowing the nerve system, housed inside the spine, to communicate with the body better.  This concept is vital to understanding how your body works and why Chiropractic is a great choice in caring for it.

Get in for your adjustment this week so you can continue to do the things you love.

To Our Health,
Dr. MJ Wegmann

Ever feel like you're spinning your wheels when it comes to staying healthy? You eat right, exercise five days a week and try to get enough sleep- you've got the 'pedal to the metal' when it comes to staying fit, but something's holding you back. Maybe it's time to pay more attention to your Nerve System.

Although you've got one foot on the gas, subluxations can put the brakes on your progress. Subluxations are troublesome misalignments in your spine that irritate your Nerve System and rob you of your potential health energy. The effect is like trying to drive with your brakes on. You've got your fitness throttle wide open, but you're going nowhere fast.
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If you want to stop spinning your wheels when it comes to your health, prioritize your spinal care. When it comes to unleashing more health horse power, nothing releases the brake like chiropractic can.