Taking Control of Your Health – The Stern Chiropractic Newsletter
THE NERVOUS SYSTEM – PART II
Referral Corner:
The Greatest Compliment my Patients Can Give is the Referral of Their Friends and Loved Ones. Thank You For Your Trust. This month, I would like to thank the following people for their trust: Dr. Debbie Stern, Dr. James Cox, The Avner Family, The Wilner Family, Iris Makower, Danette Ryan, Nancy Kiesler, John Lamb, Nicole Zitella, Dr. John Amaro, Denise Stevenson & Donna Petersen.
Charity Corner:
Stern Chiropractic is collecting donations for The Special Olympics. A matching contribution will be made by Stern Chiropractic (certain restrictions apply). Please join me in helping young spirits flourish.
Topic of the Month : THE NERVOUS SYSTEM – PART II
Overview of Nervous System
There are 3 primary components of the nervous system along with their sub-components:
1. Central Nervous System (CNS)
– Brain
– Spinal Cord
2. Peripheral Nervous System (PNS) (Somatic)
– Cranial Nerves
– Spinal Nerves
3. Autonomic Nervous System (ANS)
– Sympathetic Nervous System
– Parasympathetic Nervous System
Note: The peripheral and autonomic nervous systems are both organized into Afferent (Sensory) and Efferent (Motor) systems. The afferent component carries information into the CNS. The efferent component carries information from the CNS to the muscles and glands.
The following diagram is included to help you understand how these elements are associated with each other. Not fully demonstrated here is the fact that information flows both ways in the nervous system and the afferent input from the ANS & PNS flow up to the CNS and then the efferent information to control a specific action flows back down to the appropriate end organ or tissue.
Central Nervous System
The brain is the control center of your body. Any movement or activity that occurs in your body must first be processed in the brain and then information is sent down to create that movement or activity. The brain is divided into 2 hemispheres which are each divided into 4 lobes and then the brain stem (the most primitive aspect of the brain) is divided into 3 parts. The spinal cord serves as the Super-Highway to transmit information from the peripheral nervous system to the brain (from outside to inside) and back. The spinal cord is divided into 31 segments: 8 cervical (neck), 12 thoracic (mid-back), 5 lumbar (low back), and 5 sacral (tail bone) and 1 coxcygial. Think about the fact that the central nervous system is so vital that it is totally encased in bone to protect it. The brain is encased by the skull and the spinal cord is encased by the spine. You can imagine it like the CPU of your computer which is encased in a hard outer box. There are many similarities and differences between your computer and your CNS: Both control what happens; both are vital to the operation and function of the unit/person; both are susceptible to infections by viruses …. One major difference is that if the virus completely debilitates your computer, you can re-format or even buy an new one (these days I think it is just as easy and affordable to buy an new one) but if your CNS is damaged, you have just received a life sentence to whatever that damage has done (you can’t buy a new one).
What can I do about this?
Keep your nervous system as strong and resilient as possible and keep the bones that protect it in as good of condition as possible.
How do I strengthen my nervous system and enhance my spinal health?
1. CHIROPRACTIC CARE – regular chiropractic care eliminates subluxations (restrictions in spinal joint function that inhibit proper nervous system information flow) that lead to early spinal degeneration and impair proper nervous system function. In addition, chiropractic care helps to stimulate elements of the nervous system that enhance many of the body’s functions. This type of maintenance care for your nervous system is vital to enhance its longevity and help it to perform at its highest potential. Remember, you can’t buy a new one.
2. Proper Nutrition – well balanced diets rich in fruits and vegetables provide much needed vitamins and minerals to the body that protect it against free radical damage and enhance the normal biochemical activities. Today’s foods tend not to provide us with as much nutrition as they once did so supplementation with a high quality multi-vitamin and extra anti-oxidants is vital. In addition, supplementation with high quality Omega 3 Fatty Acids will provide tremendous benefits to the nervous system.
3. Exercise – regular exercise provides input to the CNS. If you don’t use it, you will loose it. You need to provide constant input to keep things functioning at their highest levels.
Products of the Month : Mental Acuity Formula
This combination of nutrients was specifically designed to support healthy nervous system processes involved in memory and focus and it address both immediate and long-term concerns.
Save 10% on the product of the month when you mention this newsletter.
I hope this information helps you take control of your health and your life! If you have any questions, feedback or have any suggestions for future topics, please call or email me.
If you know someone who would be interested in receiving this newsletter, if you would like to receive this newsletter via email, or if you would prefer to no longer receive this newsletter, please let me know.
Don’t forget the importance of maintaining your health with regular chiropractic and acupuncture care.
Sincerely,
Gregg Stern, D.C., FICPA