Caring For Me In 2023 - The Nervous System in Beaver Dam WI
Happy New Year! It’s 2023 which means we are starting a new monthly series called Caring for Me in 2023. It’s all about taking care of yourself so you can continue to lead the life you want. We’ll be focusing on how to take care of each system in the body starting with the Nervous System in Beaver Dam WI.
The Most Important System
The nervous system includes the brain, spinal cord, and the nerves that stem off the spinal cord to go to the rest of the body. The nervous system is the most important system in the body because it influences every function of the body including the heartbeat, breathing, movement, etc. Since it is such a large part of the function of the body, I am focusing on one part of the nervous system, the brain, and how and why to care for your brain.
The brain is the command center of the body. The three stressors I talked about last month also affect the brain; physical, emotional, and nutritional. Physical stress is the easiest to understand. Concussions and other brain traumas can cause inflammation in the brain, and if not healed properly, can cause immense and long-lasting problems. Nutritional and emotional brain health can be more difficult to understand and we are learning more at a rapid pace (more on that below). Any of those stressors cause inflammation in the brain and can lead to mood disorders such as anxiety or depression as well as trouble focusing and memory issues. Even struggling with brain fog is a sign that your brain isn’t as healthy as you might think.
Rapid Fire Communication in Beaver Dam WI
How the brain controls the body through rapid-fire communication. The brain sends messages out to the body such as to move an arm and it should receive a message back saying the arm has moved. This all happens so fast, we don’t even notice it happening. Proper function is dependent on those messages moving in and out. The messages travel through the spinal column and if the spine is out of alignment, it can cause wrong messages to reach the brain or the brain’s signal to the body may not reach its destination. So instead of being able to move the arm without thinking about it, you may feel weakness in the arm. This is where Chiropractic Care can help. A chiropractor removes the interference in the nervous system by ensuring the spine and all the joints are lined up and not interfering with the messages moving throughout our body. How frequently you need chiropractic treatments depends on how much stress you apply to the body including physical, emotional, and nutritional stress as well as how long that stress has been there. If you have had weakness in your arm for over a year, it’s going to take much longer to relieve that stress than if you’ve only had weakness in your arm for a week. So get to your chiropractor as soon as you have an issue or even better yet, see a chiropractor before issues occur.
Sleep is another important factor when talking about brain health. It is the brain's time to recover and heal. During sleep, our brain dumps all the stress it has been carrying that day into the body to be eliminated. It also replenishes the fluid around the brain called cerebrospinal fluid. When this fluid isn’t cleaned out, it can cause toxic build-up in the brain. Research has shown it takes 6 to 8 hours to clean this fluid, which is why it is recommended you get 6 to 8 hours of good quality sleep. If you have sleep issues, come see me so we can figure out what is causing it to help keep you healthy.
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Essential Nutrients For Your Brain
There are 3 essential nutrients for the brain. B Vitamins, Healthy fats, and Water. B Vitamins are found in a variety of vegetables, and since we cannot store extra Vitamin B when consumed, we need to consume it regularly or take supplements. The brain also needs high amounts of healthy fat. Healthy fats include olives, avocados, nuts, nut butter, leaner meats such as fish and chicken, and coconut oil. Your body will convert fats to ketones to provide energy to your brain and body. And Drink WATER, not coffee, soda, or hot chocolate. Nothing helps your brain (and body) more than WATER.
A new device we are introducing into our office is called BrainTap. BrainTap is a device that helps to normalize brain function through light and sound therapy. There are two parts to the BrainTap device. One is a headset you wear. It looks like headphones with a visor that covers your eyes to induce light in your eyes and ears. The other part is an app on a smartphone or iPad that leads you through meditations specific to your needs. There are over a thousand meditations to choose from based on a variety of concerns. Check out our ad on page 2 for more information. If you are struggling with mood disorders, daily stress, trouble sleeping, memory problems, brain fog, or even losing weight, BrainTap is perfect for you.
As always, I have so much more I would like to say. There is a wide range of topics to discuss not just the brain, but the whole nervous system so I am excited to announce we will continue our Wellness Classes this year! The class also gives you the opportunity to ask questions, plus it’s free! The next Wellness Class is on January 17th at 5:30pm. Start the new year out by reaping the benefits of taking care of yourself starting with your nervous system. Make your health a priority.
Dr. Stephanie graduated in December 2016 with her Doctorate in Chiropractic from Logan University. She continued on at Logan University to receive her Masters in Nutrition and Human Performance. She is also certified as a Digestive Health Profession through the Loomis Enzyme Institute. She currently works at Tyjeski Family Chiropractic.
January Wellness Class - The Nervous System
January 17th, 5:30pm
119 E Mackie St
Beaver Dam, WI 53916