What Happens When We "FAINT"????

Have you ever fainted?  It is estimated that nearly 40% of adults in America have experienced a fainting episode.  There can be several causes for fainting, but in short, fainting or syncope as it is called happens because of a sudden drop in blood pressure.  The majority of the time syncope happens because of a neurological reflex (which controls the blood pressure).  The vagus nerve, which controls things such as heart rate, heart rhythm, digestive functions, vascular tone, and regulates insulin is involved in these syncopal episodes.  The diagram above lists some of the many responsibilities of this amazing nerve.
The vagus nerve flows from the brain stem through the atlas bone (the top cervical bone in your neck).  Therefore, any tiny subluxation of the atlas or axis bones in your neck can have an enormous impact on any of the regulatory tasks of the vagus nerve.  Imagine a subluxation as a pressure point or impairment on the vagus nerve that then interrupts the flow of the nerve down to your vital organs. When these interruptions are not corrected, the body's natural reflex is to lower blood pressure and then fainting occurs.
A case study published in the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research followed a 57-year old female who had been fainting regularly for 20 years whenever she would turn her head to the left.  She tried numerous solutions for 20 years and still fainted often.  She then turned to chiropractic and her physician found a significant subluxation in her upper neck.  This subluxation was affecting the flow of the vagus nerve.  She was diagnosed with vasovagal syncope.  The amazing outcome of this woman's case after specific chiropractic adjustments to the upper cervical bones resulted in no fainting episodes.  A complete healing after 20 years of fainting!  In our office, we specialize in  upper cervical adjustments just like what this woman received.  20 years of suffering gone while under chiropractic care!  The human body is an amazing thing!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV



Friedman, R., DC, & Friedman, A., DC. (2018). Resolution of Vasovagal Syncope (VVS) Following Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care: A Case Study & Review of the Literature. J. Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, 2018, 1-12.

Spinal Stenosis

Did you know that back pain is the second most common reason that a person visits their doctor in the United States?  Back pain is a broad category, and therefore many many reasons can cause it.  Often times you may hear terminology such as spinal stenosis, disc herniation, sciatica, cervical pain, bulging or slipped discs when doctors diagnose your back pain.  Spinal stenosis is common cause of back pain.  It is often seen in older populations.  When spinal stenosis is present, the space in which the nerve and vascular tissue narrow.  This can be from shifting bone structures or thickening of ligaments.  The picture above shows a typical case of spinal stenosis.
Common symptoms of spinal stenosis present as low back pain that can radiate down into the buttocks and legs.  Sensory symptoms can also present as numbness, tingling, muscle fatigue, muscle weakness, or a pins and needles sense in the toes.  Often times patients are put on narcotics, muscle relaxers, anti-inflammatory medications, or have surgery to try and relieve their pain.
The great news for patients suffering from spinal stenosis is that chiropractic treatments have been proven to alleviate pain and suffering!  A study from the Journal of Chiropractic Medicine followed a 76 year old man who had moderate to severe spinal stenosis.  He had been suffering for many many years.  It only took 12 chiropractic adjustments to fully alleviate his pain!  By removing the subluxations in his neck and spine, the body was able to heal the spinal stenosis.  We see patients every single day get better and full relief of spinal stenosis in our office who thought they'd be on medication their entire lives or worse have surgery.


Yours in Health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV

Stuber, L., Sajko, S., and Kristmanson, K. "Chiropractic Treatment of Lumbar Spinal Stenosis:A Review of the Literature." Journal of Chiropractic Medicine. (June 2009): 8(2) 77-85. 

Be Good to Your Heart Thru Checking Your Spine!

It's February which means a lot of awareness is being brought to our heart health!  Did you know that your brain controls your heart?  Meaning, that the brain controls and regulates every system in your entire body by way of the nervous system.  Located at the lower part of your brain stem lies your medulla oblongata.  This complicated part of your brain is in charge of controlling all functions that are involuntary.  This includes a wide range of tasks such as regulating blood pressure, vomiting, sneezing, heart rate, and breathing.  We don't have to give a conscious thought to have these tasks performed, as our medulla oblongata regulates these without us being aware of how hard it is working.
Because the medulla oblongata sits in close proximity to the C1 vertebrae, great improvements in patients blood pressure are seen with chiropractic care specifically to that vertebrae.  When out of alignment or subluxated, the C1 vertebrae can put pressure on the nerves coming from the medulla oblongata and therefore have a negative effect on blood pressure, causing it to be too high or in some cases too low.
In 2014, a randomized control study measured the effectiveness of correcting these subluxations to the C1 vertebrae in patients with high blood pressure (hypertension).  The results showed IMMEDIATE changes in hypertension for both the systolic (top) and diastolic (bottom) numbers of blood pressure.  Whats even better is that these hypertensive patients saw lasting results in their blood pressure for over 4-6 weeks post adjustments.  According to the American Heart Association website over 77.9 million people or 1 out of every  3 adults have high blood pressure.  This costs the United States on average nearly $46 BILLION dollars each year.  And most of these patients are on more than one antihypertensive medication!  Wow, imagine if chiropractic care could substitute for some of those patients!
Be good to your heart, get your spine checked today!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV

Toms, S. DC. (2014). Reduction in Arterial Blood Pressure Following Adjustment of Atlas to Correct Vertebral Subluxation:A Prospective Longitudinal Cohort Study. J Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research, 2014(3), 54-60.

Adding Chiropractic Care to Defeat Irritable Bowel Syndrome

Irritable bowel syndrome or IBS, affects somewhere between 12% and 30% of the US population.  This disease alone is estimated to cost around $15 BILLION dollars annually!  Wow!  The high cost includes medication, supplementation, and dietary changes or restrictions.  IBS is characterized by periods of loose stools and bouts of constipation, often causing cramping and pain in the abdomen, back, and pelvis regions.  However, more patients with irritable bowel syndrome are being diagnosed with anxiety and depression, and new information is constantly being posted on the relationship with IBS and these.  Your nervous system plays a role in all of these symptoms, but especially with irritable bowel syndrome.  You've probably started to hear in the healthcare world of the "gut-brain barrier" or "gut-brain connection" or even the term "gut-brain health."  What this means is there is a connection with what we put into our bodies and the effect it has on the brain and spinal cord, which regulate ALL body functions.  Your nervous system often can hold the key to why certain systems in our bodies are malfunctioning.

A 2013 research article follows a young woman in her early 30's who had been suffering with irritable bowel syndrome.  For this patient, she also had anxiety, depression, and increased stressors in her life.  Daily, painful bowel movements had her seeking out chiropractic care.  Fortunately for this woman, after only one adjustment she had relief of her painful bowel movements that night! After only one adjustment!  How does an adjustment relief painful bowel movements?  By removing subluxation from the autonomic nervous system(ANS).  The ANS controls our blood vessels, organs, and glands among other body functions.  Once subluxation is removed, the ANS is allowed to function free from interference, and regulation of body functions returns to normal.  It was also noted in this study that the woman felt reduction in anxiety triggers and enhancement in her mood while under chiropractic care!

I also recommend to my patients the use of a good probiotic to help prevent attacks of IBS symptoms.  Certain strains of bacteria when introduced to our gut can promote an anti-inflammatory response, improve visceral hypersensitivity, intestinal permeability, and aid in motility.  "Good" bacteria found in probiotics help to strengthen your intestinal environment and leads to wellness of the gut-brain connection which I spoke about above.  Call the office for recommendations on probiotics!  We love to hear about our patients bowel movements!

Yours in Health,

Dr. Nicholas J. Knutson

Owner/Doctor

MOUNTAIN ISLAND CHIROPRACTIC

10917 Black Dog Ln., Suite 101 

Charlotte, NC 28214

Tel (704) 394-8556

Fax (704) 395-8556

mtnislandchiro.com

"If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that's a full day. That's a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you're going to have something special." JV

Nardi, J. Resolution of irritable bowel symptomatology in a patient undergoing upper cervical chiropractic care [case report]. J Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research. 2013 Spring;2013(2):Online access only p25-31. ICLID 22914