Reflexes

Reflexes and Neurological Pathways


A reflex is an involuntary response to some stimulus (or inhibition) of the nervous system.  Most of us have noticed that when a doctor taps below the knee our foot kicks forward; this is a basic example of a reflex.

Chiropractic is founded on the knowledge that the nervous system controls everything within the body. Alterations in the conduction of impulses through a nerve can alter how body systems function.  Body systems include the muscles and bones as well as all of the organs of the body.  An abundance of research has shown that there are many situations where altered nerve conduction can have impacts on health. These situations are often referred to as reflex pathways in the nervous system.

A somato-visceral reflex is a condition where something in the body causes altered nerve conduction so that an organ system may become ill. An example of a somato-visceral reflex is diarrhea due to back pain.

A viscero-somatic reflex would be the opposite; a condition in an organ system alters nerve conduction so that the body is effected. An example of viscero-somatic pathway would be a kidney infection causing a back ache.

A psycho-somatic reflex would be a situation where mental health has an impact on body function.  An example of the psycho-somatic pathway would be depression causing body aches.

A psycho-visceral reflex may be exemplified by stress leading to ulcers.

Typically, in health care, we look for a direct cause for a condition first...ex: the stomach ache is caused by bacteria or something that was eaten...mostly that is true; however, there are many instances where one of the reflexes mentioned above is either responsible for or contributing to any particular condition. This is especially relevant in chiropractic care.

Doctors of Chiropractic adjust the spine with the intention of improving alignment, joint motion and nerve conduction. At Gallatin Valley Chiropractic, we often find that, seemingly unrelated health conditions improve when the spine is adjusted; it is hypothesized that this improvement can be attributed to improved nerve conduction that influences or attenuates a somato-visceral reflex.

Often, the influence of the somato-visceral reflex is predictable.  Basic anatomy has elucidated the pathways of nerves from the brain, through the spine, into the body and back. 

Specific spinal nerve roots can be attributed to the function of any and all organs and muscles in the body. 

The chart to the right is a general visual aid relating regions of the spine and spinal nerves to organ systems that they influence and possible symptoms associated with interference to spinal nerves in that region.  In future blogs, we will discuss specific spinal nerves and their relationship to specific organs, dysfunction and symptoms.

Often times, people do not respond to what seems like appropriate health care; when this is the case, considering a neurological (somato-visceral) reflex as a possible cause is reasonable and appropriate, whether you are having back or neck pain or not.  

Chiropractic is the ideal health care modality to address these reflexes.

If you are feeling frustrated with standard health care or if you just want to find out if chiropractic can help with your health condition,...

give Gallatin Valley Chiropractic a call for a free consultation or appointment.  

406-551-2177

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