The Purpose of CSF
The brain is surrounded by a protective fluid called cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). This fluid is very important to brain function and brain protection. This CSF provides protection from shock such as falls and head injuries. The CSF is also responsible for delivering nutrients to the brain from the bloodstream. Not only does it provide nutrients, but it plays major role in clearing out waste between the nerve cells of the brain.
The cerebrospinal fluid is produced deep inside the brain in an area called the ventricles. Once the fluid is made, it is transported down the center of the spinal cord and out of the ventricles at the brainstem. As it exits the ventricles, the CSF surrounds the brain and the outside of the spinal cord.
Complimentary Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics Consultation
We’d love to meet you for a 15-20 minute session with a doctor to get your story, conduct any preliminary tests, and see if we can help you. If so, great, if not, we’ll help you find the place that can.
Turbulent Flow Patterns
The CSF has a pumping effect that pumps with each beat of your heart. The fluid will circulate around the brain and down the spinal cord in a particular flow pattern. The flow is not noticeable under normal circumstances.
Fluid flow can, however, be disrupted and cause turbulence, much like rough river beds that cause rapids. A significant cause of this turbulent CSF flow is a misalignment at the craniocervical junction (the joints between the skull and the top bone of the spine). A craniocervical junction misalignment can twist or torque the covering over the spinal cord (called dura matter) and cause the fluid to pound on the brainstem. This pounding turbulence is linked to pounding headaches and multiple neurodegenerative conditions including multiple sclerosis.
In some instances, the brainstem can also plug the bottom of the brain and cause a blockage of the CSF flow. This blockage is like putting a cork in the bottom of your brain cavity, backing up the fluid. This blockage occurs commonly with people who have Arnold-Chiari malformations, especially if they if also have an upper cervical misalignment. It can also occur in individuals who have had traumatic whiplash-type injuries that have pulled the spinal cord and brainstem down. These injuries will often lead to a misalignment of the upper cervical spine.
When the CSF fluid flow is blocked at the upper cervical spine, the fluid can back up and can increase pressure in the cranium (linked to hydrocephalus and ventriculomegaly). This backed up fluid can lead to migraines and pain behind the eyes. If the fluid is not draining properly, waste products from the brain can accumulate which can slow down cognitive function. If left long enough, it can progress to more severe conditions such as hydrocephalus and neurodegeneration, including dementia type symptoms.
Correcting the Problem
Correcting the misalignment of the craniocervical junction can improve flow of CSF through the brain and down the spinal cord. By improving CSF flow, the nerves are able to calm down and heal. Correcting the misalignment can improve pressure regulation by allowing the fluid to drain and filter correctly.
Non-surgical restoration of the cerebrospinal fluid can be influenced through upper cervical care. It is one of many factors involved with a craniocervical misalignment that can negatively affect your health. Upper cervical chiropractic care is known for gentle and precise correction of the craniocervical junction. There are a number of these gentle procedures used, but the goal of this care is to restore health to the body through the stability of the upper cervical spine.
How Our Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics Care Plan Works
1. Real Answers
You have a story and we want to hear it. We want to understand you. If we feel we can help, we’ll complete a very detailed exam–unlike anything you’ve done anywhere else to get to the root of the problem.
2. Real Solutions
Once we’ve gotten to the bottom of things–the root cause–we’ll tailor-make a program of care first to stop the damage and turn things around, then continue to move your health and function in a constructive direction.
3. Real Life
At the end of the day, you want your quality of life back. Better. Stronger. Healthier. We desire to help you achieve the life that God has called you to–getting you back to your sense of purpose and joy.
How We Treat Cerebrospinal Fluid Dynamics With Upper Cervical Care in Mount Dora, FL
Comprehensive Consultation and Exam
The doctor and team will first do a consultation and preliminary evaluation (complimentary) to ensure you’re in the right place, and we can help you. If so, we’ll do a much deeper dive into your condition and how it’s affecting your life. Once we understand you clearly, we’ll thoroughly examine your spine and nervous system utilizing chiropractic, functional, and neurologic testing to find the root cause of the problem(s).
CBCT (3D Panoramic X-ray) and Motion Study X-rays
Once we’ve determined that you are a good candidate for care and we can help you, we will likely need to take very specific forms of imaging to pinpoint the problem (unless you are pregnant). We want to get a good look at the curves of the spine, the alignment (or lack thereof), any degenerative changes, contraindications to care, and ultimately find out EXACTLY what we need to do for you to get better.
*Depending on the findings, we may need to refer out for an MRI to get conclusive answers and the severity of the damage.
Specific Chiropractic Care
At our family-oriented practice in Mount Dora, we provide a specific and unique form of chiropractic care that is very precise, extremely effective, and incredibly gentle. In fact, there is no twisting or “cracking” of your spine. Utilizing a form of care known as Blair Upper Cervical, which focuses on the top two bones in the neck, where your head and neck come together, tends to yield uncommon results due to the neurological influence of this critical area of your spine. We add a supportive type of adjusting for the rest of your spine known as TRT (Torque Release Technique). This is also an exact, effective, yet gentle instrument-based technique that produces fantastic results.
When the joints of your spine are misaligned, it puts pressure on the joints and, more importantly, on your nervous system—known as a subluxation—which may cause pain and affect your global spinal alignment and health. Your specific adjustments aim to reduce the subluxations, taking pressure off your spinal joints, nervous system, and vasculature, reducing nerve tension, and improving blood and CSF flow so your body can self-heal the way it was created.
Custom Therapeutic Exercise Plan
Depending on your particular case, we will design a custom rehab/exercise plan to help you recover quicker and, most importantly, attain lasting results. Your unique exercise plan aims to help restore global spinal imbalances, address muscle weakness, increase range of motion, and improve your posture. We also aim to keep it simple—so you can do it at home quickly. If you are a severe case, we may refer you for physical therapy aimed at a more tailored and monitored exercise rehab to complement your upper cervical chiropractic care.
SoftWave TRT (Tissue Regenerative Technologies)
Shockwave Therapy, or Extracorporeal Shockwave Therapy (EWST), is a non-invasive treatment that involves the delivery of shock waves to an injured area to promote healing. This treatment produces highly effective shock waves that initiate biological regeneration processes at the cellular level.
Treatment involves technology that applies short, frequent, and high-intensity bursts of mechanical energy (in the form of a shockwave) into soft tissue that is injured, scarred, or contains adhesions, is painful, or inflamed.
SoftWave triggers a cellular response upon delivery that activates the body’s natural healing process. Patients experience the transformative benefits, including:
- Increased blood supply (promotes healing)
- Promotion of angiogenesis (new blood vessels)
- Modulation of inflammation (pain reduction)
- Activation of resident stem cells (generates new tissue)
- Restoration of tissue elasticity (healthier tissues)
- Endogenous growth factor activation (improved wound healing)
Upper Cervical Chiropractic Care
At Mount Dora Family Chiropractic, our specialty focuses on the upper spinal region where the head and neck join. It is well known that a concussion can misalign vertebrae in the neck due to the traumatic forces generally affecting the head and neck. The top two bones in the neck are scientifically and very precisely analyzed (known as the atlas (C1) and axis (C2) vertebrae). Doctors of Upper Cervical Chiropractic understand that misalignments or subluxations in this part of the spine can interfere with normal nerve pathways, cranial blood, and CSF flow, thus affecting various body systems which may cause or contribute to various health conditions following a concussion. Furthermore, subluxations left undetected and uncorrected may prevent full recovery and cause chronic health conditions in the long term.
Of course, this doesn’t mean we ignore the other parts of the spine, as there may also be damage or misalignments that we must address. Upper Cervical Chiropractic doctors simply acknowledge that without properly addressing this area, care in other areas of the spine will be far less effective and short-lived since the entire spine will continue to compensate due to the upper cervical misalignment that has not been properly assessed and corrected.
Upper Cervical Chiropractic care aims to realign the upper cervical vertebrae to restore proper nerve function and promote overall health. This form of care, along with lifestyle modifications and support, can significantly affect the healing, relief, and long-term stability of those suffering from disc injuries and acute or chronic pain.
