Brain Hibernation and Chiropractic
Although it is widely known that chiropractic treatment benefits various forms of low back pain, neck discomfort, headaches and other pain, there are other conditions which may benefit from Chiropractic.
Research has shown that many patients who receive Spinal Manipulation Therapy for conditions such as whiplash and osteoarthritis, report improvement from seemingly unrelated conditions.
Theses include: dizziness, lethargy, insomnia, depression, nervousness, anxiety, irritability, disorientation, personality change, whining child syndrome, tantrums, memory problems, learning disability, poor concentration, difficulty thinking, clumsiness, visual disorders, hearing difficulty, losing track of conversation, and loss of interest in sex... [1] These symptoms may be the result of “brain hibernation”.
Brain Hibernation Theory
Brain hibernation, in simplified terms, is decreased brain functioning due to lack of blood supply to the brain, caused by constriction of arteries to the brain because of stress in the neck "caused by misaligned or malfunctioning vertebrae". This lack of blood supply is not enough to cause a stroke, but can still cause severe health problems.
The mechanism proposed by this theory to explain these post Spinal Manipulation Therapy effects, is that cervical spine adjustments somehow result in increased cerebral blood flow, which accordingly result in the hibernating areas of the brain becoming functional again.
[1] Terrett AGJ. Cerebral Dysfunction: A Theory to Explain some of the Effects of Chiropractic Manipulation. J Chiro Technique 1993; 5: 168-73. Terrett AGJ. Letter to the Editor. J Chiro Technique 1994 (Aug); 6 (3): 110-. 2. Terrett AGJ. The Cerebral Dysfunction Theory. Ch. 18 In: Gatterman MI (ed)Foundations of Chiropractic: Subluxation. St Louis, Mosby.1995: 340-352: