A nerve impulse is an electrochemical change that occurs across a nerve that transmits information to and from one nerve cell to another. The Nerve System communicates with and controls body function through a nerve impulse.

A nerve impulse though is not the only way the Nerve System communicates with the rest of the body. The Nerve System is a conduit for biological information traveling throughout the body. Quoting Physiologist J. P. Morat:

“The nervous system does not provide force, it utilities it.”

A nerve impulse is one of these forces utilized by the Nerve System.

The majority of body cells are innervated, or supplied by nerves, through a direct connection to a nerve. Cells that don’t have a direct innervation to a nerve such as red blood cells or sperm cells still communicate with the Nerve System and all the surrounding cells that do.

The Nerve System “talks” with the whole body through routes of communication other than a direct nerve impulse. This is called the sense of interoception.

While our other senses such as sight and touch interpret how we relate to the external world, interoception reveals how we decipher our internal world. Interoception helps explain how the body as a complete organism knows the status of every tissue cell at all times.

We know that the Nerve System communicates with the body through routes other than nerve impulses because nerve information travels faster than the fastest nerve impulse. For a nerve impulse to occur, the nerve cell must initiate what is called an action potential. An action potential can travel anywhere from 1 to 268 mph. 268 mph is very fast, but the Nerve System actually communicates with itself faster than the fastest action potential. Quoting Dr. Rob Sinnot:

“Interneuronal communication is transmitted at a speed for which science has yet to find a conclusive explanation.”

Because the information in the body travels faster than an action potential, we can deduce that the Nerve System must use other forms of communication besides a nerve impulse to transmit information throughout the body.

In Chiropractic, a term we use for this “other form of communication” is a mental impulse. A mental impulse is not the same thing as a nerve impulse. A mental impulse is different and superior to a nerve impulse. Quoting R.W. Stephenson, DC, a mental impulse is:

“unit of mental force for a specific tissue cell, for a specific occasion. A special message to a tissue cell for the present instant. Each tissue cell requires specific impulses every moment. Since there are millions of cells it takes millions of impulses for them every moment. There are new ones for every adaptative change. These impulses are only good for the moment for which they are created.”

Without sounding too esoteric, there are different levels of impulses radiating throughout the body and influencing function. The body's impulses or energy can be thermal, mechanical, chemical and bioelectrical to name a few. A mental impulse is one manifestation of this body energy.

A mental impulse must permeate throughout the cells of the body constantly, acting like a type of glue, to help maintain the body in existence. This helps give vitality to all cells, including RBCs and sperm cells. Quoting Dr. Craven, DC:

“Strictly speaking, the tissue cells do not act, but are acted upon by the energy that operates through them.”

In most situations, we can observe the difference between something that is alive and something that is not alive. That “something” is often debated but is observable nonetheless.

For explain, if you draw blood and place it in a test tube- is it alive? Yes, but not for long. Once you remove a blood cell from the environment of the human body, it denatures and dies within 30 minutes unless artificially suspended through strict climate-controlled storage procedures. Even then, blood can only maintain viability for about 3 to 6 weeks.

Sperms cells can only survive outside the body for about 15-30 minutes if not stored properly and can be potentially stored in controlled environments for about 50 years.

The vitality found within the body plays the most significant role in the maintenance of life. Chiropractic wants to help the expression of this vitality flourish. A better functioning Nerve System allows all the forces it utilizes to work at a greater potential.

- Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP

Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP is a pediatric, family wellness and upper cervical specific Chiropractor. He is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). Dr. Jarek has postgraduate certification in Pediatric Chiropractic through the ICPA. Dr. Jarek also has postgraduate certification in the HIO Specific Brain Stem technique through The TIC Institute. Dr. Jarek is happily married to his wife Regina. They live in Youngstown, Ohio with their daughter Ruby.