Heart Rate/Blood Pressure and the Upper Cervical Spine
In the upper cervical spine, there are four main structures to focus on. They are:
The Foramen Magnum of the Occipital bone
The Atlas vertebra (1st cervical bone)
The Axis vertebra (2nd cervical bone)
The Brainstem of the Nerve System.
The Brainstem exits from the Foramen Magnum. The Atlas and Axis bones protect and surround the Brainstem. The brainstem connects all the nerves from the brain to the nerves of the body.
Regarding Heart Rate and Blood Pressure the secondary focus is on:
The Medulla Oblongata. The Medulla Oblongata is the lowest portion of the brainstem and is closely related to the upper cervical spine. The ventromedial portion of the medulla supplies sympathetic function for the heart to increase heart rate and blood pressure.
The Vagus Nerve. The Vagus nerve comes out of the skull next to the foramen magnum and passes in front of the Atlas bone. It supplies parasympathetic functions for the heart to lower heart rate and blood pressure.
The Nerve System in general has four main functions:
It controls all the movements we make
Senses everything we feel
Regulates all our body organs
Relates us to the outside world
When nerves get stressed, it effects their sensitivity, perception and behavior to perform these functions. There are three types of stresses we deal with in life. The stresses are physical, chemical and emotional in nature. These stresses create nerve tension and spine imbalance.
One specific job of the brainstem is to adapt to these stresses and help bring the spine back into balance. If the stresses are too great for the brainstem to adapt, compensations arise. One compensation that occurs in the upper cervical spine is a vertebral subluxation.
A vertebral subluxation will cause the Atlas and Axis bones to lock in a misaligned position. This lock will perpetuate spine imbalance and Nerve System tension. This tension will lead to abnormal sensitivity, perception and behavior of the brainstem and connecting nerves. Nerve System function is disrupted. Over time, this disruption can contribute to symptoms of the involved nerves. The usual symptoms of Blood Pressure issues are:
Severe headaches
Nosebleed
Fatigue or confusion
Vision problems
Chest pain
Difficulty breathing
Irregular heartbeat
Blood in the urine
Pounding in your chest, neck, or ears
Dizziness or lightheadedness
Fainting
Nausea