Irritable Bowel Syndrome

According to Gray’s Anatomy “The nervous system controls and coordinated ALL organs and structures of the human body.”  (Gray’s Anatomy, 29th ed., pg 4).  The portion of the nervous system that is used to run the DIGESTIVE TRACT is the Para-Sympathetic Nervous System (PSNS) also called the rest and DIGEST system (see figure 1).  This portion of the nervous system is part of what is called the central nervous system, which can be broken down into two major divisions.  The Somatic division (this is what you can consciously control) and the Autonomic division (this division works automatically behind the scenes, you have “NO” conscious control over this division). 

The LINK between a neck injury and problems with digestion, especially IBS is the 10th cranial nerve also called the Vagus nerve (see figure 2).  Vagus means wanderer as in a nerve that wanders around the body anatomically.  The Vagus nerve is so named because it is highly variable in placement throughout the body and how it branches and divides to CONNECT with different organs and areas of the digestive tract.  The 10th cranial nerve comes directly off the lower brain stem and is responsible for virtually all of your digestive tract!! 

Could an injury to the neck interfere with the digestive process? IT CAN! According to the National Institute of health this would be classified as a Brain-Gut Signal Problem.  “Signals between the brain and nerves of the small and large intestine, also called the gut, control how the intestines work.  Problems with brain-gut signals can cause IBS symptoms, such as changes in bowel habits and pain or discomfort”(ref 2, et. al.). 

It is important to step back and look at the big picture here, if the BRAIN cannot properly talk back and forth to the BODY then there is going to be some sort of problem XYZ.  Does this sound like common sense? 

As we mentioned above the 10th cranial nerve comes directly from the brain stem and CONNECTS the digestive tract, et.al. to the brain (see figure 2).  The brain’s ability to CONNECT with the digestive tract would then play a LARGE role in the NORMAL functional ability to move the food you eat along the digestive tract at the appropriate speed so that you may extract energy and nutrition so that the body can continue to function properly.       

What if you suffered an injury to your head or neck that interfered with the CONNECTION of the 10th cranial nerve, reducing or blocking its ability to communicate back and forth with the brain?  Could this cause irritable bowel syndrome or other digestive problems?  What about acid reflux, difficulty swallowing, constipation, or diarrhea? 

The most common CAUSE of Subluxation is a previous injury to the head or neck such as:  a hard slip or a fall, a motor vehicle accident, a sport injury etc.  A Subluxation occurs when the connective tissues that hold the upper cervical spine together are torn loose allowing one of the upper two neck bones to misalign and lock out into a stressed position.  The brain stem exits the floor of the skull in this area and ends near the top two neck bones.  Could a Subluxation interfere with how the brain talks back and forth with the body?(ref. 3,4,5,6 et.al.)  According to research it can in fact do so!  Could a Subluxation interfere with blood flow in and out of the head?(ref. 7,8,9 et.al.)  According to research it can in fact do so!

According to the National Institute of Health “Researchers believe a combination of physical and mental health problems can lead to IBS.” (ref 2, et. al.).  What if you physically had an accident or injury that damaged the upper neck?  What if the mental health aspect was a disruption of blood flow in and out of the head?  If the brain cannot communicate back and forth with the body could this cause some sort of health problem?

In virtually all cases the average time it takes for symptoms of a Subluxation to start showing up is 10-15 years and in many cases even longer than that.  In many cases damage to the spine can be dated to give us an approximation of when the Subluxation began.  As we have noted in the past, it is quite remarkable how often this matches up with a previous injury the patient sustained in the years prior, which is just now producing symptoms.