Brain-Based Performance

Muscle Function

When each muscle of the body is able to work in perfect synchrony, peak athletic performance is achieved. Each individual muscle has elemental needs in order to operate with full power. Proper hydration, high quality nutrition and seamless delivery of oxygen are absolutely essential. However the most important element is muscle activation through a nerve signal. Muscle contraction is completely dependent upon signals from the brain. 

Christopher Reeve, the original Superman, is a perfect example of the loss of nerve signal. He was thrown from his horse during an equestrian competition. He fractured the top two vertebrae in his neck and damaged his spinal cord. The damage to the spinal cord completely cut off the nerve signals to his body. This resulted in a complete loss of function in the muscles that were controlled by those nerves. Every muscle needs clear nerve signals in order to function to their full potential.

Nerve signals start in the brain and travel down the spinal cord, out along the nerves and then activate the muscle at the neuromuscular junction. When the signal arrives at the muscle, it initiates the contraction of the muscle. Any change to the signal along the way will alter the muscle’s function.

Brain Coordination

All body movements require more than one muscle to be used.  In order for the entire body to move correctly, all of the muscles must work together in a synchronized fashion. Muscles do not communicate with one another. Instead, they receive their individual instructions from the brain.

Muscle coordination occurs in the brain. Whenever any movement is performed, the joints and muscles of the body send rapid signals to the brain to tell it how much strain or resistance is being experienced. These signals also report the position of the body in relationship to gravity. The brain takes all of that information and determines how much each muscle needs to contract to perform the movement. The brain then sends nerve signals down to the hundreds of muscles involved in making the body move. This means that for every jump, sprint, tire lift, or throw, the brain processes tremendous amounts of information to ensure that it is moving correctly.

Breakdown in Strength

Any interference to the nerve signals to or from the brain will have a significant effect on athletic performance. Diminished coordination will limit strength, compromise agility and increase vulnerability to injury. 

The most vulnerable area for this nerve interference to occur is the upper neck in an area called the craniocervical junction (CCJ). The  CCJ consists of the skull and the top bone of the neck, called the atlas. The joints in the CCJ are the weakest in the entire spine. Head injuries, sports impacts, concussions and whiplash all have the potential to misalign the CCJ and lead to interference in nerves that coordinate muscle function of the body.

Restoring Peak Performance

Correcting the alignment of the craniocervical junction restores normal nerve signals between the brain and the body. One of the most cutting edge ways to correct the CCJ alignment is through Advanced Orthogonal care.  Muscle strength increases, coordination improves and the body is less vulnerable to injury. Proper alignment of this area is done through a cutting-edge technique called Advanced Orthogonal.  This adjusting technology allows us to correct the upper neck precisely without twisting, cracking, or popping.  At Cerebral Chiropractic, we use these calculated corrections to ensure nerve signals improve and the body’s coordination returns. Improving nerve signals in the body and through the brain unlocks maximum physical potential.

How to Get Started

Our chiropractic clinic is located in St. Petersburg, FL. If you have are an athlete and have experienced decreased coordination, one-sided, weakness, or repetitive injuries and would like to see if you are a candidate for care, please call the office at (727) 677-0001. We will schedule an initial consultation with Dr. Chris Slininger. This initial visit will include specific set of X-ray of your upper neck. Depending on your case, additional imaging may be necessary. If you are a candidate for care, Dr. Chris will tailor a plan, sit down and explain your care, and start the correction process. We care about you, we understand you want the root of the problem corrected, and we are here to help.