Jan 12, 2009
I read a news article today pertaining to an interesting study from Robert Vassar of Northwestern University.
He found that when the brain doesn’t get enough glucose, a process is launched that ultimately produces the sticky clumps of protein that appear to be a cause of Alzheimer’s. The brain can become deprived of adequate nutrients when its blood flow becomes restricted.
“This finding is significant because it suggests that improving blood flow to the brain might be an effective therapeutic approach to prevent or treat Alzheimer’s,” Vassar said.
I'm excited by the prospects of this finding because the procedure commonly performed by many Upper Cervical chiropractors often improves the bio-mechanics of the cervical spine which carries and protects the vertebral arteries. Two vertebral arteries travel up along the sides of the neck, into the skull, and fuel the brain with nutrient-rich blood.
Rotational misalignment of the first cervical vertebra (C1), also called the Atlas, can potentially stretch or apply unilateral traction to the vertebral arteries, possibly altering the flow of blood to one or both sides of the brain.
It's responsible to note, however, that chiropractic care was not a component of these research findings. While condition-specific research proving that chiropractic care can impact Alzheimer's has yet to be performed, the correlation is noteworthy and seems promising from my point of view.
The attached image to this post may provide visual insight into the cervical/vascular connection. A link to the original article can be found here: http://www.livescience.com/health/081224-starvation-alzheimers.html
I hope this information benefits you.