Georgia Chiropractic Neurology Center

Brain Based Treatment for the 21st Century!

Dysautonomia, Chiropractic Neurology, the Autonomic Nervous System

Dysautonomia, or the dysfunction of nerves that regulate nonvoluntary body functions such as heart rate, blood pressure, and sweating, can cause brain fog, Postural Orthostatic Tachycardia Syndrome (POTS), dizziness, pain, cold extremities, sweating, digestive issues, anxiety, sleep issues, heart rate instability, difficulty breathing, ringing in the ears, and much more. When dysautonomia and symptoms arise, the area of the brain that is most affected varies for each individual.

In neurology, the nervous system is divided into three categories:

  1. the motor system
  2. sensory system
  3. the autonomic nervous system.

Your motor system allows you to move limbs, speak, and think. Your sensory system takes in information from your world and lets you perceive things like hot/cold or touch. The autonomic nervous system is a supportive system that controls blood flow delivery through heart rate, blood pressure, and vascular constriction. The autonomic nervous system also controls many other functions, such as respiration and digestion. Even though we are taught the functions and anatomy of these systems as separate systems, they are all just one nervous system. They must work together to create an environment that maintains homeostasis.

Homeostasis is where all of the processes and functions are balanced and creating an ideal environment.

If one of the systems begins to dysfunction, there will be a shift in the nervous system’s homeostasis, and if the shift is great enough, a person will present with symptoms. There are certain signs and symptoms will occur when a specific part of the nervous system malfunctions.

If someone has Dysautonomia, we can see almost any symptom.

The autonomic nervous system supplies blood flow to the brain and all body tissues. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients that every cell in the body needs to function appropriately. If the neurons in the brain are not receiving proper blood flow, they will begin to dysfunction; Dysautonomia, and symptoms will arise. The area of the brain that is most affected varies for each individual.

When the frontal lobe is most affected, then the person may have the following:

  • brain fog
  • attention deficits
  • trouble making decisions
  • emotional control issues
  • many other symptoms

If the parietal lobe is most affected, the person may have abnormal sensations or difficulty with spatial awareness. If the temporal lobe is most affected, the person may have memory difficulties, ear ringing, or visual/smell/auditory hallucinations. The person may have balance or coordination issues if the cerebellum is most affected. If the brainstem is affected, the person may have ringing in the ears, difficulty controlling heart rate, dizziness, anxiety, difficulty breathing, abnormal digestion, problems with sleeping, and difficulties staying awake.

There are certain specific autonomic functions we can observe as a window into the autonomic nervous system at the bedside

  • pupillary control
  • cold hands and feet
  • discoloration in hands and feet
  • blood perfusion in hands and feet
  • increased sweating
  • heart rate
  • respiration rate
  • eyelid muscle tone

These are some of the body functions we look at to monitor the integrity of the autonomic nervous system at any given moment.

The autonomic nervous system must function appropriately for the brain and body to work properly and determine if dysautonomia occurs in the patient’s body.

It is a crucial system, and other systems will begin to be dysfunctional with Dysautonomia.

The autonomic nervous system begins in the limbic system in a part of the brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus receives projections from many brain areas, like the frontal lobes and brainstem. If a person has symptoms of a dysfunctioning autonomic nervous system, we can use therapies to the frontal lobes or brainstem that stimulate the hypothalamus and allow it to become stable.

Therapies for Dysautonomia include:

The therapies utilized in your treatment plan are specific to each individual and based on your exam findings and goals of care. As therapies are performed, autonomic findings are monitored throughout care. As the autonomic findings improve, your brain function improves, and your symptoms resolve.