Spinal Misalignments and Somatovisceral-Viscerosomatic and Nutritional Relationships

A paper exploring the need for nutritional integration for the chiropractic physician

By Dr. Michael Wald

Spinal misalignments have potential and known consequences, not only at the spinal level, but also through somato-visceral (SV) and viscera-somatic (VS) reflexes collectively referred to within this paper as SVVS.

Cellular, tissue, organ and organ system derangements that result from nutritional deficiencies/inadequacies or end-organ disease can reflect their injury to their corresponding spinal segments resulting in misalignments of spinal vertebrae (SV) that are palpable or otherwise measureable by a variety of methods.  On the other hand, VS dysfunctions compromise, to varying degrees, pathways essential for relaying fundamental neurologic messages to the organs compromising their energetics and ultimately result in cellular breakdown compromising or otherwise increasing the nutritional requirement of the struggling organ.

Integration of visceral and somatic information is crucial for homeostasis, health maintenance and disease prevention.  Varying degrees of loss of SVVS-integration either resulting directly from acute  spinal injuries (ASCI), spinal misalignments (subluxations considered lesser “injuries” relative to ASCI), end-organ wasting or inadequate nutrition, can disrupt the delicate VSSV reflex relationships.  Depending upon the severity of autonomic dysfunction end-organ cellular nutrition is compromised contributing to organ-wasting (sarcopenia) and suboptimal dysfunction; these dysfunctions may manifest as subtle or obvious health issues and are also known to contribute and/or cause virtually every major health malady of human beings including, but not limited to, heart disease, cancer, arthritis, chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, glandular/hormonal disorders, increased risk of infection from immune compromise and more.

Efferent and afferent tracks and their terminal projections form the fundamental neurologic pathways (SVVS) that maintain the well-orchestrated communications between body tissues of all types.  Furthermore, the SVVS pathways provide an anatomical substrate for mediating SVVS reflexes via efferent connections with autonomic centers in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord and their peripheral connections.  Through some unknown and known pathways these SVVS communications systems form the fundamental rationale for chiropractic spinal manipulation techniques.  Complementary retrograde and anterograde axonal transport techniques, proven on the light and electron microscopic level, form just one of the physiological mechanisms through which chiropractic adjustments improve SVVS functionality.

Scientific data is abundant regarding the essential and conditionally essential nutritional requirements of cells, tissues, organs and the organ systems that they comprise.  Nutritional deficiencies/inadequacies may result in tissue decay and compromised function reflected in spinal vertebral segments forming of vertebral misalignments.  Spinal misalignments, resulting from virtually any cause (i.e., physical trauma, congenital, nutritional, etc.) can compromise organ function either sub-clinically or clinically resulting in increased cellular nutritional requirements, that if not met, can result outright disability and loss of quality and/or length of life.

Spinal manipulative therapies delivered even by the most skilled of chiropractic physicians may be met with either partial, severely limited  or complete lack of therapeutic results if the cells, tissues and organ systems, the ultimate focus of the chiropractic adjustment,  are not met.  In other words, if the tissues (i.e., muscles, tendons, ligaments, blood vessels, CSF flow, lymphatics, organs, glands, etc.) are undernourished then their neuro-physiologic response to the chiropractic adjustment may be blunted.

Optimizing nutrition for the chiropractic patient should take place simultaneously when receiving the chiropractic adjustment.  A great deal is known regarding the neurologic relationships between spinal segments and their corresponding end-organs.  The nutritional needs of many organs, including those of the central and peripheral nervous system and the musculoskeletal system are also known.  Knowledge of these innate physical-nutritional interactions can be put to immediate clinical use with Blood Logic TM software technology developed by Dr. Michael Wald.  Such a technology must be quick and scientifically accurate allowing the doctor of chiropractic, either seasoned or new to nutritional therapeutics to provide sound nutritional advice to his/her patients within minutes of spinal assessment (i.e., palpation, etc.).

As a second-generation doctor of chiropractic, Dr. Wald learned from his father Dr. George J. Wald who practiced nutrition over fifty years ago, that diet and nutritional supplements along with a healthy lifestyle in other areas was essential for maintaining health and disease prevention.

To contact Dr. Wald for comments please go to: www.intmedny.com or www.blooddetective or call 914-242-8844 or 914-552-1442.

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