The Missing Key to Unlocking Your Health
Health and its pursuit is what we all strive for. However it’s not a simple case of good and bad health. A more realistic and fitting methodology to gauge health would be on a scale i.e. from 1 to 10, 1 being very bad and 10 being very good.
The field of chiropractic and bone manipulation techniques have widely known that a healthy spine is key to good health. However, they not only go about correcting these bones incorrectly but sadly they also overlook perhaps the most KEY aspect of posture correction. That is the meninges and the importance of the role it plays in your body’s posture.
The meninges is a very strong layered unit of membranous connective tissue that covers the brain and spinal cord. These coverings encase the central nervous system structures so that they are not in direct contact with the bones of the spinal column or skull. The meninges are composed of three membrane layers known as the dura mater, arachnoid mater, and pia mater. Each layer of the meninges serves a vital role in the proper maintenance and function of the central nervous system.
Function
The meninges functions primarily to protect and support the central nervous system (CNS). It connects the brain and spinal cord to the skull and spinal canal. The meninges forms a protective barrier that safeguards the sensitive organs of the CNS against trauma. It also contains an ample supply of blood vessels that deliver blood to CNS tissue. Another important function of the meninges is that it produces cerebrospinal fluid. This clear fluid fills the cavities of the cerebral ventricles and surrounds the brain and spinal cord. Cerebrospinal fluid protects and nourishes CNS tissue by acting as a shock absorber, by circulating nutrients, and by getting rid of waste products.
Meninges Layers
Dura Mater: This outer layer connects the meninges to the skull and vertebral column. It is composed of tough, fibrous connective tissue. Dura mater that surrounds the brain consists of two layers. The outer layer is called the periosteal layer and the inner layer is the meningeal layer. The outer periosteal layer firmly connects the dura mater to the skull and covers the meningeal layer. The meningeal layer is considered the actual dura mater.
Located between these two layers are channels called dural venous sinuses. These veins drain blood from the brain to the internal jugular veins, where it is returned to the heart. The meningeal layer also forms dural folds that divide the cranial cavity into different compartments, which support and house various subdivisions of the brain. Cranial dura mater forms tubular sheaths that cover cranial nerves within the skull. The dura mater of the spinal column is composed of the meningeal layer and does not contain a periosteal layer.
Arachnoid Mater: This middle layer of the meninges connects the dura mater and pia mater. The arachnoid membrane loosely covers the brain and spinal cord and gets its name from its web-like appearance. The arachnoid mater is connected to the pia mater through tiny fibrous extensions that span the subarachnoid space between the two layers.
The subarachnoid space provides a route for the passage of blood vessels and nerves through the brain and collects cerebrospinal fluid that flows from the fourth ventricle. Membrane projections from the arachnoid mater called arachnoid granulations extend from the subarachnoid space into the dura mater. Arachnoid granulations remove cerebrospinal fluid from the subarachnoid space and send it to the dural venous sinuses, where it is reabsorbed into the venous system.
Pia Mater: This thin inner layer of the meninges is in direct contact with and closely covers the cerebral cortex and spinal cord. The pia mater has a rich supply of blood vessels, which provide nutrients to nervous tissue. This layer also contains the choroid plexus, a network of capillaries and ependyma (specialized ciliated epithelial tissue) that produce cerebrospinal fluid.
The choroid plexus is located within the cerebral ventricles. Pia mater covering the spinal cord is composed of two layers, an outer layer consisting of collagen fibres and an inner layer that encases the entire spinal cord. Spinal pia mater is thicker and less vascular than pia mater that covers the brain.
So that’s all the science out the way, but at this point you may be thinking; ‘ok that covers the anatomy of the meninges but what does it really mean to me?’ Well when your vertebrae go out of place and cannot self-correct the pathways and channels for the meninges becomes increasingly kinked and jagged the more injuries and compensation layers you acquire over time.
This causes the various layers of the meninges to snag on one another as you bend and twist your spine. This repeated snagging and irritation creates scar tissue, resulting in a restriction of mobility and range of motion, ultimately contributing to your pain and dysfunction. Click here to learn more.
Another great concern also unbeknown to most therapists is that the snagging also causes your spinal cord/brain stem to have to stretch as your body winds up with layer upon layer of compensation. In the cases of some people it has been found to stretch up to 8cm! Just stop and think about that for a moment.
This will cause innumerable neurological problems such as brain fog, dizziness as well as poor coordination and concentration to name a few. Even your mood and feelings of depression can be affected! Click here to learn more.
The smoother your tissues are the smoother your movement will be and therefore little to no stretch on your spinal cord/brain stem making you healthier overall.
This discovery was made possible thanks to the pioneering work of the brilliant Swedish neurosurgeon, Dr. Alf Breig. His work primarily involved treating people diagnosed with ‘tethered cord syndrome’. He was able to determine that tension on the brain stem was causing various neurological disorders and that by reducing the tension through mechanical means i.e. a ribbon to keep a patients’ head in extension (tilted back) he was able to reduce symptoms.
ABC™ practitioners are equipped with the knowledge and tools to unlock your meninges and the scar tissues that are holding you back via special stretch manoeuvres called ‘meningeal releases’. Although these can be a little uncomfortable they are vital to get you upright and healthy. No other method(s) will get even close.
Let us get to the root cause of your ailment(s). We offer a FREE consultation including a demo of the ‘First Rib Manoeuver’ before you decide on proceeding with any treatment. You will feel the difference to your pain and movement right from the off.