Parasympathetic Nervous System Dysfunction Treatment in Westminster Denver Colorado
What
is the parasympathetic nervous system?
●
Your
parasympathetic nervous system is part of your autonomic nervous system. It
could be called your “automatic” nervous system, as it’s responsible for many
functions that you don’t have to think about to control. This can include
control of your heart rate, blood pressure, digestion, urination and sweating,
among other functions.
●
The
parasympathetic part of your autonomic nervous system balances your sympathetic
nervous system. While your sympathetic nervous system controls your body’s
“fight or flight” response, your parasympathetic nervous system helps to
control your body’s response during times of rest.
What
does the parasympathetic nervous system do?
Your
parasympathetic nervous system’s job is usually to relax or reduce your body’s
activities. Because of the signals it carries, the rhyming phrases “rest and
digest” or “feed and breed” are easy ways to remember what your parasympathetic
nervous system does.
Your
parasympathetic nervous system can have the following effects:
●
Eyes:
It constricts your pupils to limit how much light enters your eyes. It also
makes changes that can help improve your close-up vision, and causes tear
production in your eyes.
●
Nose and mouth: It makes glands in your mouth produce saliva, and glands
in your nose produce mucus. This can be helpful with digestion and breathing
during times of rest.
●
Lungs:
It tightens airway muscles and ultimately reduces the amount of work your lungs
do during times of rest.
●
Heart:
It lowers your heart rate and the pumping force of your heart.
●
Digestive
tract: It increases your rate of digestion and diverts energy to help you
digest food. It also tells your pancreas to make and release insulin, helping
your body break down sugars into a form your cells can use.
●
Waste
removal: It relaxes the muscles that help you control when you pee (urinate) or
poop (defecate).
● Reproductive system: It manages some of your body’s sexual
functions, including feeling aroused (erections in people with a penis and
secreting fluids that provide lubrication during sex in people with a vagina).
What’s
the difference between the parasympathetic and sympathetic nervous systems?
●
Your
sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems have opposite but complementary
roles. Your sympathetic nervous system carries signals that put your body’s
systems on alert, and your parasympathetic carries signals that return those
systems to their standard activity levels.
●
Your
sympathetic nervous system takes the lead when your safety and survival are at
risk, but that system’s actions can strain body systems when it’s active for
too long. Because these two systems offset each other, they help maintain
balance in your body.
●
Your
parasympathetic nervous system also manages the activity in organs throughout
your body when you feel calm and safe. These functions don’t involve risk or
danger but are still key in keeping you alive and healthy.
Where
is the parasympathetic nervous system located?
●
Your
parasympathetic nervous system is one of two parts of your autonomic nervous
system. Your autonomic nervous system is a subsystem of your peripheral nervous
system, which is all the nervous tissue in your body excluding your brain and spinal
cord.
●
Your
parasympathetic nervous system uses four of your 12 cranial
nerves. These are nerves that connect
directly to your brain. Three of those four only involve your senses and glands
connected to your eyes, nose and mouth.
●
The
fourth, your vagus nerve, connects to part of your mouth and also extends down
through your neck to your chest and abdomen (belly). Your vagus nerve makes up
about 75% of your parasympathetic nervous system overall, connecting to your
heart, lungs and other vital internal organs.
●
Farther
down, 31 spinal nerves connect directly to your spinal cord, but your
parasympathetic nervous system only uses some of them in the lower part of your
spine. This sends signals to your bladder and bowels to relax so you can use
the bathroom.
What
are the common conditions and disorders that affect the parasympathetic nervous
system?
Many
conditions and problems can affect your autonomic nervous system, including
your parasympathetic nervous system. Potential problems include:
●
Type
2 diabetes. Uncontrolled Type 2 diabetes can damage your autonomic nervous
system, including your parasympathetic nervous system.
●
Congenital
and genetic conditions. These are disorders or conditions you have at birth.
You have genetic conditions because you inherit them from one or both parents.
Inherited forms of amyloidosis can cause parasympathetic nervous system problems.
●
Parasympathetic
nervous system problems can cause incontinence when there’s damage to the
nerves that control your bladder and bowels.
●
Multiple
system atrophy. This severe condition is similar to Parkinson’s disease,
damaging autonomic nerves over time.
●
Sexual
dysfunction. People with parasympathetic nervous system damage may have erectile
dysfunction.
● Trauma. Nerve damage from injuries is potentially long-term
or even permanent. This is especially the case when you have injuries to your
spinal cord or main nerve structures that impair or cut off parasympathetic
connections farther down.
What
are some common signs and symptoms of parasympathetic nervous system problems?
Your
parasympathetic nervous system controls processes in your body that should
happen automatically. That means these problems usually get noticed when
something doesn’t happen as expected. Possible symptoms include:
●
Constipation.
●
Fast
heart rate (tachycardia) even when resting.
●
Heart
rhythm problems (including arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation).
●
Sexual
dysfunction.
● Trouble digesting food (including gastroparesis).
What
are some common tests to check parasympathetic nervous system functions?
Potential
tests include:
●
Blood
tests (these can detect many problems, ranging from immune system problems to
the levels of neurotransmitters in your blood).
●
Electrocardiogram
(EKG).
●
Genetic
testing.
●
Magnetic
resonance imaging (MRI).
● Sweat testing (including how much you sweat and seeing if
there are places on your body where you don’t sweat as you should).
What
are the common treatments for parasympathetic nervous system conditions?
Treating
conditions that affect your parasympathetic nervous system is often
challenging. That’s because the treatments can change dramatically, depending
on what’s behind the problem. The treatments can also include many different
approaches, ranging from medication to surgery.
Sometimes,
treatment of a parasympathetic nervous system problem requires treating or
curing an underlying problem. In other cases, a condition isn’t curable, and
the goal will be to treat and minimize the impact of symptoms.
How can I prevent conditions and problems that affect the
sympathetic nervous system?
Prevention
can make all the difference in protecting and maintaining your parasympathetic
nervous system. The best preventive measures include:
●
Eat
a balanced diet. Vitamin deficiencies, especially vitamin B12, can damage your
nervous system. You should also avoid overusing vitamins (especially B6, which
has toxic effects on your nervous systems at high levels).
●
Avoid
abusing drugs and alcohol. Substance use, including frequent heavy drinking,
can have toxic effects and damage your sympathetic nervous system.
●
Stay
physically active and maintain a healthy weight. Type 2 diabetes damages your
autonomic nerves over time. That’s why preventing it, or at least delaying when
it starts, can make a big difference in your overall well-being.
●
Wear
safety equipment as needed. Safety equipment can be a big help if you want to
prevent nerve damage from injuries, regardless of whether you use the equipment
during work or play activities.
● Manage chronic conditions as recommended. If you have a
chronic condition that can damage your nervous system, you should take steps to
manage this condition. Your healthcare provider can help guide you on how to do
that. That guidance can make a big difference in helping you limit the
condition’s progress or how it affects your life.
Our
expert providers are experienced and skilled at treating parasympathetic
nervous system dysfunction and are your
source for expert treatment of parasympathetic nervous system dysfunction in
Westminster and Denver Colorado. Not only are we the premier treatment for
spine injuries and chiropractic in Westminster and Denver Colorado, but we also
specialize in many other advanced treatment techniques such as shockwave, cold
laser, graston technique, KT Taping, activator, instrument aided spinal
alignments, drop table, toggle, in house rehab services, and on site digital
xrays. We are your Premier destination for parasympathetic nervous system
dysfunction treatment in Westminster Colorado and Denver Colorado Chiropractor.