Theodosius Dobzhansky (1900-1975) was a highly influential Ukrainian-born American geneticist and evolutionary biologist. As one of the most important 20th-century biological scientists, he made evolutionary biology a rigorous, genetically grounded science. In a 1973 publication, he famously stated (1): “Nothing in Biology Makes Sense Except in the Light of Evolution” This dictum is memorialized in […]

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A classification method for nerves is to distinguish them as either spinal nerves or cranial nerves: Spinal nerves exit/enter the spinal cord via the intervertebral foramen between two adjacent spinal vertebrae. Cranial nerves exit/enter the brainstem and/or brain via the skull (cranial nerve XI, the spinal accessory nerve, is an exception: it is fully formed […]

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Some History Humans discovered opioid chemicals about 6,000 years ago (1, 2). These chemicals could cause both euphoria and suppress pain. Initially, these chemicals were derived from plants, like the poppy. The most common legal plant-derived opioid is morphine. The most common illegal plant-derived opioid is heroin. More recently, opioids are made in chemical labs. […]

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All perceptions (e.g., hot, cold, loud, bright, smelly, hard, soft, sour, sweet, pain, etc.) are cortical, meaning perceived in the brain. All pain is perceived in the brain (1). Pain perception is brought to the brain by nerves. Structures that do not have a nerve supply (like articular hyaline cartilage, fingernail) cannot send the pain […]

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The Vagus Nerve and Musculoskeletal Pain By a wide margin, people go to chiropractors for the management of musculoskeletal pain. Recent formal reviews of the chiropractic profession indicate that 93% of chiropractic patients initially seek chiropractic care for spinal pain complaints: 63% for low back pain and 30% for neck pain. Patient satisfaction with their […]

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The Importance of Double Crush and Postural Distortions Background Nerves emanating from the neck (cervical spine) travel into the arm (shoulder, arm, forearm wrist, hand, fingers). When a patient presents with radiating symptoms (pain, tingling, numbness, etc.) into the arm, default thinking is that the patient has a neck problem. Therefore, the initial examination, imaging, […]

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An internet search using “brain injury statistics” will locate an overwhelming volume of data, most of which cite the United States Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). A representative of credible (rounded) statistics reveals (1): Notice that at the bottom of the pyramid, there is a large group of traumatic brain injury persons who […]

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The historic seminal book on orthopedics was written by Nicholas Andry in 1741 (1). The primary discussion of his book addressed the treatment of spinal distortions, beginning in childhood. Andry was a professor of medicine at the University of Paris. The word orthopedic is a composite of two Greek words: Ortho, meaning straight. Pedic, meaning […]

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Integrating Posture, Weight, Load, Spinal Degenerative Disease, Education of Postural Habits, and Chiropractic Care The primary method of public transportation connecting the cities of the San Francisco Bay Area is a train system called BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit). BART passenger boarding platforms are often above ground adjacent to freeways. Driving by on the freeway, […]

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