I have recently downloaded and splurged on some new chiropractic basic science research podcasts that I listen to during my commute, a real nerd heaven. The author of the study, Dr. Kent, has been ahead of his time in our profession. His research has been focused on the basic neurology of chiropractic and how it affects health, body function, well beyond pain.
The article is heavy on basic science. It explores the ways in which mechanical lesions and malfunction in spinal joints disrupts feedback loops between the brain and the body. At any given time, your body is in a constant state of “homeodynamics”, constantly getting feedback from your external environment ( for ex how hot it is ), and your internal environment ( for ex how much food just landed on your stomach ) , and responding correctly ( increase sweating if your body temp is too hot or start to secrete stomach acid to digest your burger ).
One of the first manifestations of a disrupted feedback loop is a phenomenon referred to as dysafferentiation, a big word that describes an distorted sensory input from your body to your brain. Truly dysafferentiation can be caused by several things, but this article explored the role of the spine mechanical lesions because of their prevalence. If you want a simpler image : your brain needs to have an accurate “map” of what is happening in your body in order to produce the right response. Dysafferentiation is basically a faulty, distorted map. ( excuse my nerdy old love of classic literature, but I could not resist the analogy to the Dorian Gray story ).
The connection between chiropractic care and dysafferentiation is that reducing the mechanical lesion at the spine can prevent the distortion of sensory input reaching the brain, and thus an incorrect response. This phenomenon can happen regardless of the presence or absence of pain, and regardless of what part of the body map is distorted. Think about what happens if your body decides not to sweat in 90’ weather or if your body refuses to produce digestive juices to break down that big fat burger…
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/320306138_Heart_Rate_Variability_to_Assess_the_Changes_in_Autonomic_Nervous_System_Function_Associated_With_Vertebral_Subluxation