Homeostasis: What it means to your health

The word “homeostasis” describes the body’s ability to maintain relatively stable internal conditions even though the outside world is constantly changing. Communication within the body is essential for homeostasis and is accomplished mainly by the nervous and endocrine systems.

The endocrine system consists of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, pineal gland, thyroid gland, parathyroid gland, pancreas, adrenal glands, ovaries and testes. All of the organs of the endocrine system are glands. Glands secrete hormones or chemical messengers into the bloodstream which have the potential to change the function of almost all of the body’s cells and tissues. When a gland is working harder than the body needs it to, the hormone system switches off; when the body needs the gland to speed up, the nervous system turns on the switch again.

The hypothalamus, located at the base of the brain, acts like radar receiving incoming information from the nervous system. It then uses this information to coordinate hormone production, producing regulatory or releasing hormones; these travel a short distance through special blood vessels and nerve endings to the pituitary gland, which is often referred to as the “master gland”. When the control system malfunctions – either too much or too little of a particular hormone is secreted, or when an organ or tissue does not respond efficiently – the results can lead to thyroid disorders, diabetes, osteoporosis, pre- menstrual syndrome (PMS), depression, cancer and many other disorders.

The effectiveness of the hypothalamus is directly proportional to the functional capability of the nervous system to send and receive nerve messages and especially to maintain the integrity of those nerve messages as they travel along the spinal cord. Subluxations interfere with the normal flow of nerve impulses and can either cause an increase or decrease of nerve activity.

When the spine is in its optimum structural position, the nervous system is protected and the integrity of nerve impulses traveling to and from the brain is at an optimal level.
This is when the control system of the body can best achieve homeostasis. Have you had your spine checked for subluxation or sub-optimal structural position? If not, schedule an appointment today to do so, your body’s homeostasis depends on it!

About the Author

Dr. Geoff Besso, DC, DCCJP

Besso Clinic of Chiropractic

Dr. Geoff Besso graduated with a Bachelor of Science from Clemson University. Following his bachelor’s degree he enrolled at the prestigious Life University in Atlanta, Georgia. After a four year intensive program, he graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Doctor of Chiropractic degree in 2002. He became an upper cervical chiropractor in Stow in 2005. Dr. Besso and his wife, Amy Besso, DC, opened their practice in Stow, Ohio, in 2005 and have been blessed to help thousands of patients with conditions ranging from Fibromyalgia to Migraine Headaches to Meniere’s Disease.