EFTA01091792.pdf

One way to diagnose chronic stress from an irritated 10th cranial nerve There are many health problems — physical, emotional and mental — that might be caused by an irritation the 10th cranial nerve. This nerve can be brought into a state of dysfunction by mechanical irritation at two critical places. The nerves pass through the membrane covering the jugular foramen, a small opening in joint between the temporal and occipital bones. Problems can also arise from misalignment between the base of the skull and the first vertebra of the neck, i.e, the atlanto-occipital joint. Restoring function to the 10th cranial nerve is possible, but requires a properly trained, skilled therapist. The function of the 10th cranial nerve (the vagal nerve) This nerve has several different physiological functions. Generally, the vagal nerve is responsible for bringing about changes to the viscera, which we associate with the relaxation response. If there is dysfunction of this nerve, the physiology of the client is locked into a stress response. In addition to this function of relaxation, the 10th cranial nerve is also a motor nerve for several muscles at the back of the mouth and in the throat. One of these muscles, the levator palatine velli is visible in most people and can be used as a guide to determine if there is proper function of the 10th cranial nerve. Chronic Stress is a widespread problem Most likely, the cause of the problem in children is misalignment of the bones of the skull and neck from mechanical stresses from the birth process. The number of people with chronic stress increases as people grow older. By the time people are 60, 1 out of 3 people are suffering from chronic stress from physical, mechanical causes. This increase from childhood is due to the various traumas that we receive as well as the effect of worsening posture with aging. For example, many whiplash injuries result in post-traumatic stress. EFTA01091792 Stress is one of the multiple cluster of factors causing heart disease, cancer, diabetes, asthma, allergy, weakened immune defense system, etc. I am sure that in the group of people with serious illness, or most frequently seeking help from medical practitioners, the percentage suffering from chronic stress is even higher than a cross- section of the population. Chronic stress is a cause of many physical, emotional and mental problems Here is a list of stress related symptoms. You can see that the list includes physical, emotional and mental symptoms. Sore neck and shoulder Dizziness Headache (tension and muscles Excessive daydreaming and migraine) Allergy fantasising Irregular heart beat Anger Excessive use of medicine Heartburn Arthritis with or without prescription Haemorrhoids Asthma Excessive or unreasonable High blood pressure Pains in the chest distrust of friends/colleagues Difficulty sleeping Tightly clenched teeth Uncalled for sweating Irritability Cold hands and feet Difficulty concentrating Loss of appetite Influenza Difficulty remembering Loss of interest for sex Irritation of the large intestine Many worries Back pain Constipation Feelings of fear Minor infections Extended periods of Feeling "down" Clump in the throat depression Feeling of hopelessness Menstruation pains Eye or facial tensions Feeling of a lack of energy or Forgetfulness Hyperventilation heaviness Nervous Increase in drinking or Lack of interest in everything Nightmares smoking habits Feeling of being tense after Excessive eating Poor Digestion exertion Ulcer Tendency to start to cry General anxiety Restless Depression Frequent accidents or injuries Shortness of Breath Diarrhoea Frustration Skin problems Difficulty to agree Grinding teeth at night Stomach problems Difficulty to make a decision Tense / hard muscles Often these problems are considered as separate issues. Constipation is usually considered as a problem of the large intestine. But constipation might just as well be a problem with the irritation of the nerve controlling the function of the large intestine. Being unable to sleep at night because of worry is usually considered as a psychological issue. 2 EFTA01091793 Inability to concentrate might be thought of as a lack of intellectual ability or as a sign of aging. In fact, these seemingly unrelated health issues might all be coming from one and the same source: stress. Here is a precise, quick way to determine if a client has chronic stress arising from muscular-skeletal problems, caused by irritation of the 10th cranial nerve. All it takes to test a client for chronic stress from physical causes is a small flashlight and 15 seconds. Benefits of testing If this test shows that they are suffering from chronic stress, it can indicate the importance of finding the source of the stress and treating that, rather than looking for ways to treat the individual symptoms. In therapy responses of a chronically stressed client will most likely deviate from what you expect in terms of achieving successful outcomes. Their ability to make progress with you might be limited in ways that they themselves cannot control. There is a strong possibility that you will be unable to elicit the response that you want verbally, until the dysfunction has been addressed physically. You will probably find that most of your "difficult" clients are suffering from chronic stress. How to test Ask your client to open their mouth as widely as is comfortable, so that you can see the back of their soft palate. (The soft palate is the back of the roof of the mouth.) It is helpful to use a small flashlight to allow you to see the back of their throat. Ask them to say, "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh." (If your client has a hard time opening their mouth wide enough for you to see, you might ask them to start to open their jaw by pushing it forward first and then opening it afterwards.) 3 EFTA01091794 If there is normal function of the 10'h cranial nerve, then that part of the soft palate, which is furthest to the back, Phikrum al hp will lift up on both sides when the Soh palate person says "Ahhhhhhhhhhhh". Pialophatvtigeal arch Linda larch If there is an impulse on only one side. Palatine tonsil Posterior* wall at pharynx that side will lift up higher and distinctly. It may draw the other side partly up, but there is a noticeable difference between the side with the impulse and the side being dragged along. A lack of clear impulse on one side indicates dysfunction of the 10th cranial nerve on that side which does not come up. The cause is most likely irritation hniarprt of the nerve where it exits the • IX( 0441)ve base of the skull through an •4L 4)4)4 41...) a). opening, which is called the wd) pe, r 4.4.4' S jugular foramen. Cvnloslha.).4 14•0. 4. 4 • 1•4),),4 1)U.) .») This is because the muscle, )) 4 0 , 44V4Inn.)44.1 4400 levator velh palatine which lifts lAula elwle the soft palate at the back of the Woks vim throat is enervated by the motor fibers of the 10th cranial nerve. If the nerve is not working, the impulses do not reach the muscle and there is no lift when the person says "aaaaaah." Correction To correct irritation of the 10th cranial nerve usually takes a skilled cranial osteopath, a cranio-sacral therapist, physical therapist, or a chiropractor trained in Sacro- Occipital Technique. It is important to evaluate the skill level of the practitioner you use in terms their ability to restore proper function of the 10th cranial nerve, which you can see the next time you look at your client's soft palate. 4 EFTA01091795 Many practitioners of the various therapies might consider themselves as skilled, but may not be able to do the job that you require. The better the practitioner, the less time it will take to bring about the desired changes. 5 EFTA01091796