Scientists Discover a Hidden Network of 'Mini Brains' That Could be Responsible for Pain - ScienceAlert. Scientists have found evidence of a hidden network of 'mini brains' that could overhaul our understanding of how pain is transmitted throughout the body, and revolutionise the way we design pain medication. The current assumption is that pain sensations are only interpreted by the central nervous system - the brain and spinal cord. But the new research suggests that the peripheral nervous system plays a much more important role that's been eluding us for centuries.
To be clear, this research has only been done in rats and mice for now, and the results need to be replicated in humans before we think about rewriting the textbooks. But given the similarities between rodent and human nervous systems, the finding provides a pretty compelling reason to take a closer look at the peripheral nervous system in humans, too. Especially given the ongoing struggle to create effective pain relief for chronic and severe pain. Medium69/Wikimedia Commons We'll be watching the progress in humans closely.
Groundbreaking Discovery: Vessels Link Immune System And Brain. Research published in the prestigious online journal Nature has rocked and potentially revolutionized the spheres of biology and medicine. The discovery has made large cracks in current medical paradigms by determining that the brain is directly and intimately connected to the immune system via specific vessels of the lymphatic system that hitherto have remained elusive. The paper entitled, “Structural and functional features of central nervous system lymphatic vessels,” opens with the words: “One of the characteristics of the central nervous system is the lack of a classical lymphatic drainage system.”
What modern medical science has long regarded as a “characteristic” in its practice and teachings has now been overturned, causing shockwaves strong enough to prompt the chairman of the University of Virginia’s Department of Neuroscience to say, “They’ll have to change the textbooks.” Diagram of the Lymphatic system without missing link Via: Alila Medical Media. Foot and Ankle Anatomy Images and Diagrams. Anatomy Orientation: Foot images - dorsal, plantar, anterior, posterior, distal, proximal, medial, lateral Dorsal refers to the top of the foot. Plantar refers to the bottom of the foot Anterior refers to the front of the body. Posterior refers to the back of the body In the diagrams above and below, basic medical terminology and orientation are shown for the foot and ankle.
Distal means further from the body Proximal means closer to the body Medial means towards the center line of the body Lateral means away from the center line of the body The peroneal brevis tendon insertion is labeled in the second image and this is a common area of pain in peroneal tendonitis. A labeled diagram of the bones in the foot is shown on the right. A labeled diagram of the bones in the foot is shown on the left. Common structural foot problems that develop at the metatarsal phalangeal joints include bunions and hammertoes. Tendons on the Top of the Foot A tendon is a structure that connects the muscle to the bone. The Rib-Roll Stretch for Thoracic Spine Mobility. By Perry Nickelston, DC, FMS, SFMA Decreased thoracic spine rotation may play a pivotal role in many musculoskeletal injures.
An optimally functioning thoracic spine should have more mobility than the lumbar spine for efficient movement. Today's largely sedentary population, with their dysfunctional postures, live with perpetual thoracic hyperkyphosis, rounded shoulders , forward neck translation and decreased hip extension. The anterior fascial chain is inherently tight and the posterior chain weak and underused. Restricted thoracic mobility will cause decreased stability in distal points, resulting in repetitive-injury, microtraumatic dysfunction. Rarely are the symptoms of thoracic spine rotational dysfunction presented in the thoracic area. The rib-roll thoracic spine stretch is one such technique. To view the entire library of Dynamic Chiropractic videos, click here . How to Do the Stretch Patient should be side-lying with hips and shoulders stacked. Tips to Maximize Success.
Sciatic Nerve and Sciatica. Sciatica commonly describes the symptoms of pain and possibly numbness or weakness that radiate along the sciatic nerve and tend to be felt in the rear, down the back of the leg and possibly to the foot. Sciatica is one of the most common forms of pain caused by compression of the spinal nerves in the lower back, and the leg pain is usually much worse than the back pain. See What You Need to Know About Sciatica The sciatic nerve is the largest single nerve in the human body; it runs from each side of the lower spine through deep in the rear and back of the thigh and all the way down to the foot, connecting the spinal cord with the leg and foot muscles. Sciatica Symptoms Caused By Nerve Pressure The sciatica symptoms one feels (nerve pain, numbness, tingling, weakness) tend to be different depending on where the pressure on the sciatic nerve occurs.
The patient’s pain and specific sciatica symptoms can usually be traced to where the injured/irritated nerve originates in the lower back.