“Phrenic” means relating to the diaphragm. The Phrenic Nerve communicates to your diaphragm via impulses to help coordinate breathing.

When you breath in, your diaphragm “contraction” moves downward, making your chest expand and draw in more oxygen for your lungs. When you breath out, your diaphragm “relaxes,” allowing your chest to shrink back to a small size.

Your Phrenic Nerve exits out of your neck around the C3-C5 region and travels down towards your lungs and heart to supply vital mental impulses through the nerve to your diaphragm.

Every contraction and relaxation of your diaphragm is supported with a mental impulse from the Phrenic Nerve to and from your brain.

An average person can have their diaphragm flex and relax about 16 times per minute, which means you take in about 23,000 breaths a day and, on average, over 8 million times per year!

What’s the value of knowing about your Phrenic Nerve and diaphragm contraction and relaxation?

The value lies in understanding that in order to properly breathe your average 16 breaths per minute, there is an innate neurological communication process that takes place between your brain and diaphragm.

The function of your neurological system affects the function of every part of the body by coordinating the tissues and organs the nerve is innervated with, including breathing.

The spinal bones house and protect the nerves traveling to your internal organs so the brain can properly coordinate function of the tissues and organs. If spinal integrity is less than optimal, organs and tissues can be negatively affected due to the innervation from the nerve.

Chiropractic can have a positive impact on your wellbeing due to the relationship between structure and function that affect the neurological system within the spine. When structure is proper within the joints that house and protect the neurological system, function is impacted through your innate recuperate powers to heal and coordinate proper function.

Choose regular chiropractic as a positive impact on your wellbeing!

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