There’s a small but powerful region in your body where the skull meets the neck—called the craniocervical junction. Most people have never heard of it, yet this area plays a central role in nearly every major function of your nervous system and brain health.
It’s where your spinal cord connects to the brain and sends messages to every part of your body. It’s also the pathway for most of your brain’s blood supply and cerebrospinal fluid—the substance that nourishes and detoxifies your central nervous system.
In short, this region is essential to your health, but it’s rarely checked in routine medical care.
The Missing Link in Most Health Exams
From birth to adulthood, we undergo countless health checks for blood, heart, lungs, and organs—but the craniocervical junction is often ignored. Outside of chiropractors, osteopaths, and some bodyworkers, very few healthcare practitioners routinely assess this critical area.
Thankfully, that’s starting to change. New technologies like functional MRI now reveal how misalignments in the upper neck can negatively impact:
- Neurological pathways
- Cerebrospinal fluid flow
- Blood circulation in and out of the brain
One landmark publication, The Craniocervical Syndrome and MRI (2015), featured findings from Dr. Scott Rosa on the impact of C0-C1 and C1-C2 misalignments. His research showed that trauma-induced shifts in the upper cervical spine could disrupt fluid flow and compromise neural structures—potentially contributing to conditions like multiple sclerosis and chronic cerebrospinal venous insufficiency.
The Chiropractic Connection
Chiropractors have been addressing these misalignments—called vertebral subluxations—for more than 120 years. When the spine is misaligned, it interferes with nerve communication, blood flow, and cerebrospinal fluid dynamics.
These issues often go undetected, yet they may quietly influence energy levels, neurological symptoms, chronic pain, or even brain fog.
At Miracle Life Chiropractic, we consider periodic spinal checkups essential for people of all ages. Ensuring that the spine is properly aligned helps maintain optimal nervous system function and long-term health.
As someone who regularly checks my own spine and my family’s, I can say with confidence: this is one of the most important steps you can take toward lasting wellness.
If you’re new to chiropractic care or haven’t had your upper cervical spine assessed, we would be honored to guide you through the process. Let’s make sure this vital junction is supporting—not interfering with—your health.