Brain fog is the inability to have a sharp memory or focus. Many of our patients report an inability to think clearly and just don’t feel like themselves. They tell us that their PCP said “eh, you’re just getting older!” Gradual, slow decline in mentation does come with aging but not accelerated or severe brain function decline. Alzheimer’s Disease is not a normal “disease of aging.”
In addition to eating a fresh food-based diet, getting adequate rest, reducing stress, and staying active, there is one other factor to consider: cervical instability. I.E. loose support structures in your neck that cause your cervical spine to move too much. When this happens, guess what? Patients may experience episodes of dizziness, fainting, mental blocks, brain fog, weird eye/ear sensations, and if left long enough, seizures or stroke.
Because of our “face-down-lifestyles” (IE cell phone/device use), our necks are getting stretched, to the point that they can no longer hold up our heads properly. Many suffer with sore necks and shoulders, and find symptoms worsening. More severe situations may arise when moving the head right or left. This was the case for a recent patient who came from the Netherlands. He thought he had a severe case of hypoglycemia, so he was eating every few hours. Turned out that he experienced complete artery blockage when turning his head to the right and looking down. We documented this using Digital Motion X-ray (DMX) and Transcranial Doppler (TCD) studies in our office. You can imagine how he felt to discover this information.
Dr. Hauser was our first patient to receive TCD testing in our office. We were amazed to find out that when he turned his head to the right and looked up, his study revealed complete blood flow blockage. For years during Ironman Triathlon training, he would experience dizziness during the swim. Now we know why!
What did he and the patient from the Netherlands do? Regenerated their loose cervical spines with Prolotherapy and started posture exercises to improve their spinal curves!
