We all know the feeling.
When concentration seems impossible and your brain has decided to take a vacation.
We commonly call it exhaustion, zoning out, or even just Tuesday afternoon.
And though the term “brain fog” seems to fit perfectly, it actually describes something more than just the lack of caffeine.
So, what is brain fog?
Brain fog goes beyond just feeling tired and involves feelings of confusion and disorientation.
It can make a person feel as if the processes of thinking, understanding, and remembering are not working as they should.
It can affect their: memory, including the ability to store and recall information
Why do we get brain fog?
There are several reasons why you could be experiencing the effects of brain fog, but here are the top five we commonly see.
1. Spinal Joint Fixation
This is probably not the first thing you would think of as being the cause of your brain fog, but the health of your spine plays a much larger role in your overall health than you may expect.
Simply put, when the joints of our spine are fixated or “subluxated”, they are not moving like they were designed to.
When the spinal joints in our neck and upper back are fixated or subluxated, it decreases cerebral perfusion, or the ability of the body to transport blood and Cerebral Spinal Fluid (CSF), to the brain.
Blood carries the necessary oxygen to our brain and CSF carries glucose and electrolytes that nourish the brain. When there is a decreased supply of oxygen and nutrients going to the brain, we experience fatigue and brain fog.
Another noted side effect of cervical joint fixation is that it creates stress on the neck and upper back and long term exposure to a stressed joint is muscle tension, bad posture, and chronic fatigue.
2. Stress
When we are over stressed it increases our blood pressure, exhausts our brain, and it weakens our immune response (so we are more susceptible to catching colds and other illnesses).
When the brain is exhausted, it is more difficult for us to use reason, logic, focus, and think.
3. Bad Sleeping Habits
A poor sleep schedule will greatly interfere with our brains ability to function.
When we are asleep, our brain continues to work, forming new memories — both consolidating older ones, and linking more recent with earlier memories. Lack of rest could have a significant affect the hippocampus, an area of the brain involved in memory creation and consolidation.
Eight to nine hours of sleep a night is important for the health of our brain and our body.
4. What we eat, or don’t eat
We’ve all been told to eat our vegetables and avoid the sweets, but what we often forget is that what we eat has a far greater effect on our body than just weight gain or loss.
Vitamin B-12, for example, aides in our bodies ability to produce red blood cells that transport oxygen. When our body is lacking in B-12 and cannot produce red blood cells as it needs, it can result in a condition called anemia, which commonly also causes brain fog.
Good Vit. B-12 foods include fish, eggs, vit. B-12 enriched grains, beef, yogurt and cheeses.
There are also food allergies that can create brain fog and other side effects from eating peanuts and dairy.
5. Medications
Something else you should consider are the medications you are currently taking.
Medication side effects can include cloudy thinking or brain fog.
If this occurs talk to your general physician about lowering the dosage or switching to a different medication.
How can I get rid of brain fog?
Quickly looking at the top causes again, we can identify the most effective methods to get rid of and avoid brain fog.
1. De-Stress
2. Get Enough Sleep
3. Eat Right
4. Review Your Medications
5. Get Adjusted!
Chiropractic care is a great, holistic way to move the vertebrae in your spine into the correct placement – thus removing the subluxation that was limiting proper blood flow.
In addition, Chiropractors perform soft tissue rehabilitation which retrains the tissue and muscles around the subluxation in order to hold the correct vertebra position.
Chiropractic adjustments treat the causes rather than just the symptoms of your pain.
If you’re ready to clear your brain fog and see what a difference chiropractic care can make for you, give us a call at (423)-498-3400 today!
Or click below to schedule your first appointment!
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Reach Health and Wellness Chiropractic is located in the Chattanooga, Tennessee area specifically in Collegedale, TN, a short distance from Ooltewah, Cleveland, East Brainerd, East Ridge, Ringgold, Apison, and Harrison.
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Dr. Ryan Lee is the practicing chiropractic physician at Reach Health and Wellness Chiropractic. For his full bio, click here. *This content is strictly the opinion of Dr. Ryan Lee and is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All readers/viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. Dr. Lee does not take responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement or lifestyle program.
