12/13/2025
Congratulations to our December Practice Member of the Month! She is enjoying knowing that her cervical curve, neck alignment and mobility have all improved after corrective chiropractic adjustments at Crossroads Chiropractic. What could this mean for her? Perhaps better overall body function… Did you know chiropractic adjustments could affect the ability of your brain to remove toxins and waste products? Read on…
Scientists have long known that the body depends on the lymphatic system to filter waste, but for decades the brain appeared to be the exception. That changed when researchers discovered the glymphatic system, a network that functions as the brain’s own waste-removal and fluid-circulation mechanism. This system relies on the movement of cerebrospinal fluid, or CSF, which flows around the brain and spinal cord and helps clear out “the trash” (metabolic byproducts such as amyloid-β, tau proteins, and inflammatory molecules). The glymphatic system is especially active during deep restorative sleep, when the brain’s cells shrink just enough to allow CSF to move more freely through the tissue and flush away accumulated waste.
Although still a relatively new area of study, the glymphatic system has already been linked to cognitive health, chronic headaches, concussions, and neuroinflammation. Not surprisingly, this vital waste removal system may be enhanced when you receive a chiropractic adjustment. The glymphatic system’s function depends heavily on fluid circulation, blood vessel dynamics, neck mobility, and the balance of the autonomic nervous system – all things that chiropractic adjustments can influence.
Let’s look first at the flow of cerebrospinal fluid. As chiropractors, one of the most important areas we adjust is the upper cervical spine—the top of your neck, especially around the atlas (C1) and axis (C2). These joints play a major role in how cerebrospinal fluid and venous blood move in and out of the skull. If the joints are restricted, out of alignment or subluxated, they can interfere with CSF flow. Chiropractic adjustments reduce subluxation and restore proper motion and alignment to your neck, helping reduce physical barriers to healthy fluid circulation. Even though research on chiropractic care and the glymphatic system is still developing, studies already show that neck mobility and cervical biomechanics affect how these fluids move. This is one of the reasons upper cervical adjustments can have such far-reaching effects - we have seen patients under our care eliminate debilitating migraine headaches, enjoy improved digestion function and even in rare cases experience a reduction in seizure frequency.
The glymphatic system works best when your body is in a parasympathetic, or “rest-and-repair,” state. Many people walk around stuck in sympathetic overdrive—the fight-or-flight mode—because of emotional stress, chronic pain, and toxic lifestyle choices. Being stuck in sympathetic overdrive can make it harder for the brain’s cleaning system to do its job at night. Chiropractic adjustments have been shown in some studies to help shift the body toward a more healing parasympathetic state. Each input into your nervous system in the form of a specific, chiropractic adjustment, be helping your nervous system settle, relax, and rebalance itself -supporting the conditions your glymphatic system needs to work properly.
Chiropractic adjustments can also play a part in how well your brain drains waste. The brain relies not only on its glymphatic channels but also on lymphatic vessels and venous drainage pathways in the neck. When your posture is strained, the muscles around your neck are tight, or when the joints are restricted, these pathways can become compressed or inefficient. By improving your posture, reducing tension, and restoring proper joint motion, your chiropractic care can help open up these drainage routes. Better drainage means less backup pressure and easier movement of waste out of the brain. Some patients have even described their upper neck adjustments like a toilet flushing and draining the pressure from their brain!
It is important to note that sleep really does matter to your overall health, including the function of your brain’s waste-management system. The glymphatic system does most of its work during deep, slow-wave sleep. Pain, stress, and discomfort are some of the biggest barriers to quality sleep. When adjustments reduce pain and ease tension, your body can drop into that deeper sleep more easily, giving your glymphatic system the chance to function at its highest level.
Lastly, your adjustments stimulate proprioceptive input—signals sent from your spine to areas of your brain that regulate balance, blood vessel tone, and nervous system activity. Increased, healthy sensory input from the upper cervical spine can influence how the brain manages fluid movement, again supporting the overall environment the glymphatic system depends on.
While research directly connecting chiropractic adjustments to glymphatic performance is still growing, the ways in which chiropractic care affects neck mobility, circulation, autonomic balance, and sleep are well-documented. All of these factors play a role in how efficiently your brain clears waste. So, when you get adjusted, you’re not just helping your spine move better—you may also be helping support the system that keeps your brain clean, healthy, and functioning at its best. Just one more way life is better (and healthier) when you’re well adjusted!
*results vary
