Hemisphericity: Signs, Symptoms, and Treatment

Pain on one side of your body could be from a brain imbalance!

A common problem we encounter in our practice is a nagging pain that is located on one side of the body. One side of the body will seem fine while the other is chronically tight and achy. Often this pain will travel from the neck down into the upper back, shoulder and arms, down to the lower back and into the gluteal muscles and into the hamstrings and calf all on the same side of the body! People are left frustrated and they will make comments that they wish they could have the affected area cut off entirely and replaced. Patients  may have been to other healthcare providers who say the problem is in their head. If you are one of those people who suffer from pain on one side of your body, the problem may be an imbalance in your brain. The term for this is hemisphericity. Hemisphericity occurs when one side of the brain is under-functioning. The under-functioning side needs to be stimulated such that it is in balance with the other hemisphere.

How does a chiropractic neurologist determine hemisphericity?  

She or he will need to do a focused evaluation to pinpoint areas of the nervous system that are not communicating well to control the body.  When examining someone who has a brain imbalance, it is common to see consistent patterns in the body such as: often the arm and the leg on the side of the decreased brain function will have tighter muscles. This person might have a foot that is rotated outward and the same side his/her hand may be turned inward showing more knuckles. Or one shoulder may be higher than the other.   Also their autonomic nervous system will often be over active on the side of the hemisphere dysfunction. The ANS is the unconscious nervous system that controls things like digestion, blood pressure, and sweat production.

Signs of hemisphericity

• Higher blood pressure on the side of the lesion.

• Larger pupil on the side of the lesion.

• A pupil that is sluggish in response to light.

• In the arm we see carpal tunnel, elbow pain, shoulder pain and same side neck pain.

• In the lower extremity we see sciatica, knee pain, and plantar fasciitis.  

• Discernible changes in movement when comparing right limb to left limb.

• Colder hand or foot on the affected side.  

• Retained primitive reflexes that are more notable on one side of the body.  

• Postural differences: foot flare, lower shoulder, internally rotated arms and forearms.

Treatment of Hemisphericity

To rebalance a hemisphericity, Dr. Vance or Dr. Cruz at Holistic Health Clinic will focus on making changes to your nervous system using spinal adjustments and brain-based therapies.  

Examples of Bain-based therapies may include: chiropractic adjustments to balance the brain, improve posture,  make movement smooth and pain free; A computerized RightEye vision assessment to identify dysfunction in eye movements; gaze stability exercises; and movement exercises to stimulate and balance the brain. Giving patients a plan that is specific to their unique nervous system, we see changes in posture, changes in function, and pain relief.  People stand straighter and no longer have excessive tension in their arms and legs.  

If you’re frustrated, irritated by one side of your body not cooperating with you, please schedule a consultation with our skilled functional neurologists at Holistic Health Clinic.  We’ll discuss your unique symptoms, perform a focused evaluation that determines if hemisphericity is a contributor to your symptoms and create a plan to put you on a road to healing and recovery. Call us today to schedule care.