Dr. Allan Horowitz, published newspaper article, The Liberal, Copyright 1987-1991

Question: I have been going to osteopaths and chiropractors for 50 years. I really feel they have it over the medical profession when it comes to prevention of spine problems and it seems they actually do something for the problem rather than just giving pills or whatever they think will kill the pain for a while.

I have read your articles ever since moving to Richmond Hill five years ago,and I enjoy them a great deal. I have always wanted to ask a chiropractor this question but Iwas always too embarrassed to ask the ones who were working on me.

Do the nerves in the back have any connection to the sex organs? This is not a joke ques­tion. The reason I ask is that whenever I have achiropractic or osteopathic adjustment on my lower spine it seems to improve my sex drive.

I am a 63-year-old man without any great physical pro­blems. I have noticed this phenomenon for the last 10 years or so, and it really fascinates me, for obvious reasons.

Am I crazy, or is there some reason why this might be the case?

I do know that there are nerves coming from the spine to other parts of the body like the liver and lungs, so I thought maybe there are also nerves leading to the sex organs.

I would really appreciate an answer. Thank you very much, and I hope to continue reading your columns for many more years.

Answer: There is no need to be embarrassed. I have had many questions a lot more tricky than yours. The answer is very sim­ple. Yes, there are definitely neurological connections from the lower spine to the sex organs.

The only way for the body’s organs to function, is to get a nerve supply from the brain, which is the master to all the nerves in the body. The only way for the brain to send nerve im­pulses to the organs is through the spinal cord and another ‘nerve system’ called the autonomic nervous system.

The autonomics control bodi­ly functions which are normally below the level of consciousness.

In other words, we don’t have to think about our breathing, our sweating, our crying, our shivering, or to answer your question, our sexual responses.

‘JUST HAPPEN’

These things all ‘just happen’, and actually in some cases they all happen together, and when this happens it is a good thing we don’t have to think about them!

This autonomic nervous system is divided into two bran­ches: the sympathetic and the parasympathetic system. Each of these systems must be in har­mony, and work well with each other in order for the body to maintain a healthy, efficient state. If one or the other is exer­ting too much or too little control then, in scientific terms, ‘things go screwy!’

The autonomics control the function of the urinary bladder. If the sympathetic system is predominant then the muscular wall of the bladder will relax, and the sphincter will contract. This allows the bladder to fill and hold the urine.

When the parasympathetic system is predominant the bladder will contract and the sphincter will relax, therefore allowing the urine to escape from the bladder.

Urination is therefore due to a surge of parasympathetic outflow to the bladder. We obviously don’t have to know that because it all occurs beneath our conscious level.

GETS A BIT TRICKY

To give another example along your lines of thought, the genitals will receive increased blood circulation and be stimulated when there is an increased parasympathetic nerve flow. This will result in erection in the male. Now, before you all start running down to my office to make you young again, here is where it gets a bit tricky.

The parasympathetic nerves exit the spine in the region of the tailbone, at the S2-3-4 levels. Theoretically, and I repeat this is only theoretical, if a chiropractor or osteopath manipulates the spine around the lowest spinal levels, there might be some in­creased nerve conduction which could translate into an increased activity of the parasympathetic nerves, or a “toning down’’ of the sympathetic system, which has the same effect.

It has been proven that manipulation of the spine can af­fect the organs, but it is not conclusive that if you do this specific thing to the spine then that particular thing will happen. But if it works for you, great news, and enjoy!

Address your questions to Allan Horowitz, care of The Liberal, Box 390, Richmond Hill, L4C 4Y6.