The Human Brain is Two Separate Organs

Findings from researchers at Stanford University, published in Nature Neuroscience September 2026, have revealed that the brain is two distinct organs, which are derived from two different biological cells. 

The front and mid part of the skull contain brain tissue that originates from one type of biological cell. This expresses a gene called Otx2 and allows this part of the brain to handle higher-level thinking, language, consciousness and abstract reasoning. 

The back of the skull contains the hindbrain and comes from a different biological cell. This expresses a gene called Gbx2 and is often called the brain stem. This controls automatic functions that keep us alive, from breathing, sleeping, and regulating our heartbeat and hunger urges. The neurons of the hindbrain also control the muscles of the face, tongue and throat, which affect speech and swallowing.

Researchers can now grow certain cells in a petri dish to study these devastating diseases that affect the brain stem. This includes spinal muscular atrophy, a leading genetic cause of death in children under 1 year of age, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is often diagnosed between the ages of 40 and 70. 

Sadly, In both disorders, certain hindbrain neurons gradually cease to function, and the patient loses the ability to swallow. This can cause pneumonia when food or liquid is inhaled into the lungs and eventually, patients lose the ability to breathe. Hopefully being able to study these specific cells of the brain can lead to an ability to help these patients in the future.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Looking to Improve Your Quality of Life?

Perhaps Chiropractic can help. A newly published observational study containing 1419 adult chiropractic patients, evaluated changes in quality of life before and after a course of care. Patients were assessed with two questionnaires. One had the participants rate meaningfulness in their life and how well they manage challenges. The other evaluated fatigue, pain, depressive symptoms, anxiety, sleep disturbances and the ability to participate in social roles.

The study noticed improvements in the patient’s quality of life. Not only did pain improve but so did depression, anxiety, sleep disturbance, fatigue, and social participation. Similar positive findings occurred in a previous study of nearly 2,000 chiropractic patients including those with chronic low back and neck pain, those who were pregnant and those in the military.

According to researcher and publisher, Dr. Matthew McCoy: “Chiropractic is often viewed only through the lens of back or neck pain, but this research encourages us to look at the whole person. How people sleep, function, participate in daily life and adapt to stress are all important parts of health. This study helps move the conversation beyond simply asking whether pain improved. We should also be asking whether people are functioning better, adapting better and experiencing a better quality of life.”

Every chiropractor has their unique style of adjusting and implementing other modalities. Each of these factors can play a role in the positive life changes that one may notice as they follow their course of care. It’s a blessing for me to witness this with my patients. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Information Overload

Do you ever feel overwhelmed with all the information that is at your fingertips? I understand as for myself I take notice of whether I get excited and feel empowered or does something inside of me shut down with that information? I wait a while afterwards, create deeper calm inside and then see if the hype dissipated or if I am still compelled. Patients often ask my perspective about an expert’s opinion regarding an exercise, stretch, pillow, chair, herb, vitamin etc. I ask them to be aware of how their body reacts and to let that be the determinant. That just because an expert touted it, doesn’t mean our body agrees. I advise them to get in touch with their own inner knowing to guide them. 

We all have that inner knowing from the moment that we are born. That intelligence has been quietly guiding us since our heart began to beat. Instinctively knowing upon birth to make our way to the breast and to feed. To cry when hungry or soiled. So many of our instincts get squashed with schedules, cultural demands and a nervous system that becomes over stressed. Our inner knowing still exists, even if we do not trust ourselves and continually give our power to others. 

How can one get back in touch with that inner knowing and feel more confident when bombarded by so much advice? I suggest finding things daily that help your brain and nervous system get into a deeper state of calm. This allows one to be more aware if a decision is coming from that intuitive place and trusting oneself or if from a state of stress, being reactionary or feeling pressured. A few ideas to create calm are: Take 10 second breaks during the day of pure quiet, without a phone or other device. Spend time in nature. Use a Vagus Nerve Stimulator. Listen to relaxing music. Watch funny movies or videos to laugh more. Spend time with prayer, meditation, stretching, or lighting a nice smelling candle. Receive massages, acupuncture, chiropractic or anything else that you notice helps calm your nervous system. 

It takes dedication to learn to trust oneself in this journey called life. Be kind to yourself if you feel overwhelmed and do whatever it takes to get back into states of calmness to make more empowering choices. Allow knowingness to break through and to trust the expert inside of you. This way you’re in control of the information overload that seems to be all around us.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Life Changing Concussion Recovery

In 2008 a college student in Canada suffered a major concussion while playing lacrosse. He got hit in the head, which completely wiped out his short-term memory. He had so much brain fog that he literally couldn’t remember anything. He also couldn’t be around bright light, exercise or do other activities. He had to stop college during his final year. There was no improvement in his condition for months and the medical specialists told him to wait it out. At a certain point he started to wonder if this was going to be how the rest of his life would look like. Would he ever be able to graduate or have a family or get a job? He started to lose hope and then a friend suggested that he see a chiropractor. 

He decided to give it a chance and on his first visit the chiropractor explained how the brain and the spine are directly connected. That if there are misalignments in the spine or other areas of the body, this disrupts the important communication needed between the brain and nervous system. How adjustments reduce this interference, which improves signals in the brain for the mind and body to work better in many ways. He loved that explanation and wondered why his medical doctors never told him this concept, which made so much sense. He received his first Chiropractic adjustment; however, nothing happened, not a single thing changed. He didn’t give up and went to another chiropractor, as he felt there was something to this. 

Thankfully he did as that first adjustment changed his entire life. Within a couple of days, the brain fog was completely gone. He continued getting adjusted and within a couple of weeks his short-term memory returned. Then within a few months he noticed that he was making better choices for himself. He changed his diet, got in really good shape, was able to play lacrosse again and finish his last year of college. He became clearer in so many ways, including what he wanted to do with his life, become a chiropractor. 

He then attended Chiropractic School and remained hyper focused while in practice on the beneficial effects that chiropractic has on the brain. This led him to create a device that measures electrical brain waves that track brain progress during care. This robotics device has a 16-channel brain scanner with 2 Heart Rate Variability sensors to check for stress, recovery and adaptability. It is placed over the head and does not require placing leads or gel on the head. A laptop receives the data and then the doctor and patient can see immediate changes during and after an adjustment. This helps determine if the technique needs to be modified based on how the brain responds and what type of care the patient requires.

This seems to be quite an innovative tool, that I learned about while listening to this chiropractor speak during a podcast interview. What a gift for him to have had such a life changing recovery, become a chiropractor and create this revolutionary scanning device. One never knows where Chiropractic will lead us. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential

Saline, Silicone or Fat?

Did you know that there is a fat transfer breast augmentation available for women who don’t want to receive saline or silicone implants? I did not until I listened to the Rational Wellness podcast, hosted by Dr. Ben Weitz. He recently featured Dr. Robert Whitfield, a board-certified plastic surgeon who does this type of augmentation. He places the fat from the abdomen of a woman into their chest region for breast augmentation. This is only available for those who have had children, as their breast tissue is more pliable for this type of procedure. 

Dr. Whitfield also developed the SHARP Method, which is a Strategic Holistic Accelerated Recovery Program for those with symptoms after they’ve received breast augmentation surgery. Whether it’s silicone or saline, this is a foreign substance to the body, which will form a capsule around the implant as a natural defense mechanism. A certain percentage of patients may experience brain fog, chronic fatigue, joint pain and autoimmune responses after augmentation. These symptoms are often dismissed by health professionals, not acknowledging that implants could be the culprit.

Dr. Whitfield is aware of the peer reviewed data that 29% of tested implant capsules contain bacterial contamination found with PCR testing, not detected through standard culture. Dr. Whitfield developed the SHARP Method to help these patients. Before extracting the implants, he does genetic tests to determine the state of the patient’s detoxification pathways. He also tests hormone and microbiome imbalances along with the PCR test to determine if there is a bacterial overgrowth. The results allow him to create a protocol that prepares the patient a few months before the extraction surgery. 

Afterwords, Dr. Whitfield’s method includes regular follow ups and testing to ensure surgical recovery and improvements in their original symptoms. This individual approach to each patient’s genetic chemical makeup is important as no two people are alike. If you know something is wrong but aren’t getting any answers, be persistent, perhaps a health professional who thinks outside the box can help.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Leg Amputation Prevented

Dr. Kirk Gair presented a complex case in the August 2026, The American Chiropractor, of a 16-year-old girl who entered his office with crutches. She couldn’t put any weight on her leg. Her pants were cut from the thigh down as fabric against her skin felt like razor blades, including the bed sheet at night. Her leg was cold to the touch and purplish red from the middle of the calf down to the foot. 

She had rolled her ankle eight months earlier at a homecoming event. Medical doctors confirmed that she had a sprain, gave her crutches, told her to rest, ice and compress and that she’d be fine in 4 to 6 weeks. Eight months later she was still on crutches and in constant pain. She went to Children’s Hospital, and the doctors had no idea what she had. They said that the lack of blood flow gave her a risk of serious infection and tissue death, so they recommended amputation at her mid-thigh. 

Instead, she and her mother went to Dr. Gair to see what he could do. He told them that he would try to help but made no promises. Dr. Gair felt that the sprain had triggered something that transforms a brief injury into a nightmare that can last for years. Dr. Gair coined this as NeuroRecalibration territory. For when a nervous system loses the ability to stand down, locked in protective patterns that outlast the original injury. The nervous system keeps firing and pouring inflammatory signals into the area constricting circulation, and amplifying pain response. This medical condition is called Complex Regional Pain Syndrome.

To change these patterns Dr. Gair used a multi-pronged approach. Red and violet lasers were applied over her head, spine and leg. He also adjusted her, included other modalities and the mirror box therapy technique. Within three weeks of this intensive protocol the temperature in this patient’s leg was normal. The color was normal. The blood flow was normal and the exquisite sensitivity that had made a bed sheet unbearable was gone. This 16-year-old girl could now walk without crutches and put full weight on her foot. She had her life back and even went to prom. 

Dr. Gair didn’t chase symptoms, instead his protocol helped to reset the patient’s system, preventing her leg from being amputated. This case occurred decades ago and spurred the continued use of his NeuroRecalibration approach with patients. He also lectures and is currently writing up cases for peer review. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Have You Heard of MRKH Syndrome?

MRKH or Mayer‑Rokitansky‑Küster‑Hauser syndrome, is a medical condition associated with being born without a uterus, known as Müllerian agenesis. This occurs in one out of every 4,500-5000 female births. I found out about this after watching an interview of a woman, who had not gotten her period as a teenager. After a series of blood tests and an ultrasound they discovered that she did not have a uterus. She did, however, have her fallopian tubes and ovaries. 

This diagnosis caused her deep concern, as in her religious upbringing she intended on meeting a man, getting married and starting a family in a few years. The doctors gave her a few options for having children: adoption, use a surrogate or receive a Uterine Transplant, which she wasn’t aware was possible. A few years later she met the man that would become her husband and very early on informed him of her syndrome along with their options for having children. He was completely onboard, which created a deep sense of calm for her. 

After they got married, they began looking for clinics that performed uterine transplants and were accepted into a clinic a few states away. They decided to move there to make the whole process easier. The organ donor would be deceased and that person’s family would need to give their permission for this transplant to occur. Once this woman received the call that a donor uterus was available, she underwent the surgical transplant procedure, and it was successful. 

She had to go on many medications due to the rejection that occurs with transplants. Not long afterwards the doctors used her eggs and her husband’s sperm to do in-vitro fertilization. It took and her healthy baby girl was born 9 months later. She will attempt another pregnancy and hopefully have a second child. After that the doctors will take out the uterus as they want her off all the medications to live a healthy life.

I was moved by the experience that this woman had. Quite the testament of how amazing our bodies are and what is possible beyond our wildest dreams. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential. 

Improved Disc Height

A newly published study in the 2026 Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research examined 38 patients using The Blair Upper Cervical Technique. In this study they used X-rays to measure the disc heights of the vertebral bones in the neck, as well as the degree of the neck curve and forward head translation. Radiographs were taken at the beginning of care, then again after three months, six months, and finally twelve months. 

Investigators found a 42% statistical improvement in the heights of the discs in the neck even when initially there was not a significant change in the curve or in the reduction in the forward head posture. As treatment progressed, the relationships among disc height, neck curvature, and head position became increasingly integrated, supporting the hypothesis that the spine of the neck was functioning as a more cohesive biomechanical system over time.

Discs serve as the spine’s primary shock absorbers. They distribute compressive forces, preserve spacing between vertebrae, maintain the openings through which spinal nerves exit, and contribute to overall spinal stability. As discs lose height through degeneration, the mechanical loading patterns change, stresses on surrounding joints increase, and the risk of degenerative changes throughout the spine of the neck rises. The ability to maintain or restore disc height has therefore been considered an important indicator of spinal health.

“This study is potentially groundbreaking because it demonstrates that chiropractic care may influence one of the spine’s most important structural tissues, the intervertebral disc,” said Matthew McCoy, DC, MPH, Editor of the Journal of Upper Cervical Chiropractic Research. This study expands the scientific conversation beyond symptom relief and toward understanding how chiropractic care may influence spinal structure and biomechanics over time. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential.

Pressure Headache

A patient came in with a pressure headache at the top of his head. It began a few weeks earlier and was very concerning. He went to his medical doctor and had an MRI as the symptoms were severe. The results came back negative, which was a relief. His wife suggested that he come in for an adjustment, as he hadn’t seen me in a while, which he thought was a good idea. 

He informed me that lying flat on his back in bed caused the worst amount of pressure. He could, however, sleep upright and as the day went on that intense pressure lessened but was always there. He felt that a valve just needed to be released inside of his head. I learned long ago to listen to my patients as they often have an awareness of what they need. Chiropractors check for joint misalignments as the root cause of one’s condition and that’s what I intended to do. 

I first assessed him in the standing position, and his head was tilted higher on the left. Along with his symptoms, this too indicated that a structural component may be involved. Once he was on the chiropractic table there were palpable subluxations of the spine between his shoulder blades and in the neck. I released those areas and then worked on the plates of his head. I had him stand up again and his head was no longer tilted, which indicated a positive structural change. He then booked another session, which was great due to the severity of his symptoms. I find that it’s preferable to get checked and adjusted more often initially to release as much of the stuck patterns as possible.

Later that day his wife reached out to me to say, “Her husband was feeling better than he had in 2 weeks and was looking forward to seeing me at his next appointment”. I was so happy to hear this. On his next visit he confirmed that the headache was gone, however, due to sitting in Zoom meetings all day, tightness was beginning to build up, and he was feeling fuzzy minded. He asked me to do again what I did on his last visit as this really helped him, so I began my assessment followed by chiropractic care. I truly feel blessed being able to help others. 

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates Chiropractic care with a variety of modalities to help patients reach their full potential.

Moment By Moment

For the past three years I have had the true pleasure of being in a band singing and harmonizing while playing the tambourine and maracas. One of the band members has a home with microphones, speakers, instruments and other equipment, which offers the perfect set up for rehearsals and house parties.

Every week for those three years I would walk into that home and often see his adult son eating at the kitchen table or standing there cooking. He might share about a recipe that he had just cooked, show off a tattoo in honor of his late dog or engage in other small talk before I would head down to rehearse.

Sometimes he wasn’t at home, but out of town or studying for his graduate degree. At those times he often would call his dad just as we were starting to rehearse. I enjoyed hearing the excitement in his voice as he shared about his day. I would shout out his name so that he could hear me, and when he would say hello back, it made me smile.

After the past couple of rehearsals his dad mentioned that his son’s Bipolar was getting really bad, especially since he couldn’t find work after graduate school. Recently it was his birthday, and his family took him out to dinner. At the next rehearsal he was in his bedroom when I walked in the home. I had brought him some biscotti cookies, so I left them on the kitchen counter with a note to celebrate him.

After that rehearsal he followed me outside to thank me and then gave me a hug, which was so kindhearted. Tragically the next week his bipolar condition caused his passing and words cannot describe how that hit me. From one moment to the next, he was physically gone. What anguish he must have been in.

I’m praying that this young man’s soul is finally at peace in the cosmos. Sadly, the wound in the hearts of my band member and his family shall run deep and forever, as they learn how to live without their son, moment by moment.

Dr. Liselotte Schuster is a Holistic Family Chiropractor, in practice with Nutritional Concepts since 1989. She incorporates a variety of modalities along with Chiropractic to help patients reach their full potential.