Although more than 50 different types of smiles have been identified and studied, one type in particular visits my office on a consistent basis- the Duchenne smile. Consisting of two subtypes, 1.) a Duchenne smile involves contraction of both the zygomaticmajor muscle (which raises the corners of the mouth) and the orbicularis oculi muscle (which raises the cheeks and forms crow's feet around the eyes). 2.) A non-Duchenne smile involves only the zygomatic major muscle. Consider the difference between the two this way: real vs. fake. Real or Duchenne smiles indicate genuine spontaneous emotions since most people cannot voluntarily contract the outer portion of the orbicularis oculi muscle. On the other hand, we are all very good at faking a smile for various reasons.
This is interesting, but why is it so? What's going on upstairs that creates these two different smiles? Scientists have discovered that these two types of smiles are actually controlled by two completely different parts of our brain. The ‘say cheese’ smile is controlled by the motor cortex while emotion-related movements, like the Duchenne smile, is controlled by the limbic system (the emotional center of the brain).
But, does it truly matter if your smile is contrived or authentic? It matters a great deal to your life satisfaction and quality of life! The pathway of the chronic pain nerve fibers end at different places in the brain than do those delivering acute pain. Because chronic pain nerve fibers end in two places in the brain, namely, the limbic system and the hypothalamus, the interpretation of the signals on those fibers is subject to two main processes. The limbic system processes the emotions and the hypothalamus releases stress hormones. The limbic system is stimulated during the acute pain experience. During acute pain, the limbic system tells the spinal cord to hold back on the pain signals. Temporarily, the brain does not want to receive these signals. With the limbic system working hard to repress the pain signals, and also in cases of stress, the spinal cord is abuzz with activity. The spinal cord can only stand so much stimulation gracefully, after which the pain threshold is reduced. The result is a chronic pain situation where the patient is hypersensitive to pain.
So how does all of this tie into smiling? People in chronic pain usually don’t smile much and if so, it’s the ‘say cheese’ smile. It’s a mask; a fake; a front to cover up what’s really going on inside. The pain signals inhibit the body from truly experiencing and expressing a genuine smile. An upper cervical subluxation is more than just an anatomical event. It’s not just a bone out of alignment. . .it’s a life out of alignment. Everything is affected . . . even smiling.
With the pain signals absent, the stress hormones decrease, the limbic system relaxes because the spinal cord is relaxing. After a UC correction, the REAL person inside begins to rise up, heal and even comes out through those tiny muscles of the eye (OO and Z). In other words, a REAL person begins to smile FOR REAL. They can’t help it. With the absence of pain and the presence of increased function, the REAL begins to shine through. Maybe I’m more like Buddy the Elf after all. I guess I like smiling too.
Call today and get your smile back!
Gibson Upper Cervical
Big on smiles
814.371.7412
