The 'Use It or Lose It' Principle: Brain Health, Proprioception, and the Holistic Requirements for Human Well-being

The podcast delves into the fundamental biological principle of "use it or lose it," applying it broadly to muscles, bones, and brain cells. It explains that physical structures and neurological functions require consistent stimulation to remain healthy and viable. For instance, bone cells are stimulated by weight-bearing in a gravitational field, a concept vividly illustrated by the rapid bone density loss (approximately 2% per month) experienced by astronauts in weightlessness. Similarly, brain cells thrive on electrical signals, which are generated by the body's sensory receptors converting environmental stimuli (light, sound, touch, movement) into interpretable data for the brain. The core argument is that the body intelligently allocates resources where they are needed, and disuse leads to degeneration.

A key distinction is drawn between the quantity and quality of neurological input. While brain cells need signals to survive, there's a delicate balance: too few signals lead to degeneration, while too many can cause burnout. The discussion highlights proprioception—the body's ability to know its position without visual input—as a critical function, consuming 80-90% of the brain's resources and being essential for survival and balance. The host connects the decline in proprioception and mobility to conditions like Alzheimer's, emphasizing that while it's never too late to slow degeneration, true solutions often require intervention decades earlier. This underscores the importance of proactive and preventative health measures.

From a practical standpoint, the podcast champions movement and exercise as paramount for brain health, asserting that the movement of muscles and joints accounts for up to 80% of all signals sent to the brain. It then introduces chiropractic care as a powerful intervention, explaining that spinal adjustments, particularly in the neck where receptor density is high, provide significant and specific electrical input to the brain. This input is described as interrupting dysfunctional patterns and sending powerful signals that improve overall function, with pain relief being a beneficial "bonus" rather than the primary goal. The underlying philosophy is that symptoms are merely indicators of dysfunction, and true health is restored by improving the body's inherent function.

Concluding with a compelling analogy, the host compares human health requirements to those of a plant needing water, sunshine, and soil. The crucial insight is that neglecting even one fundamental requirement—be it physical activity, proper neurological input, or other yet-to-be-specified needs—will inevitably lead to ill health. This holistic perspective suggests that true well-being is not achieved by addressing isolated symptoms or fulfilling only a subset of the body's needs, but by comprehensively meeting all its inherent requirements. The implication is a call for a more integrated and foundational approach to health maintenance and disease prevention.

"use it or lose it"

"the rate of loss of bone is about two percent per month in weightlessness"

"the body is just really smart it's going to send the resources where it's needed"

"the movement of the body accounts for as much as 80 percent of all the signals they get to the brain"

"80 to 90 percent of the brain's resources go to figuring out where you are and that's called proprioception"

"the solution should have started 20 years earlier"

"the balance of signals and the amount of signals is what keeps it healthy"

"pain relief is a bonus and that's really how it works with everything in the body that if we can just improve the function then whatever the symptom was is going to go away"

"the symptom was never the problem in the first place the symptom was an indication that something wasn't working"

"you can never get a healthy plant with two out of three required things"