Osso temporale - nervi cranici

"The Temporal Fault and cranial nerve involvement

Physicians who perform neurological evaluations have numerous signs and symptoms to look for in patients with cranial nerve problems. Applied kinesiology has added a significant number of functional neurological tests that indicate cranial nerve involvement in their patients.

Cranial nerves 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, and 11 all have relationships with the temporal bone. The nuclei of all the motor branches of the cranial nerves are located in the area between and below the occiput and the temporal bones, i.e., the brainstem. These are all true peripheral nerves in the sense that they synapse external to the central nervous system. In addition to the head, the cranial nerves also have significant functions in the neck, chest, and abdomen. Every time we change any relationship between the occiput and temporals, especially affecting the tentorium cerebelli, we affect the tissue tension around all of these nerves. This is particularly important if we think of the far-reaching influences of the vagus nerve and when we think of the frequency with which vestibular and auditory (cranial nerve VIII), neck (cranial nerve XI), and digestive problems (cranial nerve X) are encountered in clinical practice.

(The importance of the cerebellum, between and below the two temporals, can hardly be under-emphasized.)

The jugular foramen is the intervertebral foramina between the occiput and the temporal bone. The foramen contains (1) the jugular vein, (2) the vagus nerve, (3) the spinal accessory, and (4) the glossopharyngeal nerve. Dr. Goodheart describes it as though there are four fingers coming out of your jacket’s sleeve.

The border of the temporal with the occiput, the occipito-mastoid suture, is an elongated crevice that remains open throughout life. The open architecture of the jugular and petrous portions makes the cranial base portion of the temporals, as well as the occiput and sphenoid, susceptible to subluxation. There can be foraminal encroachment here because of dural sleeve occlusion.

This may produce vagal signs and symptoms (S/S), glossopharyngeal (S/S), and spinal accessory (S/S), and temperature differences in the face and neck. The diagnostic signs of cranial nerve entrapment at the jugular foramina, according to Dr. Goodheart, are as follows [55]:

? Cranial Nerve IX (S/S):

? Uvula deviated to one side; swallowing problems.

? Upper pharynx muscles innervated by the glossopharyngeal nerve. Patients don’t complain of it.

? Very few uvula hang down in the center. Uvula deviation will be found frequently if we look for it. Patients can’t taste bitterness on the tongue…posterior 2/3 of tongue innervated by glossopharyngeal nerve.

? Cranial Nerve X (S/S):

? Cardiac rate, rebound tenderness of the abdomen; digestion. Child not gaining weight properly. Spastic pyloric valve; vomiting. Common in children 2.5 years and up. Not so common in younger children.

? Check to see if one foot turns in better than the other.

? Check tone of abdomen between one side and another. Usually will be much tighter on one side than another.

? Both will improve after correction of universal cranial fault or jugular foramen decompression technique. Frequently, compression of ventricle 4 (CV-4) is also needed.

? It should be remembered that faults producing (S/S) attributable to cranial nerve X would likely be producing signs in cranial nerve IX because of their intimate association. The nuclei of both cranial nerves are in the floor of the 4th ventricle, and the ganglia are in the same jugular foramen.

? Cranial Nerve XI (S/S):

? SCM, upper trapezius, or splenius capitus tension or weakness.

? AK testing of the SCM and upper trapezius and splenius capitus muscles offers cranial technicians one of the most immediately available and accurate windows on the cranial nerve system in the therapeutic world today. Cranial faults producing irritation to cranial nerve XI will frequently be affecting other cranial nerves when tested.

? Cranial Nerve XI and the entire cranial nerve system are so intimately related as to be inseparable due to dysfunctions at the jugular foramen.

? Whenever cranial nerve XI dysfunction is found, a complete evaluation of all the cranial nerves should be made. Because cranial nerves usually carry dural and pia mater sleeves with them, it is critical to evaluate all of them when dural tension is discovered in a patient. When this is done and treatment is given to all the faults found, patients may experience undreamed of improvements in their clinical pictures.

? Jugular vein (S/S): Since 90-95% of the venous blood exits the brain at the jugular foramen, you will feel one side of the face to be of a different temperature than the other side. Measure the patient’s facial temperature…usually one side will be warmer than the other. Thermistor, hand, or any other heat measuring devise can be used."

-- Cuthbert SC, "The Temporal Bone Cranial Fault: A Resume of ‘The Trouble Maker,’ With A Focus On The Proprioceptive and Vestibulo-Ocular Syndromes", ICAKUSA Collected Papers, 2005