Chiropractic Subluxations

I write to you today with these definitions above to help you, the lay person to have a better understanding what chiropractic means. To a chiropractor and the terms used to describe what we call subluxation, is the basis of what our practice was built upon. All joints in the body can have some type of subluxation and with that subluxation there is usually a loss of functional, structural and/or pathological changes that may compromise the neural integrity of that joint and my influence organ system function and general health.

I will give you an example of an axial subluxation and appendicular “extremity” subluxation.

The vertebral subluxation is the term applied to a vertebra which has lost its normal position and/or motion in relation to neighboring vertebrae. Vertebrae which do not function properly within the spinal framework generate mechanical stress. This accelerates the wear and tear on the surrounding spinal muscles, ligaments, discs, joint and other spinal tissues. Pain, palpatory tenderness, inflammation, decreased spinal mobility, and muscle spasm and hypertonicity will eventually follow.

Additionally, because of the direct mechanical and physiological relationship between the spinal column and the spinal nerve roots, vertebral subluxations, as well as other spinal abnormalities have the potential to impair proper nerve functioning. Once nerve functioning is compromised, communication within the body becomes less effective jeopardizing the overall health and wellness of the individual.

Vertebral Subuxations

Vertebral subluxations have a great number of different causes all of which the average individual is exposed to daily. These causes can be described in terms of physical, chemical, and emotional causes.

Physical causes include acute trauma to the body, repetitive motions affecting the spine, bad postural habits, improper workstation habits and design, and weak or imbalanced spinal musculature.

Chemical causes include poor dietary and nutritional practices, drug and alcohol use and abuse, and the ingestion of chemical toxins in the foods we eat, air we breathe, and water we drink. Chemicals which are harmful to the body decrease the body’s ability to function optimally and reduce the ability to successfully adapt to and withstand internal and external stresses – making us more susceptible to spinal subluxations and the consequences of these subluxations.

Emotional causes refer to stress. Excessive stress or inadequate stress management skills can deplete the body of the ability to sustain normal functions. The impact of emotional stress on physical health is well documented in the medical research and can have devastating effects on the immune system, making the body susceptible to injury and disease.

If you would like to learn more about subluxations, please visit my website at www.spinalinjurycenters.com.