What is Subluxation?

I guess the next logical topic for discussion is the term 'subluxation'. This is a term that is widely used within the chiropractic profession. The prefix 'sub' means less than, the term 'luxation' means dislocation. So subluxation refers to a joint that has lost its normal alignment, short of dislocating. Chiropractors will also use the term Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC) which describes the negative cascade of effects that happen as the result of the misalignment of a joint.

Why is a subluxation important and why is the removal of a subluxation by a chiropractor so important? Well, there are a number of reasons. The most important reason is that when the vertebra of the spine misalign they put pressure on the delicate nerves that branch out from the spinal cord, resulting in a block of communication. This communication is a two way street, the body needs to be able to perceive the environment it is in. It does this through the sensory part of the nervous system. Once the body has that information, the nervous system sends out communications to the body on how to respond to its environment. If the nerves are blocked due to misalignments of the vertebra both of those communications are disturbed and the result is dysfunction in the body and in the long term disease will result if left uncorrected.

What are the other negative effects subluxations? When a vertebra misaligns the normal motion of the joints are compromised. This lack of motion of the spinal joints causes many things to happen. The motion of one vertebra in relationship to the ones above and below create a pumping motion that pumps fluids and nutrients into the discs of the spine in order to keep them healthy. A healthy disc acts as a shock absorber for the spine and also a spacer. When the proper motion stops, as a result of joint restrictions, the discs start to dehydrate and thin down resulting in what we call degenerative disc disease. That makes the discs more susceptible to injury, namely disc bulges or herniations. The body now considers this area a weak spot and does what it can to stabilize it, the result is osteophyte production otherwise know as bone spurs or even more commonly known as arthritis of the spine.

Also, when the discs of the spine dehydrate and thin down they no longer maintain the space between the vertebra that they once did. This will cause pressure on the delicate nerve roots of the spine that branch out from the spinal cord and exit the spinal column in the openings that those discs once created. If the disc degenerates enough, the lack of space can choke off the function of the nerve entirely.

The lack of motion of the fixated joint in question will cause changes in the soft tissues around the joint. Some ligaments become stretched, elongated and weakened, while others will become shorter, fatter and stronger creating imbalance. Scar tissue starts to develop within two weeks of an injury or loss of motion. The loss of motion will of course create restricted movement that inhibits flexibility and range of motion.

One of the other major concerns when joints lose their normal motion is reduced proprioceptive input to the brain. What does that mean?!! Two kinds of receptor cells that are present in our joints are proprioceptors and nociceptors. Proprioceptors are stimulated when the joint moves, nociceptors are stimulated when the joints don't move. When nociceptors are stimulated they send signals to the stress centers of our brain which in turn trigger the stress response in the body, the release of stress hormones like cortisol. The release of the stress hormones over a period of time will cause every chronic disease know to man. The good news is that if our joints are moving properly and we actually get out and move instead of sitting at a desk all day, the proprioceptors will be stimulated and send signals to the healing and growth centers of the brain, which in turn override the entire stress response.

How do you know if you have subluxations in your spine? Unfortunately for us, many subluxations are silent and go undetected. It can sometimes take years for those areas to become symptomatic. The solution is to go to someone who is trained to detect and correct them, a chiropractor. This is where my years of training are. If you are not currently a practice member of mine, come in for an initial evaluation to find out if you have subluxations in your spine.

Hopefully, you have a more in depth knowledge of the complexity and importance of keeping the joints of your spine freely moving and your nerves free of interference. Remember it is the nervous system that controls and coordinates the function of every cell, organ and system of your body. Keep that system as healthy as you can for optimal health. Thanks for reading.

What is Chiropractic Really?

Chiropractors for over a hundred years have been fighting an uphill battle to be understood. Even today, we are primarily known as musculoskeletal pain relief doctors. When you have a muscle or joint pain (we usually wait until it is acute and painful), you go to your local chiropractor. Most people hope that we can make the pain go away in one visit. We tend to equate being pain free to being healthy (that's another topic for another day).

I can't tell you how many times in a social setting people will ask me what I do, and when I tell them they will immediately point to a body part and tell me where it hurts, when it hurts and how many years they have been afflicted with it and whether or not a change in the weather makes it worse. I just think to myself if only I could infuse my knowledge about Chiropractic to them instantly and have them really understand what it is all about.

Well, I guess this may be my venue to get the word out. I will do my best to keep this short, because it is easy for me to go in depth and if I go there nobody will take the time to read my blog. What gets interesting is that there are those even within my profession who disagree about what chiropractic is or what it should be.

So here goes, Chiropractic in a nutshell. The Chiropractic profession is based in the very basic truth that the nervous system is the master control system of our bodies. It is made up of the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. This system controls every single one of the 75 trillion cells in each one of us. Chiropractors understand that it is through the nervous system that the function of every cell, organ, tissue and system of the body is controlled and coordinated.

The reason we focus on aligning the spine is because misalignments of the spine interfere with proper nervous system communication, which translates to pain, dysfunction and over time, if uncorrected, disease. A chiropractors' main purpose is to restore normal nervous system communication. This is done by realigning the spine through various methods. Once nerve flow is restored, the intelligence of the body knows how to heal itself. Just about any condition you can think of can resolve once the nervous system is functioning optimally as long as you are also providing purity and sufficiency for your body and avoiding toxicity and deficiency (another big topic of discussion in future posts)

That is my tidbit for today. I am just scratching the surface. Each of the thoughts expressed here today have much more depth to them as well as related topics. Please stayed tuned as I speak to more of the misconceptions and misunderstandings about the chiropractic profession. In future blogs I will also be addressing some of the most common negative things said about the profession, there is a good explanation to every one of them. After 14 years I think I have heard them all. I will also be taking the time to go in depth on today's topics to give you a more complete understanding of how vitally important the health of your spine and nervous system is. Thanks for reading.

Dr. Dan