People today most often seek chiropractic care to help manage pain. Some of the most common reasons for seeking out a chiropractor includes back pain, neck pain, and headaches. However, did you know that pain management is only one of the any effects of chiropractic care?
As chiropractors, we are experts in the neuromuscular and skeletal components of the body. We specialize in the health and functioning of the spine and the nervous system. The spine is incredibly important in the overall function of our bodies. It houses and protects the spinal cord, a vital part of the central nervous system. Another function of the spine is to keep us upright and allow movement.
We have receptors all throughout our bodies that send information to the spinal cord and then up to the brain to be processed. After processing the information, the brain sends a reply down the spinal cord, out through the nerves, and back into the body on how it should respond to the initial information. This all happens in a fraction of a second. The joints, muscles, tendons, and ligaments in your body contain a high number of these receptors. They detect movement, force of movement, and velocity of movement, all to help your brain to know where your body is in space and time.
Through physical stress, such as trauma and everyday wear and tear, the vertebrae in your spine can start to move in an abnormal way, causing an interruption in the flow of communication between the brain and the body. The dysfunction can appear gradually, such as from bad posture, or from trauma, such as a motor vehicle accident or a sports injury. The messages sent from a dysfunctional movement can be inaccurate or never reach the brain at all. This affects the brain’s ability to know where the body is in time and space. This dysfunction is what chiropractors call a vertebral subluxation.
Emotional stress and chemical stress also have major effects on the health of your nervous system and can cause vertebral subluxations. Emotional stressors change the way you hold yourself, your overall posture, your digestion, the internal pressures on your spine, and the tension in your muscles. Chemical stressors, such as nutrition, hormones, and environmental chemicals, all have an impact on the way your brain and body communicate and interpret the information from the surroundings. Having a healthy state of mind and a nutritious diet is crucial to your overall health.
The dysfunction created by the abnormal movement in the spine and extremities can show up in many different ways. Some people may experience headaches, neck pain, back pain, hip pain, and other complaints generally associated with the spine and chiropractic care. Other people may experience signs and symptoms that are generally not associated with the spine, such as digestive issues, poor balance, decreased focus, decreased reaction time, numbness, and tingling amongst others.
As chiropractors, we remove the subluxation by restoring the normal movement of the spine and extremities, aiming to return your body’s optimal flow of communication. At Foundation Chiropractic, we do this by specific manual adjustments through the Thompson Technique and the adjusting tool Activator. We also give our patients specific exercises to help support the spine and the changes we are trying to make.
If you have any questions regarding chiropractic care, ask us at Foundation Chiropractic!
References:
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- Henderson CN. The basis for spinal manipulation: Chiropractic perspective of indications and theory. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2012
- Haavik H, Murphy B. The role of spinal manipulation in addressing sensorimotor integration and altered motor control. J Electromyogr Kinesiol 2012;22(5):768-76.
- Haavik Taylor H, Holt K, Murphy B. Exploring the neuromodulatory effects of the vertebral subluxation and chiropractic care. Chiropr J Aust 2010;40(1):37-44