What Is A Subluxation?
Sub – less than
Luxation – dislocation
A subluxation refers to a partial dislocation of a joint or vertebra, where the vertebrae or bones involved are misaligned or restricted. This misalignment can put pressure on surrounding nerves and muscles. Subluxations can lead to discomfort, reduced range of motion, stiffness, joint degeneration and in more extreme conditions, pain. Subluxations can also lead to organ dysfunction, hormonal imbalance, inflammation and weaken your immunity.
The spine has 24 vertebrae from our head to our pelvis. Each individual vertebrae needs to move independently of the one above and below it. Due to stress, your spine can develop subluxations. Subluxations can irritate and/or put pressure on the nerve that exits at that spinal level causing dysfunction.
Are Subluxations Serious?
The brain is the main computer of the body. It requires the correct information from your body through the nervous system to maintain homeostasis. The brain monitors, coordinates, regulates and directs every single organ, gland, tissue and cell in the body. When you are under stress, your spine acts like a circuit breaker and causes subluxations.
Our nerves are very sensitive structures. When is it good to have constant pressure on your nerves? Never. Subluxations cause a breakdown in brain body communication. This disruption causes stress in your nervous system and brain and weakens your body and overall health. Every nerve that comes out from your spine goes to three things: an area of your skin, a muscle group and an organ system. When a subluxation is present in your spine, you can experience different things, such as numbness and/or tingling, they can affect your muscles causing muscle weakness, muscle contractions or muscle spasms and they can even cause a decrease in organ function. Subluxations can cause any combination of these things and of various degrees. The last thing to show up when a subluxation is present is pain. However, you will experience pain only in the most acute or extreme situation. This is why pain is a very poor indicator for health. Ninety percent of the time you will have a decrease in function BEFORE you experience any pain. This decrease in function can look like headaches, fatigue, sleeping difficulty, sinus or allergy issues, digestion problems, breathing problems, hormonal imbalance, inflammation, a weakened immune system or frequently getting sick, numbness/tingling, chronic tightness in your neck, shoulders, mid back or low back, just to name a few.
Why Should You Care?
As long as subluxations are present in your spine, your body will be operating at a decreased level of function and your body does NOT have the ability to heal itself. In the presence of subluxations, your brain cannot communicate efficiently to that specific part of your body. Without proper communication from your brain, your body simply cannot and will not heal. Subluxations disrupt homeostasis and contribute to many symptoms and health challenges. You can be asymptomatic and still have subluxations and dysfunction.
How Do You Fix Subluxations?
Chiropractors are trained to seek out, locate and correct subluxations by delivering a specific chiropractic adjustment. The adjustment corrects the subluxation by putting motion back into that spinal level. This motion releases the pressure on the nerve and restores proper brain body communication and homeostasis. Proper brain body communication is essential for your body to express health. Chiropractic adjustments are a hug for your brain and balances the nervous system.
Life depends on you being at your best. Chiropractic can help you function better to get more out of your life. Your spinal health is paramount and the gateway to your overall health and how well you function.
If you have never been checked by a chiropractor before, call Dr. Keith for a complimentary screening and simply get checked. It will take 15 minutes of your time to get educated about your spine and the potential for subluxations.