|
Chiropractors practice the art of analyzing and adjusting subluxations of the spine. Subluxations are less than complete dislocations and involve a tearing, stretching and sometimes rupturing of ligaments. The ligaments are what bind the joints of the spine together but still allow movement to occur. Most everyone has either witnessed a person spraining their ankle ligaments or has experienced this quite painful injury themselves. Overstretching, swelling and inflammation creates limitation of movement and irritation of the nerves that sense pain. When dislocations occur in the bones or joints of the neck, the person can become paralyzed or may even die. Many patients are dependent on respirators because the nerves to the diaphragm coming from the neck are injured.
Subluxations of the spinal bones (vertebrae) can also cause severe injuries but are
generally less severe than dislocations. When nerves to the organs are injured, then the person might experience symptoms such as pain or other dysfunction, but sometimes the injury is silent and the organ does not
function at an optimal level with the person experiencing little short term effects. Over time however, these minor problems can develop into greater problems so your chiropractor should be consulted early in life
(as a child) rather than after many years of nerve system neglect.
Subluxations irritate and compress the nerves coming out of the spinal column. The
injuries to the spinal joints can cause the sensing nerves of these structures to send abnormal impulses to the brain. The range of nerve injury depends usually on the amount of trauma the patient experiences. For
example, an automobile injury with whiplash of the neck can cause severe injury whereas simple posture positions sustained for a short period only cause minor stretch of the ligaments. One way to determine if damage to the spinal joints has occurred is to see if there are any painful spots on the spinal bones that stick out of a person's back when a subluxation occurs. Your chiropractor examines the joints of the spine by touching the different structures of the back and using different testing procedures such as x-ray, to arrive at an accurate diagnosis
of where the subluxations are in your spine and what their effects are on your health.
Since subluxations of the spinal joints interfere with nerve impulses traveling from the
brain down through the spinal column and out to all reaches of the body, chiropractors can be thought of as nerve doctors. Subluxations are one of the most common forms of nerve injury a patient can have. These
nerve injuries or problems can affect a wide range of different tissues since nerves control all functions of the body. Although many patients with organ problems such as wheezing (asthma), indigestion and
heartburn, infant colic or ear infections seek chiropractic care, it is important to address the original nerve problem and subluxation when it first occurs. Consult your doctor of chiropractic for a plan to improve
your neurological health.
|
