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The back bones, or vertebrae, protect the spinal cord which is a delicate system for sending information from your brain to your muscles, organs. skin and back again. The disc is the cushioning pad between these bones.

You have over 200 bones in your body.  Whenever two bones come together at a joint, there can be movement. Since joints in your spine are so close to your spinal cords and nerve roots, too much or too little joint motion can have serious effects.

If spinal bones get "stuck" and don't move right, they can irritate or chafe delicate nerves.  If a joint moves too much, spinal bones can press against adjacent nerve tissue. This can interfere with the vital "life force" transmitted over your nervous system that helps keep your brain in touch with your body.

The result is a vertebral subluxation, or more simply, a subluxation.

A vertebral subluxation is a change in the position of two vertebral bones. When a change from or back to a normal position occurs. the body will react. A subluxation can interrupt function. These spinal problems, sometimes called fixations, contribute to many health problems. An adjustment often helps restore bones to their proper positions and reduces nerve interference.

More than bones and nerves are involved. Muscles can become too tight or too weak. Discs, ligaments and other connective tissues can become inflamed. Bone spurs and arthritic degeneration can set in.

Subluxations can be caused by physical stress ranging from whiplash trauma to sitting at your desk every day with your head turned to one side. Birth can exert 40 to 60 pounds of pressure on the spine. Dr. Sullivan believes they can also be caused by external factors such as chemical stress from too much sugar and preservatives or breathing environmental pollutants. Mental stress can cause ligaments and muscles to tighten resulting in subluxations.

Frequently asked questions about subluxation