Chiropractic is one of the western world’s three major healing professions. The other two are medicine and osteopathy.

Chiropractors specialize in the biomechanical causes of disease and fixations of the human frame – especially the spine.

Here are the three fundamental principals of chiropractic:

#1 - Importance of the nervous system

Chiropractic doctors recognize the overriding importance of a properly functioning nervous system in the body’s maintenance of its own health.

#2 - Spinal subluxations (misalignments)

Chiropractic doctors recognize that pinched or otherwise irritated spinal nerves due to vertebral subluxations, misalignments or other structural impairments alter normal nerve impulses (think a kinked water hose that slows the flow of water) and thereby cause pain and disease conditions – not only in the back – but elsewhere in the body.

#3 - Chiropractic Adjustments

Chiropractic doctors recognize that when spinal nerve irritations are cleared by means of chiropractic adjustments and other chiropractic care, the nervous system’s normal flow of impulses can resume (unkinking the hose so the water flows normally) and direct the body’s own efforts in recuperation from pain and disease and help in the continuing maintenance of the body’s health.

What Causes Sublaxations?

Everyone gets subluxations from time to time. Some subluxations are caused by accidents, but there are many causes. Here are some of them:

INJURIES:  Birth Injuries, Childhood Injuries, Falls, Home Injuries, Sports Injuries, Work Injuries, Auto Injuries, Overuse Injuries

OTHER CAUSES: Weak Ligaments, Muscle Spasms, Congenital Defects, Unequal Leg Lengths, Spinal Imbalance, Emotional Tension, Mental Strain, Fatigue

Most Subluxations Correct Themselves

One of the great benefits of going to bed at night is that it takes the weight off the spine. This allows subluxations that developed during the course of the day to correct themselves. This occurs naturally due to the elasticity of the supporting ligaments.

Unfortunately, not all subluxations are self-correcting. Here’s why:

Weak Ligaments. Ligaments are supposed to hold vertebrae in place. But even mild sprains can result in lax ligaments…a weakness that allows subluxations to recur…and which may require chiropractic treatment from time to time.

Muscle Spasms. Muscle spasms frequently cause subluxations, which become chronic if not treated early. It usually takes a series of treatments to get chronic subluxations corrected.

Congenital Defects. Congenital defects or weakness in the spine affect one out of every twenty people.

Unequal Leg Length. More than 10% of the population have significant differences in leg length.

Spinal Imbalance. Normally, the body weight is divided equally when standing. But distortion or imbalance puts a strain on supporting muscles. Many people are substantially out of balance and need chiropractic treatment to become rebalanced.

Emotional Tension. Mental strain and fatigue predispose patients to persistent and recurring subluxations.

Who Gets Sublaxations?

Everyone develops spinal subluxations. Fortunately, most of these subluxations correct themselves when one relaxes or lies down to sleep. When spinal subluxations are severe or persistent they require chiropractic diagnosis and treatment.

The four major causes of vertebral subluxations are:

#1 - Congenital Instability

About one in three persons is born with some kind of congenital malformation, defect, or anomaly of the spine which, if severe enough, produces a basic instability in the spine and predisposes people to frequent or repetitive vertebral subluxations.

#2 - Injury

An injury need not be severe to produce a vertebral subluxation. The spine can be injured in many ways: during the birthing process; as a result of sports injuries. Also, overuse injuries are commonplace, as are auto accidents. Children at play frequently stumble, tumble and fall, which automatically puts them at high risk of injury and vertebral subluxation.

#3 - Fatigue

As fatigue sets in, muscle coordination dwindles and awkward uncoordinated movements can cause injury and vertebral subluxation.

#4 - Reflex Reactions

Just as a person automatically blinks when something comes near the eye, a startling or awkward movement can cause one to jerk the head, neck or back and produce a vertebral subluxation.