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Since its founding as a profession in 1895, chiropractic has become
the second largest primary healthcare field in the world and one of
the fastest growing. The popularity of chiropractic can be traced to
several factors, including a general increased interest in wellness
and holistic health, an awareness of the dangers posed by many
conventional medical procedures and drugs, and the very high patient
satisfaction that is a hallmark of the profession. The search for a
non-medical approach that respects the body's innate healing
abilities has led millions of people directly to chiropractic.
Although many people still associate chiropractic only with back and
neck pain, it has also been shown to be safe and effective in
improving function and enhancing performance of the body's healing
powers. With chiropractic's emphasis on wellness, patients have
also recovered from a variety of injuries, illnesses, and many other
serious health problems.
The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between the
structure of the spine and the function coordinated by the nervous
system, and how this relationship affects the preservation and
restoration of health. When there is nerve interference caused by
misalignments in the spine, known as subluxations, tension and/or
pain can occur and the body's defenses can be diminished. By
adjusting the spine to remove subluxations, normal nerve function
can be restored.
The spinal column, or backbone, consists of 24 small bones called
vertebrae and extends from the back of the skull to below the small
of the back. The vertebrae form a protective "tunnel" for the spinal
cord. Pairs of spinal nerves branch off the spinal cord between each
of the vertebra and extend to every part of the body, including
muscles, bones, organs, and glands. Over this complex highway of
nerves, the brain sends messages that regulate all bodily functions
and receives feedback about the health and functioning of each part
of body.
When subluxation occurs, it can result in tension in the tissues of
the nervous system. This, in turn, can impede the functioning of
the nervous system, resulting in diminished or distorted
communication between the brain and the rest of the body, and
contributing to a wide variety of health problems. For instance,
tension in the lower back may force a person to compensate by
bending forward, which can interfere with the movement of the ribs
and restrict the functioning of the lungs. It may also cause the
neck muscles to contract, which in many cases can lead to muscle
spasms, headaches, strained vision, or balance and coordination
problems.
Usually symptoms related to spinal misalignment are quite clear and
can include muscle spasms, pain, headaches, stiffness, or digestive
difficulties. These symptoms are actually valuable messages from the
body to alert the person that a problem already exists. The effects
of subluxation can also be far more subtle or even completely
imperceptible, however, and can slowly undermine one's health. The
distorted nerve slow caused by the vertebral subluxation can cause
longterm damage to organs, which does not become obvious until the
condition has progressed.
When the vertebrae are properly aligned, the spine remains mobile,
allowing the electrical impulses from the brain to travel freely
along the spinal cord to the organs, thus maintaining healthy
function. When subluxations occur, they impede this normal flow in
the nerve structures, which in turn affects normal organ function.
Millions of patients who have suffered for years report finding
relief from back pain, asthma, headaches, hearing problems, and a
long list of other disease conditions after receiving chiropractic
care and discovering the role that subluxation played in their
illness.
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