Chiropractic Adjustments

What Causes Misalignments in the Spine (Subluxations)

• Injuries: car accidents, sports injuries, and falls
• Poor posture
• Repetitive activities
• Sedentary lifestyle
• Stress
• Unhealthy diet
• Toxins

How Does Stress, Poor Eating, and Toxins Cause Subluxations?

Stress will cause an increase in your sympathetic nervous system (fight or flight response) which will cause:

• Tight muscles, especially in the neck, shoulders, and lower back. This can lead to a forward head posture, rounded shoulders, and increased spinal curvature. This misaligns the spine and irritates nerves.
• Changes in movement patterns lead to excessive wear, imbalances and weakness in the core muscles, and further worsening of posture.
• Shallow breathing and tightness in the chest due to using the wrong breathing muscles. This also can cause weakening of the core muscles leading to a slouched posture and spinal misalignments.
• Stress can also lead to changes in lifestyle habits such as less exercise, prolonged sitting, poor eating habits and persistent negative thoughts. All these poor habits can lead to more postural imbalances and spinal misalignments.
• Stress can also cause neurogenic inflammation, which is when your brain, as a response to stress, causes inflammation in the body through the nerves. This inflammation can cause poor muscle function and improper movement patterns which can worsen posture and cause spinal misalignments.

A poor diet can cause weak muscles, chronic inflammation, poor nerve function, and pain. All these factors, over time, can lead to postural problems and spinal misalignments. A poor diet comes down to three basic issues:

• Deficiencies of needed nutrients
• Excess of unhealthy food
• Overall excess intake of food

Toxins can come from the environment or from inside the body. Toxins can cause chronic inflammation and problems with nerves, hormones, immune system and digestive system. Toxicity from toxins can lead to tight muscles causing abnormal posture and spinal misalignments.

Environmental Toxins:

• heavy metals
• pesticides and herbicides
• food additives and preservatives
• industrial chemicals, air pollutants
• personal care and household products
• electromagnetic frequencies

Internal Toxins:

• Gut toxins and endotoxins (leaky gut syndrome)
• Pro-inflammatory cytokines
• Hormonal imbalances
• Metabolic waste accumulation
• Free radicals and oxidative stress

How Exactly do Subluxations Cause Problems?

When the spine becomes subluxated (misaligned), degeneration and dysfunction will begin which worsens over time.

• The central nervous system recognizes that the spine is out of alignment and unstable, so it tightens the muscles surrounding the bad joint or joints.
• The tight muscles cause the joint to move in an asymmetrical, unbalanced way which creates further tightening of muscles.
• Over time this creates abnormal wear and tear which leads to degeneration in the disc, ligaments, and joint. This leads to osteoarthritis.
• This creates a situation where all the surrounding muscles must tighten up, which creates global muscular imbalances, improper movement patterns, and abnormal posture.
• This entire process creates interference to the nerves and spinal cord in that area, which can create a loss of function in area that the nerve controls.
• As the process continues it creates more osteoarthritis and degeneration of the disc. This can lead to disc bulging.
• Due to the joint being weaker and more unstable, it is easier to be injured. Many times, disc herniations are the result of minor or major injuries to these weakened areas.
• Over time the body must adapt and compensate by changing movement patterns and posture which leads to more and more problems.

How Do Chiropractic Adjustments Correct Subluxations?

Chiropractic adjustments are a safe, non-invasive, and effective treatment that can be delivered manually by hand where you hear a “pop” and feel a release of tension or with an instrument where there is no “popping”. There are many different chiropractic adjusting techniques. We incorporate multiple techniques and tailor the approach to best address the specific problem. We also change the technique and approach as needed to continue getting optimal results.

Chiropractic adjustments work by affecting the nerves first. The adjustment creates a controlled, quick stretch to the joint which affects the nerve receptors in the tendons of the joint. This stimulates the nerves to stop the reflex which is causing the muscles to tighten up and misalign the joint. This instantly relaxes the muscles making it feel like it’s “back in”. This results in less pain and better movement. The controlled, quick stretch from the manual adjustment causes a release of gas and pressure in the joint creating the “pop”. Instrument adjustments accomplish the same result by directly stimulating the nerves without the quick stretch.

Types of Treatment Programs

Chiropractic care can be used in three main ways that are dependent on the specific condition and most importantly the patient’s goals.

1. Pain Relief Care: Short term treatment used to effectively treat injuries and help obtain quick relief from health problems.
2. Corrective Care: Treatment focused on alleviating pain and symptoms and then continuing treatment to strengthen and stabilize the problem area and improve posture. This type of treatment typically involves other treatments such as physical rehab, massage therapy, spinal decompression and nutritional approaches.
3. Wellness Care: This type of care is focused on maintaining correction and continuing to optimize health and function. Treatment will involve periodic, regular adjustments and continuing lifestyle changes and home exercise. This is the phase of care when patients see continued improvement in their health and energy.

Whether you are experiencing back pain, neck pain, headaches, or other musculoskeletal discomforts, or experiencing health problems and decreased energy, chiropractic adjustments work to address the root cause of your symptoms and problems, not just the pain itself. Chiropractic adjustments also optimize your body’s alignment, enhance nervous system function, and improve overall health and well-being. Chiropractic care is a safe, drug-free, holistic approach to healing that can help you feel better, move more freely, and live a more active, pain-free life.