Vertebral Subluxation

A vertebral subluxation is a misalignment of the spine which isn’t always visible on an x-ray and causes a host of signs and symptoms. Your spine in many ways is the heart of your bone structure; it has a massive effect on your overall, general health. For years, doctors and chiropractors have stated that by looking at the state of a person’s sign, diseases, injuries, and ill health can be seen.

Maintaining a healthy, straight spine has a massive effect on the workings of the rest of your body. A subluxation in your spine can interrupt your digestive system in its ability to efficiently produce what’s necessary for your body to digest what you eat. In turn, when your body is not receiving the nutrients that it needs, your organs, tissues, and cells are working at a loss. A subluxation can cause a noticeable decrease in coordination and a feeling of overwhelming fatigue. Your body needs the spine to act as its properly functioning foundation, as every part of it is in one way or another dependent on a nervous system that is fully doing its job.

“Subluxation” is used to describe the changed position of the vertebra within your spine and the loss of function that it causes. The medical definition is “a partial abnormal separation of the articular surfaces of a joint.” This condition is not a static one that is corrected and then can be ignored, but a process in which the tissues themselves undergo change to build a stronger, properly aligned spine.

Subluxation can occur at any age and has three main causes. Stress is the first and most common, followed by trauma, and toxins.

Stress is one of the most dangerous conditions facing Americans today. It is a sneaky condition that does not get addressed as often as it should because many feel like they should just shrug it off, not realizing the huge physical effects it’s causing their bodies. While experiencing stress, you automatically begin tightening the muscles in your neck and upper back. If this goes on for an extended period of time, the muscles can cause major issues for the rest of your body.

A car accident or a bad fall can certainly cause a misalignment of the spine, but smaller traumas experienced daily often have an even bigger effect. If you’re carrying a heavy bag on one shoulder every day, or continually walking in high heels, or sitting at a computer for extended periods of time, your spine will suffer. These causes are often more difficult to address because many struggles to change repeated habits.

Toxins are brought into your body through processed foods, the pollution around us, even water. This imbalance of the homeostasis of your body can lead to muscle contractions or a change of fiber length in your muscles, which causes a subluxation.

Patients suffering from subluxation may experience difficulty in movement of the head or neck. You might also be experiencing migraines, anxiety, fatigue, dizziness, allergies, or difficulty sleeping. Your central nervous system plays a huge role in your bodily functions, so common symptoms are felt in the ears, nose, and throat when suffering from a spinal subluxation.

Spinal manipulations, or chiropractic adjustments, are the techniques used by chiropractors to free your misaligned vertebrae from its position and return it to its correct location in your spine. Once this is completed, your body is able to heal and return to homeostasis.