The other day a practice member told me they couldn’t wait for their chiropractic appointment. They woke with a “kink” in their neck and knew they would feel better after a chiropractic adjustment. I love to hear how chiropractic is helping someone. And it’s not just “my back or neck pain has gone away or I don’t have headaches or sciatica anymore.” I hear, “I’m not stiff anymore.” “I am standing up straighter.” “I am sleeping better.” “I can play with my kids!” Recently, a 50+ year old man told me he hasn’t felt this good since he was 12. He said he always feels better after his adjustment.
But here’s the thing, while all these improvements are amazing and phenomenal, Chiropractic is not about treating those conditions or treating diseases. Chiropractic is about treating the misalignment and dysfunction of the spine formed from subluxations. All these improvements are ‘side effects’ of a properly aligned spine.
When the spine subluxates, it has multiple effects. Not only do the surrounding ligaments and muscles become stressed, but so does the disc. When a stressed disc is held under poor alignment, overtime, “cracks” begin to form in the annular rings (the outer portion of the disc which helps to keep its shape). This, then, can lead to disc bulges, which can lead to herniations, which can lead to ruptures. Untreated subluxations can also lead to degeneration. A subluxated spine cannot move properly and so it begins to wear down, or degenerate. All that stress, from the ligaments and muscles, the discs, and the bones, lead to stressed nerves. When your nerves aren’t functioning correctly, your body can’t function correctly. Your body’s ability to function is only as good as your body’s ability to send and receive messages from your nervous system. It is this governing body (the nervous system) that guides every physiological function in the body.
So make sure your spine is stress-free by being subluxation-free and enjoy the side effects of Chiropractic.
David Medina, DC