Physical trauma
Falls, sports impacts, car accidents, or sustained poor posture, even the birth process itself can introduce subluxation.
Understanding Chiropractic Care
What is a subluxation?
Without proper care, subluxation can cause permanent nerve damage, but the good news is that chiropractic adjustment is designed to reduce or remove it.
Definition
A joint out of position, or stuck.
Subluxation is defined as a joint that is out of proper position or not able to go through full range of motion. This can happen in any joint of the body. Chiropractors primarily work with subluxations of the spine. These are called vertebral subluxations.
If a subluxation is left undetected and neglected, the restriction of motion or poor position will lead to scar tissue deposits which further restrict the motion. This will eventually lead to arthritis. Over time this process will continue to deteriorate until little to no motion is possible in the joint. Even in the advanced stages this process may not cause pain.
Key idea
Chiropractic adjustment attempts to reduce or remove subluxation.
Spine & nerve interference
Subluxation in plain view
Movement = nerve health
Restore the signal
Why it goes unnoticed
Subluxation is often silent.
One of the challenges is that this process happens for most people without them even knowing it. Just because you have subluxation does not mean that you will have pain. This is one reason why most chiropractors recommend getting checked for subluxation regularly, just like most dentists recommend regular dental check-ups.
Movement in any joint of the body stimulates a nerve response called proprioception (positive). Lack of movement stimulates a different signal called nociception (negative). There is a great video called Spinal Hygiene that discusses how movement in your spine affects the cerebellum of your brain. The bottom line: movement is necessary for your brain to work properly.
When nociception becomes more advanced, a stimulus is sent to the cortex of your brain, which is responsible for conscious thought. That is when you feel the emotion of pain. By the time pain shows up, the problem has usually been present for a long time.
Common causes
What causes subluxation?
Repetitive stress
Hours hunched over a desk, phone, or steering wheel slowly lock joints out of their natural range of motion.
Emotional stress
Chronic stress contracts muscles around the spine, over time those tensions translate into joint restriction.
Chemical stress
Poor nutrition, dehydration, and inflammation reduce the body’s ability to maintain joint health and recover from strain.
Effects on health
When the nervous system is interrupted.
Nociceptors can fire and you may have decreased function of some of the vital organs and processes of your body, even without feeling pain. This is why many chiropractors use the autonomic nerve chart to demonstrate that if a subluxation is present at a certain level it could result in malfunction of the organs at the end of those nerves. For example, a subluxation at C6, the 6th vertebrae below the head, can result in thyroid problems.
A more accurate explanation of the devastating effects of subluxation is captured in the concepts of proprioception and nociception above. With subluxation present, complete health of the body cannot be present. Adjustments are centered around reducing or removing it so proper nerve function can return, often allowing conditions or symptoms to disappear.
01 Restricted motion
The joint loses its natural glide and range. Tissues stiffen and surrounding muscles compensate.
02 Scar tissue & arthritis
Without movement, scar tissue accumulates. Over time this is exactly what leads to spinal arthritis.
03 Disturbed nerve signals
Nociception (negative input) replaces proprioception (positive input). Cerebellar function suffers.
04 Organ-level effects
When subluxation is present at certain spinal levels it can interfere with the function of organs at the end of those nerves.
Keep exploring chiropractic.
In Dr. Brad's words
Why you are getting adjusted
A short explainer on what an adjustment really does, and why we focus on the nerve system, not just the bones.
What symptoms do you currently struggle with that you hope will go away?