What is a Subluxation?

If you think about it, all professions, trades, and hobbyists have terms that are unique to their specific areas of interest. For chiropractors, that term is "subluxation". Anyone who has visited a chiropractic office or knows someone who has, has heard this term. While the term "subluxation" can be somewhat confusing, it need not be intimidating. A good working definition would be as follows: a "subluxation" is a misalignment of two or more segments of the spinal column in which normal motion and integrity of the affected joint is compromised. This misalignment causes a mechanical stress on the affected joint, that left uncorrected, results in accelerated wear and tear on the area. This compromised state of the segments, directly affects the surrounding muscles, ligaments, discs, and other soft tissues which included nerve roots. When the nerve tissue is involved, the communication system of the body becomes less effective, which can and often does, result in jeopardized health and wellness of the individual. Some of the more common physical symptoms that are a result of the subluxation are pain, palpatory tenderness, inflammation, muscle spasm, decrease mobility, and hypertonicity (tight muscles).

The causes of the subluxation can be varied and come from many different sources. The first cause could be physical in nature. Examples of this type of subluxation would be acute trauma (ie. auto accident, falls), job responsibilities that involve repetitive movements, poor posture, improper work stations, and weak or imbalanced spinal muscles. A second cause could be described as chemical. This would include poor diet and nutrition, drug, alcohol, and tobacco use, environmental pollutants in our food source, the water we drink, and the air that we breath. The third, and of recent time more common than ever before, would be best described as emotional. Recent studies show a direct connection between excessive stress, the lack of stress management, and a compromised immunity system. If the body's immunity system is compromised, we are more susceptable to all diseases.

Chiropractors are the only health care providers with extensive training and education for detecting, locating, and correcting a subluxation. This is accomplished by what is commonly known as an adjustment. The adjustments I give are delivered by hand and consist of a gentle force to the subluxated segment. I use a segmental drop piece treatment table to maximize the comfort to the patient. A series of adjustments restores normal mechanics to the subluxated segments, which in turn increases muscle tone, strenth and decreases the adverse effects of the wear and tear on the joint.

Since we are dynamic individuals and not static creatures, everyone at some point in time will suffer from a subluxation. That is why it is a good idea to seek periodic spinal evaluations to check for the presence of subluxations or other spinal abnormalities.