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Here are the
5 components of a Vertebral Subluxation Complex:
Firstly, subluxation
involves "Joint Damage" also known as a Kinesiopathology.
This means that a vertebra has moved out of proper alignment.
This can increase the stress on joints, discs and ligaments.
It can also cause jammed or locked joints. This is evident via
a clicking sound, pain, reduced range of motion, loss of balance
and posture. In addition, loss of energy and fatigue have been
noted in those with subluxations.
Secondly, subluxation
involves "Nerve Damage," also known as Neuropathology.
When the vertebra move out of alignment they can compress and
stretch nerves causing abnormal nerve function. Abnormal nerve
function leads to altered internal organ function, pain and other
conditions.
Thirdly, subluxation
involves "Tissue Damage" also known as Histopathology.
Abnormal positioning of the vertebra and the pressure they place
on the nerves in the area of involvement damages nearby soft
tissue. This creates swelling, pain and tenderness to touch the
area. This unnatural process can further lead to arthritic changes
to the joints and surrounding soft tissue.
Fourthly, subluxation
involves "Muscle Damage" also known as Myopathology.
Abnormal positioning of the vertebra and pressure on the nerves
creates muscle tension, spasm, weakness and pain. If prolonged
this can lead to ligament and tendon damage and serious postural
alterations.
Lastly, subluxation
involves "Health Damage" also known as Pathophysiology.
Abnormal positioning of the vertebra and pressure on the nerves
through the above processes leads to a state of dis-ease. Dis-ease
refers to a lack of health and wellness which leads to accelerated
aging, chronic fatigue, joint degeneration, disc destruction,
decreased ability to deal with physical and emotional stress,
lowered resistance to disease and the inability to "hold"
chiropractic adjustments for prolonged periods.
Misaligned spinal
bones (vertebra) or subluxations that affect your nerves, are
very common and very dangerous. They can affect your immune system,
spinal health, posture and internal health/organs. Vertebral
subluxations prevent the body from functioning at its best making
it prone to physical, emotional and chemical stress which leads
to sickness, weakness, fatigue and early aging.
For over 100
years Doctors of chiropractic have been correcting the dangerous,
life-altering, silent and often painless "Subluxation."
When corrected the body's natural healing ability (the normal
biological healing mechanism) is more in touch with the rest
of the body.
As more research
unfolds in chiropractic, we continue to see a trend indicating
the dangers of subluxations and the importance of their correction.
True health comes from a nervous system that functions optimally,
free from interference, functioning at 100% capacity, carrying
out the functions it was design to do for your body. This means
being free from subluxations. FOSTER Family and Sports CHIROPRACTIC
focuses on the correction of subluxations so you can attain the
highest level of health, known as optimal health.
What Causes
Subluxations?
Usually stress.
During infancy, stress can result from a difficult birth or in
childhood from difficult or numerous falls. As an adult, emotional
stress/strain can eventually damage the spine. Furthermore, any
form of physical trauma: slips, falls and motor vehicle accidents
can suddenly put your spine of out alignment.
Almost everyone gets vertebral subluxations at some point in
their life. It's a silent epidemic and this is the reason why
it's so important to have your spine and your family's spine
checked by a doctor of chiropractic. Just as you would your eyes
or your teeth.
Causes of
Subluxation:
1. Any difficulty
with childbirth or delivery
2. Motor vehicle accidents (recent or in the past)
3. Slips and falls (Even those dating back to childhood)
4. Poor posture
5. Poor diet
6. Repetitive activities (strain and sprain injuries)
7. Physical and emotional stress
8. Drugs and medications (unnecessary or excessive use of)
9. Working in awkward places and positions
10. Prolonged car rides
The Danger
Signs
If you suffer
from headaches, stiffness of the neck or back, backaches, pain
in the arms, legs, numbness in the hands, feet, general nervousness,
you are suffering from one of the eight danger signs of possible
nerve pressure caused by subluxations. Constant headaches are
a warning sign that nerves are being affected near the base of
your skull. This is a method for the body to warn you something
is wrong. It is not normal to have to deal with headaches throughout
your life. The eight signs are the ways your body's signal something
is wrong. If left uncorrected, signs and symptoms continue to
increase and even produce more severe conditions.
How do chiropractors
help?
The chiropractor
analyzes your body for vertebral subluxations by using his/her
hands or other analysis tools. Then they correct or remove any
vertebral subluxations using spinal adjustments. Adjustments
involve a hand or instrument contact on an area of your spine
and vertebra. A small and comfortable thrust follows this contact
of the vertebra allowing the chiropractor to move it back to
it's normal position. This takes pressure off of nerves, tension
out muscles and allows damaged joints and ligaments the opportunity
to heal properly.
It Takes Time
When your sick,
pain and discomfort can make three hours seem like 3 days. The
road to recovery might seem endless. Remember, just as the cause
of sickness doesn't usually strike overnight, healing does not
happen in a day. It takes time.
How Much Time?
This depends
on a number of important areas:
1. How serious
are your vertebral subluxations?
The longer they've
been there the longer it will take. Through x-ray and examinations,
it can reveal to you just how serious things are.
2. How long you've
had a subluxation for?
With a problem,
the longer it exist the more difficult it becomes to correct.
Also, with the initial problem in place, secondary problems will
develop.
For example,
when a vertebra moves out of position, the body as a result attempts
to balance itself. It eventually adapts so that one or more vertebra
are forced out of place in other areas of the spine and pelvis.
These are called "compensatory subluxation."
The muscles and
ligaments are used to hold vertebra in both normal and abnormal
position, it is likely they have built a strong resistance to
change. This strong resistance means that the body and spine
has accepted the abnormal positioning as normal via adaptation.
This is why it takes time and regular chiropractic care to re-educate
and rehabilitate your spine until the vertebra hold in a normal
position.
How fast can
the body react to chiropractic?
This depends
on each individual body. In some people a scratch or cut can
take several days to heal. In others it may take only one night.
A lot of factors are involved: physical condition, age, mental
attitude, condition of ligaments and muscle. Healing is very
individualized.
Some people have
symptoms disappear shortly after they begin chiropractic care.
However, that doesn't mean that healing and rehabilitation have
taken place. Damaged tissues and ligaments holding those vertebra
need time to heal and eventually they will. This happens when
the vertebra are trained to hold in position. Sure, relief of
symptoms is good but the correction of the cause of these signs
and symptoms is even better. It is a grave mistake to assume
you are healthy just because pain or symptoms of the illness
are gone. At FOSTER Family & Sports CHIROPRACTIC, the concept
is to care about your health and well-being, not just
your current symptoms. The best way to serve you and
make sure "Complete" healing takes place it also takes
time. Time well spent!
Give it Time
If you follow
the instructions of your chiropractor, usually it can be estimated
how long and how many treatments it will take to help your condition.
At FOSTER Family & Sports CHIROPRACTIC, specific programs
of corrective care are designed with the use of follow-up examinations
and x-ray to help determine your rate of improvement. So give
yourself time, it may take longer than you would like, but remember
with the cooperation of your doctors plan you will shorten the
time it takes to regain that state of good health in which you
were happy and free of pain.
If my symptoms
are gone, do I still need to see the chiropractor?
When symptoms
appear they usually indicate the last phase of a health condition.
They are also the first to disappear when you begin chiropractic
care. But spinal misalignments or subluxation which cause symptoms
does not go away that quickly. Chiropractors are trained to treat
the cause of the problem, not the symptoms. Before you received
chiropractic care your body underwent some serious adapting due
to poor spinal alignment. The nervous system running through
your spine could not function properly and this eventually contributed
to your current health problems. It's too easy for the spine
to fall into old patterns of misalignment and malfunction. This
is why it is so important to see you periodically to re-evaluate
your progress and to prevent future problems even when signs
and symptoms do not exist.
Do I need
to see a Chiropractor for life?
This depends
on your health outlook. Many people have already made chiropractic
a part of their lifestyle. Typically, a healthy lifestyle choice
involves adequate nutrition, regular exercise and a positive
attitude. With chiropractic as part of yours, you'll achieve
optimal health and avoid future recurrences and problems. Periodic
spinal checkups allow you to prevent serious problems by having
them corrected early. |
