CHIROPRACTORS IN CHICAGO EXPLAIN WHAT IS A VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATION?

The word “vertebral” refers to the spinal column (commonly known as the “backbone”). The word “subluxation” refers to a misalignment of joints. Therefore, a vertebral subluxation, then, is the misalignment of the joints of the spinal column.

The spinal column or backbone is part of the body’s skeleton that encases and protects the spinal cord (or the central nerve tissue extending from the brain to the tailbone and responsible for supplying the body most of the nerves in its nervous system). This lengthy structure is comprised of many moving parts, making it potentially quite flexible and versatile.

Among these many moving parts are vertebra (or the bones of the spinal column) separated by multiple joints connecting them (one above and one below each vertebra). In these joints, there is a small jelly-like disc that protects the bones from friction and grinding against one another and also acts as a shock absorber. Each of these joints must be moving independently and within its full range of motion in order for the body it supports to be in optimum health.

If just one of these joints is impacted, misaligned, or otherwise impeded (as by the impaction or misalignment of other joints surrounding it), it creates a vertebral subluxation that places pressure upon nearby nerves, causing nerve irritation, and knocking the body out of it’s natural state of balance.

According to “straight” chiropractic – that being the branch of chiropractic focused strictly on the spinal column and the nerves emanating from it – vertebral subluxations interfere with the body’s natural tendency towards balance and wellness, an innate ability for self-healing. Therefore vertebral subluxations are widely considered by many chiropractors to be a primary risk factor involved in many diseases.

HOW DO PEOPLE GET SUBLUXATIONS

The first vertebral subluxation most people ever experience is whilst being born, as traveling through the birth canal can often be a traumatic experience on the newborn’s body. Most subsequent vertebral subluxations a person may experience in life are due to physical, emotional, and sometimes chemical stressors.

SYMPTOMS OF VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATION

Symptoms most typically associated with vertebral subluxation include 2 or more of the following:

* Pain / tenderness
* Misalignment / asymmetry
* Abnormality in range of motion
* Changes in tissue and body tone

HOW IS A VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATION DIAGNOSED

The detection of vertebral subluxations is most often performed by physical examination. Whether or not vertebral subluxations are visible on X-rays remains a subject of debate amongst chiropractors to this day, with “straight” chiropractors asserting that subluxations most certainly can be seen on an X-ray with “mixers” considering it more questionable and usually ordering X-rays to rule out (or in) other contributing conditions.

HOW IS A VERTEBRAL SUBLUXATION TREATED?

The typical treatment for a vertebral subluxation is a chiropractic adjustment that’s known as a High Velocity/Low Amplitude (HVLA) Thrust, whereby careful and deliberate pressure is applied to the dysfunctional segment(s) of the spine in order to facilitate the realignment of said segment(s) back into its proper position within the rest of the spinal column. The thrust is quick without the use of a lot of force.

Depending on how long the dysfunction has been present, a patient may experience a complete realignment with just one such manipulation or it may take many. Similarly, when a patient does experience a complete realignment of their spinal column, a vertebral subluxation of the same joints may reoccur (particularly if the same trigger that led to the original subluxation recurs), necessitating one or more return visits to the chiropractor’s office for follow-up adjustments.