Speed Humps and Your Spine

By Krista Elliott

I had to pick up some last-minute Halloween candy just on the off-chance we got more kids than expected. We didn't, which is why I always buy candy that we don't mind eating ourselves. As I drove through the parking lot of the giant, soulless store in the giant, soulless business park, I was forced to slow down. Not because of any pedestrians, but because of the large speed bumps in my path. 

Speed bumps (in parking lots) and speed humps (on roadways) are meant to slow down traffic, particularly in pedestrian-heavy areas. Pondering the design and function of these traffic-calming measures got me thinking about the spine and its "traffic."

Your Spinal Cord = Your Body's Autobahn

When we think of the spine and about the alignment of our vertebrae, all too often we just think about the bones themselves. 

However, what we often forget is that running down the length of our spinal column is a channel, a roadway, if you will. And that roadway is the spinal cord. This vital channel of nerves is the main conduit for information to go to and from your brain. When you walk, that's your brain sending messages down your spinal cord via your central nervous system, all the way to your legs. And when you touch a hot stove and yank your hand back? That's the nerves in your hand sending the message, "Hot!" up through your spinal cord to your brain, and your brain sending a message back down your spinal cord to your hand, saying, "Move it, move it, move it!" like Sgt. Carter on "Gomer Pyle, USMC." And all of this happens in less than a second. Indeed, your spinal cord makes the cars on the autobahn in Germany look like a bunch of sedated turtles.

Speed Humps: Good for Your Neighborhood, Bad for Your Spine

When your spine experiences misaligned vertebrae or subluxations, it's akin to installing a speed hump on the freeway: Everything slows down on a road that's supposed to be fast. Subluxations can cause pressure and misalignment of the spinal cord, causing your brain's messages to be delayed or even a little garbled (i.e. tingling or numbness). Messages don't flow as freely and as quickly as they should, and the functionality of your entire body is compromised. 

Chiropractic Can Help

Chiropractic doctors, like the experts at The Joint Chiropractic, know how to do the "roadwork" that your spine needs. Fortunately, they don't use jackhammers or heavy equipment! Instead, with gentle and precise adjustments, the professionals at The Joint can help your spine return to its optimal alignment. And the result? No more speed humps, and a smooth path for the lightning-quick transmission of nerve impulses. With routine chiropractic care from The Joint, we can even help prevent "speed humps" from developing or worsening. So get in touch with The Joint today, and enjoy the feeling of a clear and smooth road for your spine!.