Chiropractors: What They Look For
By Sara Butler
When you go to see your chiropractor, you probably know by now they’re looking for subluxations in your spine. But what is a subluxation, exactly? And how do they determine you even have one (or more than one)? Here is what your chiropractor looks for as they’re adjusting you to help get you back on track!
What is a Subluxation?
A subluxation is a misalignment in one of the bones of your spine. The misalignment can cause problems by adding pressure to your spinal nerves. Misalignments irritate the nerves and can cause interference between the brain and the part of your body that the nerve being pressed on supplies. Subluxations are kind of like dimming a light switch. When there’s interference, the bulb will get dim, but when you remove the subluxation the lighting goes back to normal!
Causes of Subluxations
Your chiropractor has gone through a lot of training in order to understand what can cause subluxations and where to look for them. The three main causes of subluxations are:
- Chemical – This is the toxins and chemicals introduced into your body through your environment. They can be contained in the things you drink, the food you eat and even the air you breathe. These chemicals interrupt the normal function of your body and also lower your body’s ability to deal with external and internal stressors.
- Physical – This is related to the things you might do on a daily basis, such as sit at a desk all day, practice poor posture or play sports. If your spine and its surrounding muscles are imbalanced or weak due to trauma or repetitive motions, then it can cause subluxations.
- Emotional – This is caused by stress. Emotional stress has been proven to have an impact on physical health and can cause your body to function poorly. If your stress level gets too high and you can’t find ways to deal with it effectively, then that can cause even more problems!
What Your Chiropractor Knows
The subluxations associated with your spine aren’t just about pain in your back, neck or extremities - they’re about your overall health. This is why your chiropractor seeks them out and attempts to correct them through manual adjustments so that any dysfunctions in your body can be corrected and your body can begin to heal itself.
If you have questions about subluxations and the way they may be impacting your health, you should ask your chiropractor during your next adjustment at The Joint Chiropractic.