Breaking down a subluxation begins with the context of the word. “Sub” is derived from “less than” or “under” and “luxation” stemming from luxate which is to “dislocate”. So the proper meaning of subluxation is less than a full dislocation. Often times you may hear people say that they have a “pinched nerve” or they have “thrown their back out” which is the farthest thing from the truth. They are only expressing one component (muscular component) of the subluxation. Let’s break down the subluxation to gather the real insight.
The skeletal component: when a subluxation occurs the vertebrae above and below will be involved. The actual subluxation will create uneven displacement on the disc (the cushion in between the vertebrae) creating a bio-mechanical shift. Structurally, think of it as a kink in a bicycle chain, eventually everything becomes troubled as a result.
The muscular component: since nerves control muscles that establish proper position of vertebrae they are an integral part of the subluxation. When a nerve becomes irritated the surrounding muscle will become overexcited and inflamed as a process. People don’t feel their bones misaligned, they feel the pain in muscles.
The soft tissue component: the subluxation will affect the surrounding tendons, ligaments and blood supply to which the nerve controls. The soft tissues can become stretched or scarred leaving the spine with either chronic instability or restriction.
The degeneration component: this is a result of neglecting the subluxation. When a subluxation exists uncorrected for years degeneration and decay begins within the spine. Mistakenly referred to as “normal” is the farthest thing from the truth.
The neurological component: the most important factor involved with a subluxation. When a subluxation places undo stress upon a nerve the result is that all the tissues fed by that specific nerve become distorted from the brain and are unable to function normally. Overtime this will lead to a whole host of other conditions (signs and symptoms). Think of this as your organs, glands, and tissue cells receiving poor cell phone reception from the brain because they cannot accurately understand what to do.
Chiropractors focus on correcting the cause of your problem, not just on suppressing your symptoms. #getchecked
