Adjustments, spinal manipulation, nerve function, health performance

The specific spinal adjustment is what separates chiropractic from other types of health care. This gentle, controlled pressure adds energy and motion to stuck or unbalanced spinal bones, reducing inflammation and allowing the spine and nerves to function as they are supposed to. Adjustments are guided by patient need and desire. Each person - infant, bodybuilder, or frail elderly woman – receives their own special adjustments and treatment frequency.

The technical description of an adjustment - a precise maneuver performed by a trained, skilled professional, that takes a joint past its active range of motion, through its passive range of motion, and into the paraphysiological joint space, without exceeding the anatomical integrity of the joint. In other words, it is a procedure that restores lost joint motion, to the extent possible at that moment, in a progressive manner. Repeat / regular adjustments gradually restore range of motion to spinal vertebrae, allowing for more flexibility and reducing pain and discomfort.

But the real reason to get adjusted is not just to reduce stiffness, restore range of motion, and reduce pain, but to restore the full physiological and neurological function of the spine. What on earth does that mean?

Well, it turns out that the spine is far from being just a stack of bones that holds you up and provides a place for your head, arms, and legs to attach to. The spine is perhaps the most complex organ system in the entire body. Receptors in spinal joints monitor movement, posture, and balance, and perform constant immense neurologic feedback to the brain. That feedback concerns and affects EVERYTHING in your body - digestion, circulation, immune system function. When your spine is stuck or not in good functional alignment, health issues WILL develop.

Will these health issues become symptomatic enough to bother you, or will they merely represent a diminished capacity for human life performance? Will you be sick? Will your back hurt? Will you have headaches? Will you develop sciatica? Will you get carpal tunnel syndrome or TMJ problems? Will you have indigestion? Will you have PMS? Will you catch every cold that comes along? Will your bench press capacity be diminished? Will your timed mile be slower?

The point is, getting adjusted regularly is a lifestyle choice. The Western model of "health care" is that, after you get sick, you see a doctor that specializes in knowing the latest drugs that pharmaceutical companies are marketing for the symptoms you are having at that moment. Does taking a blend of several toxic drugs every day (often with unknown interactions) make you healthier?

The health choices we make today will affect the rest of our lives. Look at your health philosophy - are you ready to get off the medical drug treadmill? Getting regular adjustments is a vital part of being truly healthy.

Western medicine runs a tow truck service. Chiropractors are race car mechanics. My goal is to help you attain your maximum health performance - not just rescue you after you have crashed. "Spinal manipulation" is for back pain. "Adjustments" are for health.

Food for thought.