Why Chiropractic?
This is what we know: Our spines protect a very delicate nerve system that is the only communication link between the brain and every part of the body. It is not unlike a massive telephone switchboard that turns on and off each organ, gland, tissue and cell in a frenzy of electrical signals. But, we make a trade-off between the protection that the vertebra provide and the flexibility we need as active human beings – we frequently irritate the fragile nerve roots, right between the bones where they exit the spine. This nerve interference causes something similar to static on a telephone line. Chiropractors call this interference a vertebral subluxation.
When left uncorrected, even minor subluxations have been proven to interfere enough with “nerve flow” to cause permanent degeneration of cells and tissues. To us, that is a lot more critical than bad backs or stiff necks. Certainly, your pain is important, but Chiropractors also know that your liver, adrenal gland or thyroid won’t “hurt” when its nerve flow is reduced. The bottom line is this: Vertebral subluxations are bad, they don’t always cause pain, and pain isn’t always a sign that you have one.
Without a doubt, physical injury can cause subluxations. It could be something as serious as an automobile accident or as minor as too much softball or a bad night’s sleep. Hard bones can move out of place and interfere with the soft nerves. But, other day-to-day stresses can also cause subluxations. Ever notice how you hold your shoulders when a deadline is fast approaching, or when the kids are out of control? Even exposure to household chemicals and pollutants can result in this same damaging nerve irritation. In a society like ours, it’s a near-certainty that we’re exposed to physical, emotional or chemical stresses every single day.
There is no dispute that the longer a subluxation remains, the more damage it will cause. And, only a Chiropractor is trained to locate and correct them. That’s our job and that’s all we do. We do it because of what we understand about how crucial a properly functioning nerve system is to our health and to our life. That’s why we check each other – and our loved ones – every single week. It is that important.