When a vertebra subluxates, the nerves that exit around it can become irritated via lack of proper sensory imput from the joint capsules of the bone, from decreased blood flow, or from compression by the soft tissues or bone around it. It left untreated, the body often tries to stabilize the damaged area by proliferation of bone. This results in calcification of the surrounding soft tissues and the formation of bone spurs. When a bone does not move properly, the discs above and below it, which have no blood vessels and receive nutrients only through the pumping action supplied by motion, eventually dessicate and degenerate, further complicating the process.
The Chiropractor uses his hands to feel the static position and end range motion of your spinal segments. He then uses either his hands or an adjusting instrument to restore proper motion to subluxated vertebrae via the Chiropractic adjustment thereby decreasing, and eventually removing, the nervous system interference caused by the subluxation. This high velocity, low amplitude thrust takes the bone to its proper end range of motion and helps to align it with the surrounding segments. When the spine is in optimum alignment and free of motion restriction (subluxation), the nervous system is free to express the full signals from brain to body and your body heals itself, as it is designed to do. At the Myerowitz Chiropractic & Acupuncture Clinic, we emphasize proper spinal curvatures as even a slight misalignment can have profound effects on your body. The effects of even slight spinal curvatures has been known since 1921, when Henry Windsor, an M.D. seeking to test Chiropractic's claims, wrote the following in response to a long study of human and feline cadaver specimens:
"221 structures other than the spine were found diseased. Of these, 212 were from the same sympathetic (nerve) segments as the vertebrae in curvature. Nine diseased organs belonged to different sympathetic segments from the vertebrae out of line. These figures cannot be expected to exactly coincide…for an organ may receive sympathetic filaments from several spinal segments and several organs may be supplied with sympathetic (nerve) filaments from the same spinal segments. In other words, there was nearly a 100% correlation between minor curvatures of the spine and diseases of the internal organs."
We often recommend a series of visits in order to achieve proper alignment of the spine. Much like how a dentist will tighten braces over time, the spine must be moved slowly as the muscles and ligaments that support it must be given time to change. This is why adjustmemnts don't "hold" as well early in a care plan as they do for a long time patient. Essentially, your spine must be re-trained to function in the proper position.
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