Chiropractic

Chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. It is concerned with the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of disorders of the musculoskeletal system, and the effects of these disorders on the nervous system and on general health. There is an emphasis on manual treatments, including spinal manipulation. The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health. In addition, chiropractic physicians recognize the value and responsibility of working in cooperation with other health care practitioners when it is in the best interest of the patient.

Anatomy

In the human body, the spine supports the weight applied to it by gravity, and protects the nerves that carry messages between the brain and body. The spine is flexible so that you may stretch, twist and bend. A healthy spine supports your weight and protects your nerves while letting you move easily throughout the day.

The spinal column is made up of bones called vertebrae. These bones stack one on top of the other and protect the spinal cord, and allow for movement of the body.

Discs hold and cushion the vertebrae and absorb shock as you move, allowing for motion and spacing between the vertebrae so that nerves may pass freely from the spinal cord to the muscles and organs of the body.

Muscles allow motion of the body and hold up and attach to your spine. If muscles are strong and flexible, they are better able to keep your vertebrae and discs in proper alignment.. If they are tight and restricted they can pull on the vertebrae, causing them to become misaligned and press on discs and interfere with proper nerve flow, causing pain, stiffness and weakness.. Ligaments are are strong, cable-like tissues that connect and support the vertebrae.

Disorders

Years of stress, use and abuse, and the aging process bring changes to the spine, including degeneration of the discs. Among other possible problems, this can cause joint inflammation and arthritis to result. Joints and individual bones come out of their proper alignment, discs wear down, and one can start to feel pain and stiffness. Joint inflammation known as arthritis may result. Joints may lose alignment and discs can wear down, and you may start to feel pain and stiffness.

A spinal joint is where two vertebrae meet. Poor posture, strain, and injury can push a joint out of line, and vertebrae become restricted, and do not move as they should. Discs and muscles can become stressed, and nerves may may be pinched and irritated. This can include a condition called sciatica, in which the sciatic nerve travels down the leg and can cause sharp pain, numbness, and/or tingling.

With repeated stress, and with aging, a disc wears down. A disc begins to dehydrate and degenerate when one reaches their 30’s, and continues to degenerate with repetitive motions and age, making it weaker and more susceptible to injury and/or displacement. Bone spurs may develop, and muscles and other soft tissues may stretch unevenly. Nerves may become irritated and painful.

If the disc thins further, or if muscles attaching to the vertebrae become tight and pull these bones out of alignment, nerves may become pinched. Pain may become severe, and your ability to move may be greatly reduced.

Another syndrome that may affect spinal health is facet syndrome, whereby a facet, i.e. a joint where two vertebrae meet, may become misaligned or restricted from normal motion. This can be due to an injury, often while lifting, bad posture, or other causes. Symptoms may include soreness and stiffness in your back or neck. The pain may feel worse when you twist, rotate, or bend backward.

The sacroiliac joints are where your hipbones join your low back and your pelvis. These joints may may commonly become strained and lock, restricting their normal motion, causing strain to the muscles that attach to the low back and pelvis forcing them to tighten excessively. This can affect your low back and lower extremities, sometimes causing a condition known as sciatica, commonly presenting as a discomfort that travels from your low back down into your buttocks, legs, and occasionally past your knees and into your feet.

Common treatment for these and other conditions include the use of physical therapy modalities to loosen up and relax musculature that is associated with the restrictions or misalignment of the joints of the spine or other areas, followed in many cases by an adjustment in which these joints are carefully manipulated to move them back into proper alignment. This is more often than not a gentle and painless procedure, and usually a patient will notice some degree of improvement immediately or later that day.