Unless you were raised as a chiropractic kid or have been under chiropractic care before, you probably have very little clue as to what exactly chiropractic is beyond the more mainstream and (improper) assumption that chiropractors "crack backs." The concept of "cracking backs" comes from a noise sometimes associated with chiropractic adjustments. While some may associate this noise with a "crack,' really all this noise is is the release of an air bubble leaving a joint space. When the chiropractic doctor restores motion to a "stuck" joint in the spine (or wrist, shoulder, foot, etc...), it sometimes causes this (benign) audible noise to occur. BUT an audible does not always happen with an adjustment. And just because you didn't hear an audible doesn't mean that there wasn't an adjustment made. There are also gentler techniques to avoid this noise if someone is uncomfortable with it.... but that's not the purpose of today's post!
The real purpose of today's post is to teach you how chiropractic goes beyond just "back cracking." And trust me, the power of a chiropractic adjustment goes far, FAR beyond just occasionally making a cool noise. Let's talk about WHY chiropractic adjustments work.
The Master Controller
Many people understand that chiropractors work with the bones of the spine... but what many fail to recognize is that that hard, bony spine is serving a very, very important job. What is that job, you ask? To protect the extremely fragile and most important system in your body... your nervous system.
Fun fact: did you know that your central nervous system is the only system in your body to be completely encased in bone (the hardest surface in your body)?!!?! Sounds pretty important, huh?
Without your nervous system, your body is dumb (sorry to call you dumb... the same rule applies to me too!). This is because EVERY system in your body is dependent on the nervous system to tell it what to do. You can have the physical materials in your body required to survive, but if the nervous system cannot do it's job then you are out of luck.
Literally not one system in your body could function without the order and direction of the nervous system.
So What Does This Have To Do With Chiropractic?
As chiropractors, we focus on ensuring that your nervous system can communicate properly with your body and vice versa. We quite literally work with the "mind-body" connection. How we do this is by analyzing, locating, adjusting the areas of the spine that are under stress. This stress can be physical, it can be mental, and it can even be chemical. In chiropractic, we refer to this spinal stress as "subluxation." Subluxation does not allow the brain to properly communicate with the body and vice versa. A subluxation is quite literally interfering with the electrical communication lines of the nervous system.
Due to it's influence on the nervous system and the nervous system's role in bodily functions, subluxation in the spine can lead to all sorts of unseemingly related things, including:
- headaches and migraines
- inability to adapt to/cope with stress
- chest pains or difficulty taking full, deep breaths
- digestive issues
- impaired immune system function
- insomnia or difficulty sleeping
- low back, hip, or leg pain
- inability to be present/ "brain fog"
- hormonal imbalance
- colic or reflux issues
- difficulty latching while breastfeeding
- developmental delays
- neck and shoulder issues
- muscle weakness and motor issues
And truly, the list goes on and on. And It's NOT because chiropractic is some magical "cure." Chiropractic works simply because THE NERVOUS SYSTEM IS STINKIN' POWERFUL!
Don't believe me about the importance of spinal and nervous system health? Well here's a real-life scenario for you. Know the actor, Christopher Reeve, who played Superman back in the day? Well, he was in a bad horse accident involving his C1 and C2 neck vertebra and was paralyzed from the neck down as a result of the accident. He couldn't walk. He can't use his arms. The injury to his spine even made it impossible to breathe on his own- he needed a ventilator to do so. He was completely unable to live an independent life prior to his death 2004. Completely tragic. While this may be an extreme example I admit, it paints a very clear picture of how serious damage to the spine (and therefore nervous system) can be and just how important these structures are.
TO BE CONTINUED...
*Disclaimer: Neither this blog post nor this website are intended to treat or diagnose any health or medical condition. It is merely offered as a general educational tool rather than individualized healthcare advice. It's always important to consult your own doctors when making important decisions about your health.
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