There are many misconceptions about what constitutes a ‘chiropractic adjustment’ and misunderstandings about how chiropractic adjustments work. But those who have experienced the benefits of good chiropractic care know with certainty that it does ‘work’. The most common misconception is that an adjustment involves the use of a spinal manipulation, typically with many cracks and pops, which is utilized to put bones ‘back in place’. This procedure is typically thought to just treat a ‘slipped disc’ or back pain. While chiropractic treatment deals with the motion of joints of the spine, the concept of a bone out of place is an incorrect understanding of chiropractic theory.
Chiropractic adjustments correct “subluxations”. A subluxation is a functional abnormality consisting of reduced joint movement within its normal range of motion. A helpful analogy of this concept is a door stuck in the door frame. It is not “out of place”, but it is not moving well. As a result of the decreased motion in a joint, there are numerous neurological signaling devices called mechanoreceptors located in the nearby muscles, tendons, connective tissue, and joint capsules which are not activated and do not send their special information into the nervous system. Most of the body’s mechanoreceptors are associated with the spinal joints and the muscles and tendons which support the spine. Collectively, the input into the central nervous system from all these mechanoreceptors helps to determine the overall responses and output from the nervous system. If the input is less than ideal, so is the output. In other words, “garbage in, garbage out”.
We know that the nervous system controls everything in the body – from muscle activity and tone, to hormone balance, to intestinal function, to immune responses. When the incoming information is incorrect, the subsequent outgoing information may be incorrect also. This helps to explain why chiropractic adjustments may be helpful for many things other than simply back pain. Since the nervous system controls all the various bodily functions, restoring normal receptor input into the nervous system can alter and restore the output from the nervous system. This means that chiropractic adjustments may benefit a diverse range of systems including muscle and joint pain, heart rate and blood pressure, gastrointestinal function, immune responses and allergy, and hormone balance. Therefore, the ultimate goal of chiropractic adjustments is to restore normal neurological functions in the affected joints and therefore in the entire nervous system. If you would like for your pet to receive a chiropractic evaluation and adjustment, just call the office and we will be happy to schedule an appointment for you.
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