Subluxation, Natural Cure Doctor, Costa Mesa, Orange County, California, Dr. Robert Janda, Chiropractor, Natural Healing, Traditional Naturopath, Naturopathic Healing.
A cornerstone of Chiropractic care is the correction of subluxations in the spine to produce optimal spinal motion, nerve flow and posture.
Definition of Subluxation:
A misalignment or malfunction of the spine that is less than a total dislocation, which affects the nervous system and its ability to correctly control or monitor the organs and tissues of the body.
Practically speaking this refers to joints that are out of place and that produce nerve interference. The mechanism of this interference is explained elsewhere (see Mechanisms by which Subluxation Cause Nerve Interference.) There are two types of subluxations: those that are traumatically induced, and those that are functionally induced. Both types have the potential for inducing spinal degeneration by producing inflammation in the joint, but traumatic subluxation more so since there is primary injury to the joint. Most traumatic injury will eventually lead to spinal degeneration unless long term corrective measures are instituted.
Causes of Functional Subluxations:
The relationship of organ dysfunction to spinal reflex pain has been noted since ancient times in Chinese texts. Running along the spine on both sides are a class of acupuncture points called Association Points. Each association point is associated with a specific organ, such as the heart or liver and becomes painful when the related organ is inflamed. Today we recognize these associations as Viscerosomatic Reflexes, meaning reflexes from organs to the muscular system. Some other viscerosomatic reflexes are well known in conventional medicine such as arm pain associated with heart attacks or shoulder pain associated with gallbladder inflammation. There are countless numbers of these and are best found using Applied Kenisiology Muscle Testing. (To read an explanation for the underlying neurological basis for these reflexes please go to The Function of Guarding Reflexes on the website.)
Subluxations can Reveal Hidden Problems:
Here it is enough to note that organ distress can produce malposition of spinal vertebrae which can further induce all the consequences of the subluxation complex. A second benefit of noting functional subluxations is that they may reveal hidden problems in the body whose only symptom is the subluxation. Even serious diseases can progress outside awareness. (For example, we have found cancer in the body whose only symptom was subluxation) Many other problems can show themselves this way. For example, toxemias, subclinical infections, or congested organs may manifest as musculoskelletal imbalance, guarding reflexes and subluxations. Using Chiropractic diagnostic techniques we can trace the subluxations to their source and reveal underlying metabolic disturbances. This then offers the opportunity to correct these problems before they become disease.
Effects of Subluxations:
Chiropractors generally note several major effects of subluxations:
1. Kinesiopathology – the loss of normal motion of vertebrae in the spine.
2. Myopathology – various pathological changes occur in the spinal musculature which includes increased muscle tone, spasm, fibrosis, weakness and improper function.
3. Neuropathology – irritation or injury to spinal nerve roots through compression, stretch or more commonly chemical irritation from nearby spinal structures that are inflamed.
4. Histopathology – pathological changes which occur to the gross and microscopic spinal tissues such as bone spurs off vertebrae and joints, swelling of the tissues, fibrosis and adhesions of spinal muscles and ligaments. Spinal discs also frequently become dehydrated.
5. Pathophysiology – these are chemical changes occurring in the spinal region of the subluxation which include inflammatory secretions from injured tissues and waste products.