What exactly causes subluxations (misalignments in the spine causing nerve interference between the brain & body)? Physical, chemical, & emotional stresses are our main culprits!
The beauty of chiropractic care is that the focus is on the lack of communication of the brain-body connection, which they refer to as vertebral subluxation or nerve interference, e.g. the cause of the symptoms. Most people choose chiropractic because they suffer from pain, however, while chiropractic can relieve pain symptoms, it is because the brain’s communication to the body is restored that the pain decreases or disappears. Chiropractors do this by detecting and correcting vertebral subluxation. With consultations, assessments, exams, and adjustments, a chiropractor can educate patients on the major effects of what is called the three stresses.
· Physical stresses (Traumas), such as those caused by a car accident, sports injuries, repetitive motion or physical stress, and sometimes the trauma of childbirth.
· Chemical stresses (toxins) from food allergies or sensitivities, exposure to smoke, prescriptions and other pharmaceuticals, or household chemicals.
· Emotional Stresses (Thoughts) caused by arguments, a long work day, grueling work hours, or anxiety over events.
Trauma is the most well-known and often the easiest to understand as the cause of subluxation. Forceful injuries or falls and car accidents are obviously traumatic to the body. We can also suffer from micro-traumas daily due to common behaviors.
Poor habits such as:
· Carrying a heavy purse on the same shoulder or a heavy backpack
· Sleeping in the same poor position
· Wearing high heels
· Poor posture
· Crossing your legs
· Wallets in back pockets
· Looking down at your computer, tablet or cell phone.
Exposures to toxins may not be as obvious, but it can interfere with the pathway of communication as well. Many of the toxins that we are exposed to are known central nervous system disruptors. Our bodies can become imbalanced through toxins found in what we eat and that are present in our environment.
Toxins may enter the body through:
· Air pollution
· Chemical cleaning agents
· Our water supply
· GMO, processed, allergens, and inflammatory foods
· Vaccines and other medications
· Leaching from plastics
· Food sensitivities
The third stress, emotional, can be one of the biggest contributors to subluxations. Stressful situations trigger a chemical imbalance in our bodies, increase blood pressure, and increased heart rate that can trigger muscle tension. Lack of recovery from this imbalance can disrupt every system of the body. Whether we are conscious about the stress or not, it will still have a negative effect. Even while on vacation, if we begin to think about our stressful work environment, our bodies can feel the effects. Our bodies start to react to triggers such as our spouses, coworkers, children, etc.