Back to Health
Chiropractic care assists your body to coordinate its functions and heal itself more readily by improving the function of your spine and clearing up interference to your nervous system. Research shows that Chiropractic helps reduce the frequency and severity of people getting ill, cope with stress better and enjoy a more active life. People under Chiropractic care find it easier to enjoy a healthier and more active life by exercising, eating well and having a healthier lifestyle which has positive flow-on effects.

Your health is your greatest asset and above all else your health enables you to enjoy life and meet challenges effectively. The human body has an amazing ability to heal itself, deal with injuries, combat disease and decrease stress however, most people take this for granted and it is only when we are ill or in discomfort that we appreciate the significance of our health. A healthy lifestyle helps our bodies deal with the environment: healthy mind, healthy body... you are what you eat... and many more sayings to illustrate.

Back Basics
Your spine is composed of 24 vertebrae that are stacked on top of one another from your tailbone (sacrum) to your skull.  Your pelvic bones are attached to the sacrum and the coccyx to the bottom of the sacrum.  In between each vertebra there are pliable discs that act like shock absorbers to your spine and help provide the mobility of the spine to complete the natural actions of the spine. The connection mechanism of the discs to the spine mean that they do not literally “slip” out of place  (commonly heard terminology ‘slipped disc’), they usually degenerate, become irritated, bulge or rupture.

A good sign of a healthy spine is in its mobility.  Movement allows the spinal discs to regenerate themselves in their natural lifecycle processes. Muscles, tissues and ligaments are allowed to stay supple and perform their duties without impingements. When vertebrae and other bones/joints do not have the free flow of movement that they need are misaligned and cause interference to your nervous systems.  This is called subluxation. 

Cause
Physical causes may include injuries, accidents, slips, falls, prolonged poor posture and even the birth process.  Chemical causes can include toxins, food additives, drugs, medications and environmental pollutants (which is becoming more and more prevalent in today’s society).  Mental and emotional causes can also occur such as getting upset, arguments, stress due to work pressures, changes in your life that have adverse effects that can cause stress.

Effect
The effects of your spine not moving freely and reducing the optimal function of your nervous system is simplified in a 3 step process. Firstly it reduces the function of your spine. This is when your spine stores the stress and tension and your natural mobility is reduced becoming less flexible and your posture is affected. Your spine consequently receives less of the nutrients that it requires to function optimally, its ability to work as a shock absorber is reduced and physically stresses are then transferred to surrounding joints. This begins the process of wear and spinal degeneration.

The commencement of spinal degeneration and poor spinal health can occur years before actual pain is felt by the individual. Often you hear people saying “but I don’t feel any pain”. Symptoms such as referred pain occurs such as stress headaches, legs and arms aching and general physical discomfort. Pain can be triggered often by a small and seemingly insignificant event  as a result of the fact that your spine simply could not absorb any more. 

Spinal Degeneration
This occurs over years when the movement of your spine is not optimal. Spinal joints, discs, ligaments and tissues begin to wear. Over time the vertebrae can even fuse together from excessive wear and increase the pressure on surrounding joints and muscles. This process is referred to as Spinal Decay. This decay or degeneration often begins with childhood problems that have been left uncorrected – neglected.  It is common for this to occur, however it is not normal. With the help of Chiropractic care it may be avoided or reduce the continued degeneration.

 

Preventative Measures
A simple illustration of good preventative measures for our health is getting your teeth regularly checked and cleaned to ensure you reduce of even stop the decaying process. We all go to a dentist yearly for our check and clean and we brush our teeth 2-3 times a day, together with a healthy diet. This is all in the hope that we do not get tooth decay. 

Similarly with our spines, we should have our yearly check up and have our maintenance to prevent spinal degeneration.  Preventative care can include many things such as good food, regular exercise, good posture, minimise injuries and stress and much more. This together with our regular check up will undoubtedly improve our spine and nervous system and lead to a healthy life. Remember: A Chiropractor is the ‘Orthodontist’ for the spine.