Most people seek a chiropractor when they experience back pain. I used to be that guy. Each time I went in I was amazed that something so simple as an adjustment made me feel so much better. 

This curiosity and my life’s desire to help people are what actually drove me to become a chiropractor. In chiropractic school, we learn about anatomy and physiology but it is not until we understand BOTH and how they interact when the light bulb comes on!  Let’s turn that light on!

Chiropractic 101 

Chiropractic is not for back pain. At least, the chiropractic profession wasn’t created to treat back pain.

Everyone knows this as we learned it in 5th grade, but many forgot it. Your brain controls every function in your body. It does so by sending messages down the spinal cord. That’s called the central nervous system. Those messages then travel out the nerves that branch off from the spinal cord. Those branches pass right in between the bones of the spine, called vertebrae. Your spinal cord is protected by 24 moveable vertebrae. The messages then continue down the nerves to every organ, every muscle, every tissue, and every cell in your body. For your body to function properly those messages need to be sent and received clearly. Keep in mind this is a two-way street. Messages leave the brain and go out to the body, but messages also come back via the nerves through the spinal cord to the brain. 

For your body to experience the best function, health, and healing these messages have to travel without interference. 

We often refer to the central nervous system as the innate intelligence. We are all born with wisdom in the body that knows how to run all of life’s processes. This wisdom is referred to as Innate Intelligence. It allows the body to adapt to the changing environment. For example, you don’t have to think about digesting your food after you eat. The body knows what to do. Or for your heart to beat and your lungs to breathe. It knows exactly how to heal your finger if you get a cut. Innate intelligence utilizes the central nervous system and the beautiful network of the brain >spinal cord>nerve signaling. That’s where the amazingness of chiropractic comes in!

Spinal Misalignments

Here is the thing that few people truly know. For those messages to get through clearly, your spine has to be in good alignment. Your spine is the most likely space for nerve interference to occur. 

Even the slightest of spinal misalignments can mess up the nerve signals. Injuries, falls, life stressors and repetitive bad posture can lead to the vertebrae shifting and altering the distribution of your nervous system messages. FYI, this process is referred to as Vertebral Subluxation.

Communication is the key. I’m sure you’ve had poor cell phone coverage at some point, where you only understood half of what was said. How well can your body function if only part of the messages are getting through?

When a vertebral misalignment (called subluxation), impairs a spinal nerve, it only takes pressure as light as the weight of a dime to reduce that nerve function by 60 percent.

Without being too technical, here is an analogy: 

We all have sprinkler systems. The sprinkler heads need to be programmed to water at certain times and deliver the right amount of water to keep the grass alive and healthy. If the sprinkler head fails to pop up, or leaks underground, over time the lawn in that area will turn brown. It may take weeks or months for this to happen and the same can be said for your central nervous system. You may not know if your nerve signals are uninterrupted or not unless you make sure you get them checked regularly and keep the pathways clear.

The Value of a Chiropractic Adjustment

This is why chiropractic is worth so much more than just treating back pain. It is about realigning your spine so your nerves can communicate better and you can experience better health, more energy, and feel more alive.

• This is why when a person seeks chiropractic treatment for back pain, they also notice relief from allergies, experience less bloating or get better sleep after a few adjustments.
• This is why chiropractic athletes perform better and recover more quickly.
• This is why chiropractic patients’ digestion and elimination become more regular. 
• This is why chiropractic is recommended for children with developmental delays, for better focus and concentration. These are the side benefits (instead of side effects) we all want to experience!

The list of chiropractic benefits is endless. Every function in the body would need to be listed here. When the nervous system is allowed to communicate effectively greater health and well-being are the result.

The body is an amazing machine; to be healthy and function at its best, you only need clear nerve signaling. Chiropractors locate misalignments of the spine and make sure that your signal pathways are free of interference by gradually adjusting the vertebrae back into place – so that normal nerve function is restored. 

When someone asks you next time if you go to a chiropractor regularly because you have a bad back, you will be able to tell that person how chiropractic helps you to add life to your years and years to your life. Or just forward this article to them.

The Power is ON!