Chiropractic Education

The information presented on these pages is only a small preview into the
scientific and clinical understanding of subluxation.  We present these pages
just to offer an initial orientation into the complexity effects of subluxations.  
If you have additional questions, please ask us.

What is a Subluxation?

In simplest terms, a subluxation (a.k.a. Vertebral Subluxation)
is when one or more of the bones of your spine (vertebrae)
move out of position and create pressure on, or irritate spinal
nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from
between each of the bones in your spine. This pressure or
irritation on the nerves then causes those nerves to malfunction
and interfere with the signals traveling over those nerves.
How does this affect you? Your nervous system controls and
coordinates all the functions of your body.  If you interfere with
the signals traveling over nerves, parts of your body will not get
the proper nerve messages and will not be able to function at
100% of their innate abilities. In other words, some part of your
body will not be working properly.

Subluxations are really a combination of changes going on at the same time. These
changes occur both in your spine and throughout your body. For this reason chiropractors
often refer to vertebral subluxations as the "Vertebral Subluxation Complex", or "VSC" for
short.

In the VSC, various things are happening inside your body simultaneously. These various
changes, known as "components," are all part of the vertebral subluxation complex.
Chiropractors commonly recognize five categories of components present in the VSC.
These five are:

The Osseous (bone) Component is where the vertebrae are either out of position, not
moving properly, or are undergoing physical changes such as degeneration. This
component is sometimes known as kinesiopathology.

The Nerve Component is the malfunctioning of the nerve. Research has shown that only
a small amount of pressure on spinal nerves can have a profound impact on the function of
the nerves. This component is scientifically known as neuropathology.

The Muscle Component is also involved. Since the muscles help hold the vertebrae in
place, and since nerves control the muscles themselves, muscles are an integral part of
any VSC. In fact, muscles both affect, and are affected by the VSC. This component is
known as myopathology.

The Soft Tissue Component is when you have misaligned vertebrae and pressure on
nerves resulting in changes in the surrounding soft tissues. This means the tendons,
ligaments, blood supply, and other tissues undergo changes. These changes can occur at
the point of the VSC or far away at some end point of the affected nerves. This component
is also known as histopathology.

The Chemical Component is when all these components of the VSC are acting on your
body, and therefore causing some degree of chemical changes. These chemical changes
can be slight or massive depending on what parts of your body are affected by your
subluxations. This component is often known as biochemical abnormalities.

Chiropractors have known about the dangers of subluxations for over one hundred years.
Today, more scientific evidence is showing the dangers of subluxations and the health
benefits of correcting them. To be truly healthy, it is vital that your nervous system be
functioning free of interference from subluxations. Our goal is to allow your body to return
itself to the highest level of health possible by correcting VSC.  This is done through a
series of chiropractic adjustments specifically designed to correct the vertebral
subluxations in your spine.  Chiropractors are the ONLY health professionals trained in the
detection, location, and correction of the VSC by undergoing years of training to be the
experts at correcting subluxations.