Chiropractic 101

What is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a safe, natural, and effective way to maximize the function of our nervous systems by eliminating or preventing spinal problems that interfere with the body’s ability to achieve and maintain optimal health.

The nervous system is the master control center for the entire body. The purpose of the brain and nervous system is to control and coordinate the function of all systems, organs, tissues, and cells in the body. The spine protects the delicate spinal nerves that transmit and act as communication phone lines between the brain and every cell in the body.

When the spine is damaged or misaligned, it causes the nerves to become pinched or irritated. Pinched or irritated nerves are known as the Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC), which hinders the body’s ability to communicate, move, and heal.

Chiropractors locate VSC and correct it. Like an operator keeping phone lines clear of static that hinders communication, chiropractic fixes the "static" caused by VSC so your body can heal faster and stay healthier.

What is Vertebral Subluxation Complex?

Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC) is a malfunctioning or misaligned spinal joint that is causing communication interference within your nervous system. If left uncorrected, VSC can result in major tissue degeneration, spinal degeneration, calcium salt deposition, misalignment, and partial or total bone fusion.

The five components of the Vertebral Subluxation Complex are listed below:

1. Spinal Kinesiopathology occurs when the small joints of the spine are “sprained” and heal incorrectly—too loose, too tight, or misaligned.
2. Neuropathophysiology, the pinching or irritation of spinal nerves, occurs after the initial “sprain” of the small joints. At this point in VSC development, interference between the brain and body begins.
3. Myopathology occurs when the pinched or irritated nerves cause muscle spasms and weakness. Without medical correction, inflammation and scar tissue will develop in the spinal muscles and cause them to “stick” together, resulting in their abnormal function throughout life.
4. Histopathology, the fourth component, causes widespread spinal inflammation and scar tissue throughout the spine. All tissues of the spine begin to break down as the soft tissue swells and the scar tissue accelerates in development.
5. Pathology, the last component, involves degeneration of the spine due to the injured area. This degeneration interferes with the nervous system on such a high level that the VSC can force the entire body to get sick or malfunction.

The treatment for VSC is chiropractic adjustments.

What causes Vertical Subluxation Complex?

Frequent causes of VSC include physical stresses like birth trauma, accidents, sports injuries, stressful activities, and falls. Even small stresses like poor posture or repetitive motions done throughout the day can add up over a lifetime, like layers of an onion.

Chemical stresses like medications, food or water toxins, and pesticides can be major contributive factors as well.

Even emotional stress can cause additional damage to a spine and nervous system that is already weak or injured from years of physical stress.

What is Wellness Care?

Because the nervous system is the control center for your brain and body, keeping it in optimal condition is necessary for optimal health. Wellness Care is a form of preventative chiropractic care that allows patients to take a proactive position on their journey towards reaching their full potential.
Wellness Care means not waiting for pain or injury before seeing a chiropractor. It is a way for patients to maintain their maximum level of health, rather than wait for their bodies to break down first. By disallowing any interference with your nervous system, your body will move, heal, and function optimally. 
 

How often do I have to go to the chiropractor?

The frequency and duration of one’s chiropractic care varies from person to person depending on the severity of their most recent injury, the length of time the injury has been present and the amount of layers of injury on the spine over the person’s lifetime.  In general, there are three types of care:
 

1. Initial Intensive Care is designed to remove the latest layer of damage to your spine and nervous system and to allow your body to get maximal healing of the newest injury to the spine and nervous system. This type of care will provide relief from symptoms and correction of the problem.  The care schedule is very intense to start with, usually requiring appointments three times a week.
2. Reconstructive Care is designed to remove the deeper layers of injury that your body has experienced, eventually going back as far as childhood injuries and the birth process. As we remove these underlying problems, your spine and nervous system will come alive again. This type of treatment involves one or two visits per week, and the great benefits are seen as multiple body systems perform better!
3. Wellness/Maintenance Care is a lifestyle choice our patients may choose after completing their initial and reconstructive care. Wellness patients are the heroes of chiropractic care--ready and willing to proactively maintain their optimal health every week of their lives. This type of care deals with weekly stress on the spine as it occurs, rather than after it develops into a serious problem.  According to medical research performed by Tapio Videman, hypomobility of joints for 7-14 days will cause irreversible degeneration due to the irritated nerves causing muscle spasms which attract scar tissue.  Scar tissue built up in the muscles surrounding the spine and on the spine itself is permanent.  Wellness patients don’t allow scar tissue to form with regular weekly adjustments.  We don’t wait for a cavity to form before brusing our teeth. Wellness patients don’t wait for decay in their spine or pain to get chiropractic care.

How old do I have to be to go to the chiropractor?

The benefits of chiropractic are for everyone. Damage to the spine can occur as early as birth in what chiropractors call Traumatic Birth Syndrome which causes negative effects that accumulate over a lifetime. Wellness Care is a healthy lifestyle choice for all ages. We have several expecting moms under our care, and we check numerous newborns for subluxation after their first week of birth. These newborns enter into our “Full Potential Club” because they have the opportunity to maintain their optimal health from birth and reach their full potential because their body is functioning free of interference and at it’s maximum.

For more information on chiropractic for children and expecting parents, join us every third Tuesday at Inner Balance.  Dr. Tara Scharich’s half hour interactive Children’s Health Workshop is at 6:30 p.m. for hands-on learning that is a must for every child whose parents want them to understand more about true health.  Join us at 7:30 p.m. for our Birth Awareness Series to become more educated regarding healthy pregnancy, birth and parenting.