What is Subluxation?

Subluxation is a term to describe what occurs when a bone goes out of position and causes pressure on the surrounding nerves. Although this can occur anywhere in the body, it most commonly occurs in the spine where there are many joints and nerves.

The word "subluxation" is Latin meaning somewhat or slightly (sub) dislocated (luxate). When this happens to a vertebra it creates pressure and stress on your spinal nerves which are the nerves coming directly off your spinal cord. This phenomenon is commonly called a “pinched nerve” and when you pinch a nerve it decreases the function of that nerve, which will ultimately lead to a decrease in function to the tissue this nerve supplies (i.e. muscles, organs, blood vessels, joints, bones, etc.). If a subluxation goes unaddressed, then the damage to the nerve gets progressively worse and different stages of degeneration to the joint and surrounding tissue can set in. Regular visits to a licensed chiropractor can help to reduce the effects of subluxation and help people prevent nerve damage from occurring.

How does subluxation occur?

A subluxation can occur due to acute reasons or chronic reasons just like any other disease. In an acute phase we can get subluxated due to any type of injury whether it be related to a car accident, sports, work or lifting something awkwardly. Chronically subluxation can set in over a period of time due to poor posture, poor working conditions, improper nutrition/exercise, congenital defects or even from the activities of daily living that causes an increase amount of stress to our bodies.

You have to remember that once a joint gets subluxated it will have an adverse effect on not only the nerves in the area, but also the surrounding soft tissue (muscles, tendons and ligaments). Once this soft tissue gets “used to” its new position it can be very difficult to get quick results because this joint complex is now set in its ways. This is why it is always important to correct subluxations as they occur. Why do we go to the Doctor when we have a cold or if we think we have something more serious like a cancer? Isn’t it to correct a cause of ill health? Well subluxation is no different. Now having a subluxation certainly isn’t as severe as having cancer or some other terminal disease, but if left uncorrected a joint out of alignment will lead to increased wear and tear on a joint which will ultimately lead to things like arthritis, disc problems, chronic headaches, etc Like many diseases subluxation can be easily treated the sooner it is detected. The typical symptoms of a subluxated joint are pain, stiffness, headaches, discomfort in your arms or legs, numbness, stress and fatigue.

How is subluxation corrected?

Chiropractors are specialists in correcting subluxation and other misalignments. A chiropractor can restore the misaligned vertebrae to their proper position in the spinal column. They do this manually by using the chiropractic procedure known as spinal adjustment. Your chiropractor, in most cases, will use his or her hands in applying corrective pressure to the spine in a specific direction and location. The manual force or thrust helps restore the alignment and mobility of the vertebrae. In some cases, the chiropractor may use instruments to detect a subluxation and adjust the spine. Under normal circumstances, chiropractic adjustments are painless. In cases of trauma, such as car accident, some discomfort may be experienced due to inflammation. It is also common to feel a brief sensation in the extremities immediately following an adjustment due to the sudden decompression of the affected nerve root.

What does a Chiropractor look for to determine how bad a spinal subluxation is?

Simple tests can be done to determine the level (if any) of spinal subluxation. Phases of spinal subluxation are determined by the same orthopedic/neurological exams that are done in every medical office and by taking radiographs (X-Rays) of the area of involvement. The orthopedic and neurological tests are necessary to determine if spinal subluxation exists and it also helps to determine the severity of tissue damage that may have occurred. Radiographs are important because they give the patient and doctor a “photographic” image of what phase of spinal subluxation you are in. From the results of these tests your Chiropractor can determine which of the three phases of spinal subluxation degeneration you are in (if any).

Typical exam findings of someone with spinal subluxation include sore muscles, a decrease in range of motion (stiffness), muscle weakness, headaches and a reproduction of symptoms when certain orthopedic tests are preformed. Typically these exam findings get more severe as a person goes from Phase One to Phase Two to Phase Three.

Radiographically, we can determine the exact phase of spinal subluxation due to a decrease or reversal of the spine’s curve and the integrity of the bone/joint space. The severity can range from a minor straightening of a person’s spinal curve (Phase One) all the way to fusion of a vertebral joint (Phase Three). Regardless of which phase you are in, chiropractic care can help all phases.