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 Chiropractors focus on correcting disordered vertebral joints, which include vertebrae and their boney projections (called facet joints and spinous or transverse processes), shock-absorbing cartilage discs, muscles, ligaments, and nervous tissue. Subluxations - abnormalities of this vertebral complex - affect health by impinging on nerve roots as they exit the complex through channels called intervertebral foramen.
Because of the complex’s inherent intricacy, subluxations can result from numerous, interacting factors that upset the complex’s homeostatic equilibrium, e.g., from unbalanced muscle tension that pulls a vertebra out of alignment with neighbors. In turn, a specific subluxation can create a chain reaction affecting other parts of the spinal column. For example, neck pain may be the secondary consequence of a pelvic misalignment.
Chiropractic emphasizes non-invasive therapies, such as manual treatments, exercise programs, nutritional advice, and lifestyle modification.
The most common procedure is the spinal adjustment, accomplished through diverse techniques. For example, with spinal adjustment, using the vertebral projections as levers, a carefully measured force is rapidly applied to the joint that carries it past its voluntary range of motion but still well within the range permitted by nature. The commonly heard “crack” is actually a vacuum-created, nitrogen bubble bursting within the joint. In contrast, with spinal mobilization procedures, the joint remains within its passive range of movement.
Depending upon the problem’s acute or chronic nature, often multiple treatment sessions are needed,
15-20 being the average.
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