The spine's health and function is shaped by its healthy curves and alignment. If the spine shifts out of alignment, its balance, stability, and function can be disrupted, and disruptions to spinal health can affect overall health in a number of ways.
Vertebral subluxations are changes in the position of vertebral bodies that affect the spine's alignment and can disrupt spinal-nerve health. In a healthy spine, its vertebrae are stacked on top of one another in a straight and neutral alignment, and there are multiple causes for misaligned vertebrae.
If one or more vertebrae become misaligned, the biomechanics of the spine can be disrupted, and this can affect the body in a number of ways.
Spinal health is key to overall health. Not only does the spine allow us to stand upright and practice healthy posture, it also shapes our movement patterns, nerve health, and protects important organs.
The spine's design is based on movement, so staying active is important, but if there is too much movement within the spine, its balance and stability can be disrupted.
There are three main spinal sections including the cervical spine (neck), thoracic spine (middle/upper back), and the lumbar spine (lower back), and as one long structure, the health of an individual section affects the health of the other sections.
Spinal health is also important for nerve health and function. The spinal cord contains 31 pairs of spinal nerves that work with the brain to form the central nervous system: the body's vast communication network.
So what are vertebral subluxations and what specific effects can they cause?
The spine consists of vertebrae (bones) that are rectangular in shape and stacked on top of one another in a straight and neutral alignment, and this facilitates the spine's healthy curves in each of its main sections, and the spine's healthy position and alignment.
If one or more vertebrae experiences a change in position, it can introduce instability to the spine because as one long structure, its balance depends on the alignment of all vertebrae and spinal sections.
A misaligned spine can disrupt the alignment of the entire body, and if left untreated, can get worse over time, particularly in older adults facing degenerative changes.
A vertebral subluxation can cause too much movement within the spine, compromising joint stability.
The spinal nerves pass through the cord and exit the spine, branching off in different directions to provide input between the brain, the spine, and the rest of the body.
If nerves are exposed to uneven pressure due to a vertebra changing its position and pressing on a nearby nerve, nerve interference can cause a number of symptoms from asymmetrical posture to mobility changes and pain.
Depending on the degree of nerve involvement, the type of nerve, its pathway, and location within the spine, disruptions to nerve function can cause mild to severe symptoms.
For example, if the lumbar spine becomes misaligned, because the sciatic nerve starts in the lower back, it can cause sciatic nerve irritation due to excessive pressure.
The sciatic nerve is a mixed nerve that contains both sensory and motor fibers, so sciatic nerve interference can cause symptoms involving sensation and mobility.
Common effects include painful flare-ups and pain and discomfort felt largely down the left side of the body and disruptions to healthy movement patterns.
Nerve damage and compression can be difficult to diagnose when symptoms are experienced far from the site of nerve compression.
A healthy spine supports healthy posture, and posture and spinal health are interconnected, so poor posture can shape spinal health, and poor spinal health can cause postural deviation.
Poor posture and spinal health commonly disrupt healthy movement patterns because symmetrical movement can't be supported if the spine and/or body are off-balance.
Poor posture can also mean the upper body’s weight isn’t evenly distributed over the lower body, causing uneven wear and tear on the spine and lower body.
Postural changes are also associated with changes to balance, coordination, and gait, and chronic poor posture needs to be addressed proactively; the longer it’s left unaddressed, the harder it can be to improve and/or reverse its effects.
The spine's vertebrae can become misaligned for a number of reasons, one of which is the presence of an underlying spinal condition introducing uneven forces to the spine and its surroundings.
Scoliosis causes the spine to develop an unnatural curve that involves rotation, meaning the affected vertebrae don't just bend unnaturally to the side, but also twist.
If the spine becomes misaligned, a vertebral subluxation analysis can help determine and address the underlying cause.
Nonsurgical scoliosis treatment combines the potential of multiple scoliosis-specific forms of treatment including chiropractic adjustments that work towards improving the position and alignment of the subluxated vertebrae.
In many cases of vertebral subluxations that are left unaddressed, because the unbalance contributes to uneven wear, the spine can become increasingly unstable and shift further out of alignment over time; this puts older adults, in particular, at risk of injury through a fall.
A common effect of scoliosis, for example, is a muscular imbalance because the spine and surrounding muscles work together to maintain the spine's balance and alignment so are interrelated.
In cases of scoliosis, the muscles on one side of the spine work harder to counteract its unnatural curvature, while muscles on the opposite side can atrophy due to lack of use.
And if the spine's surrounding musculature is unhealthy or weak for any reason, this can also contribute to the development of the spine becoming misaligned due to a lack of support and stability.
Additional causes include physical trauma (accidents, falls, sports injuries), overuse injuries caused by repetitive motion, and chronic poor posture.
A vertebral subluxation occurs when the spine is misaligned, and common symptoms include postural changes, nerve compression, and disruptions to muscle balance and strength.
The spine can become misaligned due to a number of reasons, including the presence of an underlying spinal condition such as scoliosis, and the first step to improving the spine's position is to determine the underlying cause of the vertebral subluxation.
If the spine isn't aligned, it's not balanced, and this can interfere with the spine's strength, flexibility, and function.
A vertebral subluxation analysis looks for the source of the misalignment through identifying areas of discomfort, restricted movement, tight muscles, and any other sources of nervous system interference; the analysis assesses leg length, posture, and mobility.
Through hands-on palpations and X-ray imaging, areas of restricted movement and nerve involvement can be identified, and a treatment plan can be customized with the goal of significantly improving the sine's alignment and relieving pressure on affected nerves.
Vertebral subluxation symptoms are shaped by causation, severity, and the degree of nerve involvement and nerve location, and in many cases, a nonsurgical treatment response involving chiropractic care and physical therapy can yield a successful treatment outcome.
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