September is back-to school, so how about a refresher course on the fundamentals behind your chiropractic care?
A word about pain
You’re in pain so you make an appointment to see a chiropractor. As soon as your pain is resolved you don’t need to see your chiropractor anymore – right? Wrong! Chiropractic is so much more than simply a means of relieving pain.
You might be surprised to learn that only about 10% of your nervous system is set aside for the perception of pain. However, your nervous system has a lot of other tasks.
Back to basics
Your nervous system can be divided into two major parts: the central nervous system (the brain and the spinal cord) and the peripheral nervous system (all the nerves outside the brain and spinal cord).
The peripheral nervous system connects the central nervous system to sensory organs (such as the eye and ear), other organs of the body, the muscles, blood vessels and glands. This means that your central nervous system (the brain and spinal cord) controls every function of your body … every move you make…. every breath you take…. every beat of your heart…
The brain is protected by the skull which consists of 22 bones, only ONE of which is movable
(the jaw). The spinal cord is protected by the spinal column and is composed of 33 separate, movable bony parts called vertebrae.
The Information Highway
When your vertebrae are in the correct alignment, information flows freely between the brain and the nerves in and outside the spinal cord, meaning your body is functioning correctly.
Since the vertebrae are movable they can become misaligned or subluxated, putting pressure on the nerves in the spinal cord. This means that information cannot flow freely anymore so now your body is no longer able to function correctly.
This flow of information – the communication – between your brain and the rest of your body (via the nerves) must occur freely for your body to function optimally.
Any interruption – subluxated vertebrae in the spinal cord, for example – hampers this communication, meaning your brain can no longer freely communicate with parts of your body. Your body no longer functions optimally.
Your body – the healer
From the top of your head to the tip of your toes your body is like a house, always requiring repair and renovation. Just as weather, shifts in the foundation, and daily wear and tear gradually take a toll on your house, so accidents, poor posture, stress and lifestyles take a toll on your body.
The goal of receiving chiropractic adjustments should be to restore – to repair and renovate – the body to its natural state of optimal health and functioning.