Can Adjustments Make My Spine Too Loose?

You may have heard this concern voiced by those who don’t fully understand how chiropractic works.

Most spinal problems come in pairs. Usually there’s an area of the spine that is not moving adequately. And this is often accompanied by one or more areas somewhere else in the spine that compensate by moving too much. These areas can be adjacent to stuck areas or even at the opposite end of the spine! We call these compensation reactions.

Your body is constantly dealing with the force of gravity. When one area of your spine malfunctions, an equal and opposite reaction can appear elsewhere. This is why patients are often surprised that we examine their upper back when their complaint is in their lower back.

Our goal is to avoid the compensations and focus our attention on the primary vertebral subluxation. The spinal joints that move too much are avoided so muscles and ligaments can stabilize and heal. When we add motion to stuck spinal joints, areas that are too loose can properly heal.

"It Won't Happen to Me!"

Lifestyle decisions and long-term neglect can produce obesity, diabetes, hypertension, heart disease and other health problems. But since the symptoms can take years to appear, these issues are easy to overlook.

If pressing a button instead of taking the stairs immediately resulted in a visible weight gain, you'd head for the stairs instead. If expressing anger, envy or grief instantly created a stomach ulcer, you’d be careful about what you express.

But it can take years for even the earliest symptoms to show up and by then, the problem has advanced. “It won’t happen to me,” we lie to ourselves.

Yet, the damage is done. That’s why our most health conscious patients see us on a regular basis. Can chiropractic care reverse years of neglect? No. But periodic checkups may catch problems before they become serious. Has it been a while since your last visit? Give us a call.

Is Your Bucket Overflowing?

Allergies are so common, many people don’t even recognize the many ways our bodies alert us to allergic reactions, such as:

• Sneezing, runny nose, itchy eyes
• Sinus congestion
• Asthma
• Heartburn
• Skin rashes, acne, itching
• Fluid retention

Yet, the problem isn’t the pet dander, pollen, chemicals or spicy food. The problem is actually the person—not the allergen. If it were the allergen, everyone would react.

The ability to adapt to allergens involves the nervous system. So, it’s no surprise that many people with allergies also have vertebral subluxation(s) that may impair their body’s ability to adapt.

Think of your body’s ability to accommodate stressors like allergens as an empty bucket. Fill your bucket with the stress of poor nutrition, lack of rest, a stressful commute and your bucket is full.

Now, along comes tree pollen season, or a cat and you start wheezing. Why? Because your bucket is overflowing! The pollen or the cat may get the blame, but only because your ability to adapt has been overwhelmed.

Do you know someone with allergies? Introduce them to chiropractic. Perhaps we can help them enhance their ability to adapt!