Chiro 101: How to Explain Chiropractic

If you’re a patient of chiropractic and you’re loving the benefits you’ve received from care, but you
struggle to explain how it works to your friends and family… then this post is for you! (And even if the latter doesn’t describe you, a good ol’ nuts ‘n’ bolts post is a great read every now and again!) Let’s dive into some of the basics of chiropractic.

The Almighty Spine

First, let’s start with the central nervous system. Housed in the brain and spinal cord, this critical system controls nearly all functions of the body
and mind. Your nervous system is how your brain sends communication via the spinal cord to all other parts of the body.

Taking Care of Your Spine

Since the spine is such a key player in the brain-to-body communication process, it’s important to maintain spinal health throughout your life. Enter chiropractic
care.

Chiropractic physicians are experts in the musculoskeletal system—the network of bones, muscles, ligaments and joints that supports a body’s stability
and movement. These docs undergo years of education and training (over 400 more hours than an MD!) to learn how to accurately identify and correct
issues in the spine. Most commonly, these issues are misalignments, also known as subluxations.

What is a Subluxation?

If you have a subluxation (or misaligned bone) in your spine, it can place pressure on the nerves. This causes an interference between your brain and body’s communication,
making it so your body can’t function the way it’s supposed to. Think of it like using your smartphone with poor signal strength.

While you can have subluxation(s) without any noticeable symptoms, there are some indicators or symptoms of subluxation, such as neck pain, back pain,
headaches, dizziness or balance issues, muscle spasms, tightness or weakness, reduced mobility, joint pain, numbness or tingling in extremities, low
energy and more.

How Do Chiropractors Treat Subluxations?

Using their hands, or at times a small instrument, a chiropractor applies a gentle, controlled pressure to the misaligned vertebrae in the spine, eliminating
the subluxation. Known as the chiropractic adjustment, this treatment is very low-risk and doesn’t hurt. It addresses both the symptom as well as the
root of a problem, because the adjustment takes pressure off the nerves and allows the body to heal and function at its full potential.