What Is a Subluxation and How Does It Affect Your Health?
No matter if it’s your first or fiftieth appointment, you have likely heard your local chiropractor discuss the term, subluxation. This term may sound unusual, especially if you do not have a chiropractic background. If you are curious to know what a subluxation is and how it affects your health, keep reading below.
What Is a Subluxation?
Subluxation is a chiropractic term describing a joint that does not work properly, such as being restrictive or misaligned. A common subluxation is the vertebrae of the spine, or just a spinal subluxation. When a vertebrae is misaligned, this puts pressure on the nerve roots within the spine and can reduce the function of nerve signals between the brain and body. Chiropractors often notice that spinal subluxations are the source of various health issues from back pain to stress. However, people can also suffer from other types of subluxations in their feet, ribs, shoulders, wrists, and other areas of the body. If a patient’s subluxations are not treated, this can cause unbalance in the body.
Common Symptoms of Subluxations
There are several symptoms that can indicate a spinal subluxation. While every patient is unique, the following are the most common symptoms of subluxations.
- Back or Neck Pain: If a patient has continual back or neck pain, this may be caused by a spinal subluxation. The patient may experience pain that starts in the upper back and moves up through the neck. The pain level can range from mild to sharp, intense pain.
- Headaches: Headaches can also be an indicator of a subluxation. These headaches may occur from pressure that builds up due to an untreated misalignment. This pressure continues to build upward until it reaches the patient’s base of their head. As a result, this can lead to tension headaches that occur out of nowhere.
- Decreased Range of Motion: Subluxations can also cause a patient to experience muscle stiffness and reduced range of motion. Patients may find it challenging to perform daily tasks as a result of this restrictive movement. Indeed, this prevents people from doing what they love to do.
Subluxations also cause joint inflammation, muscle tenderness, numbness, and burning sensations.
Common Causes of Subluxations
A misalignment can occur to anyone at any time. The causes of subluxations vary. However, there are three main causes that chiropractors often notice. It’s always recommended to visit a licensed chiropractor to determine the root cause of your health conditions.
Trauma
One of the most common causes of subluxations is trauma. This can be due to an injury, such as a fall, car accident, or sports injury. Aside from major injuries, micro-traumas that happen in everyday life can also lead to spinal misalignments. Certain daily habits can lead to these micro-traumas injuries. This includes sleeping on your stomach, wearing a purse on only one side of your body, looking down at your digital device for several hours a day, or wearing high heels on a regular basis.
Toxins
Within your body, there are both natural and artificial chemicals. The goal is to maintain balance with these chemicals. However, this can be challenging due to the regular exposure to air pollution, indoor pollution (i.e. chemicals found in cleaning and beauty products), and eating heavily processed food. This imbalance within the body can cause the muscles to contract and contribute towards having a subluxation.
Stress
Stress is a major concern among children and adults. When a person experiences frequent stress, this can lead to tension within the body. A person may experience tension in their back, neck, and shoulders. As those muscles become tight due to stress, this can cause a subluxation.
Chiropractors Can Help Treat Subluxations
If you think your symptoms may be caused by a subluxation, it’s recommended that you contact your local chiropractor. This holistic expert has the training and experience to identify the source of your health conditions. Indeed, there is a good chance that a spinal subluxation is the cause. Luckily, chiropractors can perform safe and gentle adjustments designed to treat these subluxations. Overtime, this regular treatment will properly align the spine, so that you no longer have excessive pressure being placed on your joints. If you are looking for the best Noblesville chiropractor, contact Anchor Health Chiropractic today. We would love to be your anchor for better health, healing, and hope!
