How
Does Chiropractic Work?
Many
people seek chiropractic care when their back goes out or their neck
tightens up. But how does this form of care actually work? What are
the benefits of receiving chiropractic care for nerve dysfunction
compared with other healthcare options? Let’s take a look!
First,
let’s discuss how the nervous system “works.” We have three
divisions of the nervous system: the central, peripheral, and
autonomic nervous systems. The central nervous system (CNS) includes
the brain and spinal cord, and it’s essentially the main processing
portion of the nervous system. The spinal cord is like a multi-lane
highway that brings information to the brain for processing (sensory
division) and returns information back to the toes, feet, legs, and
upper extremities from which the information originated (motor
division). For example, hiking on a mountain trail or simply walking
requires constant input to and from the CNS so we can adjust our
balance accordingly and not fall. These “sensory-motor pathways”
are essential and allow us to complete our daily tasks in an
efficient, safe manner as information is constantly bouncing back and
forth between the brain and the rest of the body.
The
peripheral nervous system (PNS) includes a similar sensory/motor
“two-way street” system relaying information back and forth from
our toes/feet/legs and fingers/hands/arms to the spinal cord (CNS).
And if this isn’t complicated enough, we also have “reflexes”
that, for example, allow us to QUICKLY pull our hand away from a hot
stove to minimize burning our fingers.
Reflexes
allow the information to “skip” the brain’s processing part so
quicker reactions can occur. The autonomic nervous system (ANS)
includes the sympathetic and parasympathetic divisions that basically
“run” our automatic (organ) functions like breathing, heart rate,
digestion, hormonal output, and more. There is constant communication
between the ANS, PNS, and CNS that allow us to function in a normal,
balanced way… unless something disrupts them.
There
are obvious conditions that interfere with this communication process
that include (but are not limited to) diabetes (with neuropathy),
frost bitten or burned fingers, peripheral nerve damage from
conditions like carpal/cubital tunnel syndromes, thoracic outlet
syndrome, and/or pinched nerves in the neck, mid-back, low-back
spinal regions, as well as conditions such as multiple sclerosis
(MS), Guillain-Barre Syndrome, after a stroke (spinal cord or brain),
and after trauma with resulting fractures where nerve, spinal cord,
and/or brain damage can occur. These are “obvious” reasons for
delayed or blocked neurotransmission.
There
are many other less obvious injuries or conditions that can result in
faulty neuromotor patterns and nerve transmission of which
chiropractic services can benefit. The “subluxation complex” is a
term some chiropractors use to describe the compromised nerve
transmission that may occur if a nerve is compressed or irritated due
to faulty bone or joint position along the nerve’s course. Reducing
such nerve compression typically allows for a restoration of
function. A good illustration of this is a patient who suffers from a
herniated disk in the neck with numbness and tingling down the arm to
the hand. The goal of treatment (for all healthcare professionals) is
to remove the pinch of the nerve.
To
realize this goal, doctors of chiropractic utilize spinal
manipulation and mobilization in addition to other non-surgical,
non-drug approaches that may include exercises, nutritional advice,
home-care such as a cervical traction unit, and other
anti-inflammatory measures (ice, modalities like low level and class
IV laser, electric stimulation, pulsed magnetic field, and more).
Given the minimal side-effect risks and well-reported benefits, it
only makes sense to try chiropractic FIRST and if you’re not
satisfied, your doctor will help you find the next level of care.
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