The key to what you may be asking yourself as you read the title of this article and the answer to that question is simple. Simplicity is the key to everything! I know that sounds like a copout answer but it really isn’t. They, who ever they are, always say it is best to start at the beginning and work your way up from there. Why, because the beginning is the simplest place to begin, the place where the foundation is laid from which you as a person will be able to build and grow.
I believe that this is why many people really don’t understand chiropractic or have many misleading ideas about chiropractic, not because many haven’t taken the time to learn, rather, not many have taken the time to educate them from the beginning. Many doctors of chiropractic assume that the portion of the population, who choose chiropractic, is informed and understands the importance of getting their spine checked for subluxations so they may briefly touch on the topic. Unfortunately that is not true they really don’t understand the true importance. When was the last time you talk to someone who goes to see a chiropractor and they told you the reason why they see them is ‘because without subluxations I am a better expression of myself free of interference and by getting my spine checked for vertebral subluxations my body is allowed to function to its fullest capacity!’ I am willing to bet never! Most people go see a chiropractor out of necessity or because some model of healthcare has failed to help them. For most people they choose chiropractic as their last option, but this goes against the idea of the beginning is the best place to start!
So now knowing the simplest place is the bests place to start, let’s talk about chiropractic and how it could potentially impact everyone’s life. The first questions anyone should ask is: What is chiropractic? The answer is chiropractic is an art, a science, and a philosophy for finding and aiding in the correction of vertebral subluxations. Well now you might be asking yourself what all of that means.
First when I say it is an art, I’m referring to the ability to adjust the spine. Anyone can make joints “crack” but that doesn’t mean they can adjust a joint. Chiropractors have extensive hours of education on the anatomy and biomechanics (joint motion) of the spine so they understand how it functions properly and therefore being able to determine when it is not performing properly. Thus in turn allows a chiropractor to deliver the skillful purposeful adjustment that is specific in correcting that vertebral misalignment.

What do you mean a science? Chiropractors are educated in science. We study human anatomy and physiology, biochemistry, physics and the list goes on and on. What you need to understand is that knowledge of the human body and how works is applied in our belief system. What you need to know is this. The control center for the human body is your brain that contains more nerves than you could possibly count in your lifetime and do countless activities simultaneously with out you even having to think about them. Your brain is constantly working on conscious and unconscious actions. How are all these wonderful things, like breathing, communicated from the brain to the body? The answer is these nerves travel out your brain and form your spinal cord, which is contained in your spinal column. Now from your spinal cord spinal nerves form and exit the spine from in between the vertebrae and travel to through the body to were they need to go in the body.
However there are times in everyone’s life that the vertebra that makes up your spine is going to become misaligned or even stuck in an in-proper position. When this happens it alters the normal function of the body especially in the area where problem is. Anytime there is a trauma introduced into the body, like a subluxation, it cause inflammation, localized swelling, and muscle spasm that will stress the nerve exiting the spine in that area. Not to mention decreasing the size of the hole from where nerve exits the spine. This in turn will alter the normal function of the nerve there by altering the function of what ever that nerve supplies in your body.
Now you may be asking yourself is this painful? The answer to that question is it may hurt, but not always. Another question you may ask yourself is how do I know if I’m subluxated? The answer is you may not know that you are until years after it has happened and this is were a chiropractor comes into play. They have been train to evaluate the function of the spine and aide in the correction of subluxations. This usually works best before the long term effects have begun to appear, like pain, early degenerative joint and disc disease, premature osteoporosis of the spine, as well as a decrease in normal physiological function of the nerve and area of the body that nerve supplies. Who gets subluxations? The answer to this is everyone, and it’s usually during our childhood that we receive our first subluxation. Can infants and children be checked for subluxations? Absolutely! In fact children benefit the greatest from being free of subluxations. Why you may ask and it is simple because it is the beginning! The beginning where the foundation for the rest of life is built and why not allow it to be the strongest foundation it can be.
Now here is where the philosophy comes into play. All chiropractors have been taught some level of chiropractic philosophy, which is the driving force for us to do what we do. With the knowledge of how the human body functions and the ability to correct vertebral subluxations through the art of adjustments, we understand in order for you to be the best you could possibly be, your body needs to be functioning and communicating properly with itself. We as chiropractors cannot cure your diseases and we are not able to take away your pain that is simply beyond our control. Now this doesn’t mean that these things won’t happen if you see a chiropractor, because they may and often do, but the one who deserves the credit is you. You deserve it because you chose chiropractic, and it is your body’s own innate ability to heal itself that resolved any issues your body may have been having.
So now let’s take a step back and absorb what you just have read. Now just keep in mind that this is a simple explanation of what chiropractic is, but remember simple is good because it signifies the beginning, were the foundation for the future is built. Let me pose this question for you. When do you think you should get your spine checked for subluxations, when you are in pain and disease ridden or before your body reaches that state? Make the impact now by allowing your body to function properly to help combat the traumas and stresses of everyday life. Get check for subluxations and begin living to your fullest potential.