So, what exactly is a subluxation?

Almost without fail, when people who have just learned  about chiropractic are asked if they know what a subluxation is, the response is, "Yeah, yeah, uh-huh.” Just to  be  sure,  we  may  say, “Well, what do you think it is” or “What  exactly  is  your  understanding?”   Then  it  starts,  like  a 
reoccurring nightmare, “Well, a subjugation is...” or “A substantiation is...“ We would like to set the record straight but sometimes  get  the feeling  that  may  never  happen,  so  for  the purposes of review, we present the following.  “Sub-lux-a-tion”  is a difficult word, but we as a society have managed to incorporate a lot of words into our vocabulary that are equally difficult, few of which are as important to our well-being. We  have  learned  cholesterol,  triglycerides  and lipoproteins.   We  have  learned  beta-carotene,  gingivitis  and angioplasty. And who has not learned Gorbachev, fahrvergnugen or supercalifragilisticexpialidocious?  Subluxation is an important word and there is simply no other word that accurately describes exactly what it is a chiropractor addresses. We do not address the “it hurts right here doc, when I go like this.” We do not address the “man, it feels good when you do that, doc.” And we definitely do not address the “I gotta pinched nerve, slipped disc, headache, sinus problem, this problem or that pain... doc” We address the subluxation, specifically the vertebral (i.e., the  big  word  for  the  little  bones  that  make  up  the  spine) subluxation. Subluxation is defined as the misalignment of one of  the  vertebrae,  and  not  just  any  misalignment  but  one  that impinges the structures (i.e., nerves as well as blood and lymph vessels) that pass through the holes between the vertebrae and consequently impair their ability to function. With respect to the nerves, this means that the conduction of mental impulses from the brain  to  all  the  cells,  tissues  and  organs  of  the  body  is  impaired and consequently, the parts do not work as they should. It is worth noting that the nervous system controls all the other systems of the body,  including  the  circulatory,  respiratory,  digestive,  endocrine 
and  reproductive  systems.   That  means  that  interference  in  the nervous system could keep any of the many different parts of the body from working the way they should. Our  sole  purpose  in  this  office  is  to  find  subluxations  in  the spine  and  adjust  them  to  restore  the  proper  nerve  flow  from  the brain to all the parts of your body so they can work as well as they possibly can. Actually the concept is really very simple. I do not know, maybe we are just having trouble warming up to the word. Maybe for practice we could all try using it a little more. Instead of telling the chiropractor where your back hurts on your next visit, why not ask him or her to check your spine for subluxations. But 
be prepared for a shocked look on the chiropractor’s face!