What is subluxation?
If you are a chiropractic patient, you have likely heard the word subluxation mentioned. The subluxation is an important element of chiropractic theory and practice. But what does it mean? Actually, the definition of the word has evolved as it has received attention and investigation by the chiropractic profession, and it differs from the medical definition of the term. A consensus by chiropractic colleges, having status with accrediting agencies recognized by the US Department of Education, leads to the following definition: A subluxation is a complex of functional and/or structural and/or pathological articular changes that compromise neural integrity and may influence organ system function and general health. What the above means is that a subluxation is a joint problem (whether a problem with the way the joint is functioning, a physical problem with the joint, a disease of the joint, or a combination of any of these) that affects the function of nerves and can therefore affect the
“An official definition of a subluxation presented to the commission of inquiry by a Dr. Terry R. Yochum, then head of the Department of Roentgenology (x-ray) at a Melbourne, Australia, Chiropractic College was as follows (with the writer’s comments in brackets”): “…a complex biomechanical (spinal sections) neurophysiological (nerves) dis-relationship (damage) as it affects predominantly the spinal column.”Back to topA more common definitionA SUBLUXATION is an ABNORMALITY in the alignment, movement, or position of the spine or joints, which interferes with the normal nerve impulses passing through that area. A subluxation may involve just one vertebra (one out of twenty-five moveable segments of the spine) or a combination of multiple segments.Subluxation is a term used in the chiropractic field to describe what happens when one of the vertebrae (bones) in your spine (back) moves out of position.
Subluxation (also called vertebral subluxation) is the chiropractic term for misalignment of one or more vertebrae in spine. The spinal cord is protected by the spine, which is made up of 24 individual bones, or vertebrae. When the vertebra move out of their normal position they can push against the spinal nerves, interfering with the proper functioning of the nervous system to specific areas of the body and causing muscle and nerve tension. You may or may not experience pain or discomfort when a vertebra is out of place, which is why you should be checked regularly by your chiropractor.
A vertebral (spinal) subluxation is a clinical condition affecting the relationship and alignment of spinal bones and neurological structures which impacts the overall function of the body’s natural coordinating systems. The influence of the subluxation on the body may be subtle and asymptomatic, or rather dramatic and expressive. The effects of subluxations are cumulative and global. The Objective of Network… …is to assess and correct two classes of vertebral subluxation (facilitated and structural), using safe, ‘hands on,’ low force adjustments to the spine.
