The Spine’s Function

The spine allows the body to be weight bearing and move around. It also joins the body together as one. Furthermore, it houses and protects the central nervous system, allows dispersion of the peripheral nervous system, and provides body/joint position information to the brain and spinal cord. So, any spinal function or dysfunction can influence the nervous system.

Swelling of joint tissues in the spine from acute injury or degenerative conditions, such as degenerated discs or herniated or ruptured discs, can lead to direct pressure at the spinal nerve root or cord. This nerve pressure translates to the brain as pain, numbness, and weakness or paralysis in muscles. This is a common result of subluxation in the spine, affecting the nervous system. This common condition is readily corrected by chiropractic care.

There is another form of nerve stress that is less demonstrable on the MRI than the first but is just as serious and even more common. This is the effect that the subluxation has on joint mechanoreceptors and nociceptors, which leads to facilitation (hyperactivity) in the nervous system at the same level of the spinal cord. This noxious stimulus bombardment alters the activity of the spinal cord associated with every function at the cord level. The sympathetic nervous system especially is spun into a hyperactive, discordant, and confused cycle that not only did the brain not initiate, but also cannot even interpret. This subluxation-induced nerve disturbance goes unchecked in the body and causes a malfunction in any related body system. It also frequently goes undiagnosed in the field of medicine.