Pain is a warning sign. Like the piercing sound from a smoke alarm, the alarm isn’t the problem. The alarm has a cause, just like every ache or pain has a cause. Some people choose to cover up the pain instead of correcting the cause. What’s your approach?

The nerve-rich facet joints on the back side of each spinal bone are a common cause of back pain. If these pairs of interlocking “fingers” aren’t moving right, they can cause painful symptoms.
The discs between spinal bones can be a source of back pain, too. These rings of fibrous tissues act as spacers, connectors and “shock absorbers” for the spine. Trauma can cause the soft, pulpy material in the middle to bulge or herniate, putting pressure on delicate nearby nerves.

Once you know the cause, you have several choices. One approach is bed rest. But research shows that prolonged bed rest can actually delay recovery and make the problem worse!
Physical therapy is another option. But exercising spinal joints that aren’t working right is like continuing to drive your car with misaligned tires!

Another choice is to numb or cover up the pain with drugs. While drugs can offer temporary relief, they can’t correct functional problems of affected spinal joints.

The most drastic measure is surgery. A laminectomy cuts off the offending facet joints, leaving the spinal cord exposed! A spinal fusion cuts out the disc tissue and immobilizes the joint. While there may be times when surgery makes sense, it’s expensive, risky and more than half of all back surgeries fail.

More and more people are choosing chiropractic care first. Specific chiropractic adjustments can help improve spinal function.

Better yet, chiropractic is safe. Chiropractic is natural. And chiropractic looks to correct the underlying cause of the problem.

• While a sedentary lifestyle can make symptoms worse, back pain affects those who are tall, short, thin, heavy, young and old.
• While overexertion can cause back pain flare-up, the underlying problem may have gone undetected for years.
• Besides being dangerous and the results temporary, more than half of all back surgeries are considered failures.

Ironically, many insurance companies would rather pay for expensive surgery than conservative chiropractic care!

The human body is a self-contained, self-governing and self-protecting vehicle which is designed to “live” many years. The body, with its framework of bones, its moving parts and motors of muscles and organs and its communication system of nerves, is controlled by the rational and sentient capacity of the brain. With all the parts functioning smoothly life is known, experienced and enjoyed.

The nerves can be traced back to a point where they leave the backbone and enter the spinal column through small bone sections called vertebrae. These separate sections are bound together into a strong, flexible vertebral column by muscles and fibers. Between these sections or segments are protective cushions of cartilage.

It is possible for one or several of the individual vertebrae to slip or turn slightly from their proper position by sudden twists, prolonged stress of remaining in one position, falls, blows or other accidental strains. Displacement of the vertebral section tends to change the size and shape of the nerve trunk openings resulting in pressure upon or obstruction of the nerve trunk. This physical obstruction creates an abnormal flow of nerve impulse.

There are 24 moveable vertebrae in the spine, with nerve trunks issuing to the right and left between each juncture of the vertebrae, each carrying millions of individual fibers bundled together like a telephone cable and extending to the various parts of the body. This is why any one of the many bodily parts and organs are affected by nerve obstructions and why these effects can be detrimental.

Doctors of Chiropractic are trained to discover displacements of the vertebral segments of the spine. Not only do they rely on their educated fingers discovering displaced vertebrae that reveals noticeable tenderness as the result of irritation, but x-ray is also used to show the position of the vertebrae in relation to one another. Other diagnostic measuring equipment are utilized but the type of devices used vary with doctors preference and are used to provide additional information about the body and the possible underlying dysfunction.

Vertebral displacement, termed “subluxation” by chiropractors is corrected by a chiropractic adjustment. The bone will be felt and usually heard called a “cavitation” as it is moved back into place, where it belongs. Bones move from pain causing positions to the original health inducing positions. Chiropractors are uniquely trained in the biomechanics of all the joints comprising the human body and know exactly which structures are “out-of” their normal position and through various techniques assist the two bones comprising the joint back into its proper position.
In this modern era of catch phrase we have often come to know the resultant cause of a displaced vertebrae as a “pinched nerve”.

You can see, healthy and normal nerve trunks branch forth from normal openings in the spinal column. But you can also see the devastating effect vertebral pinching has on a once healthy and normal nerve trunk.

Doctors of chiropractic are educated and trained in the detection and care of musculoskeletal problems, particularly the joints of the spinal column. However maintaining the health and integrity of all the joints in the body are important since each structure is related to one another along a delicate biomechanical chain. Aberrant movement even from a small joint in the foot can offset other structures in the body. Everything is connected, and nothing is isolated.

Most spinal injuries either micro-damage (small repetitive movements over time) or macro-damage (trauma) can insult the discs, cartilage, tendons, muscles and ligaments that hold the bones of the spine together. When soft tissue injuries occur, the movement of the spinal joints is changed. This change, or dysfunction, may cause some joints to move too little and others to move too much.

Pain is not always obvious when spinal injuries occur. Many times the pain that comes after a minor injury goes away by itself in a few days. The injury, however, often causes the spinal joint dysfunction that remains long after the pain goes away. Most people think everything is all right if there is no pain. A person with spinal dysfunction usually doesn’t know there’s a problem unless something happens again to cause swelling in the weakened area.

The spine works as one long chain with many moving links. Every change in movement in one joint of the spine will affect another. Therefore, pain that comes from the spine in one area may actually be related to silent problems elsewhere. Many people that seek care for spinal problems have specific complaints of pain or other symptoms. Your chiropractor will likely examine and x-ray your full spine to give you the proper care (usually a specific adjustment) and manage your condition completely.