Let’s define what a vertebral subluxation is first. Vertebrals are joints within your spine. Subluxation essentially means that the joints have shifted, have stopped moving freely or stably in all planes of motion. Therefore, a vertebral subluxation means the spine has shifted out of alignment and it is not going to move well.
When a joint stops moving or it shifts out of alignment, it impairs how the body functions on a visceral level. It is going to create stress and tension on the joint, the tissue, the nerve, and this can lead to dysfunction within the body. A vertebral subluxation puts the body in a stress state because it puts stress and tension onto the nervous system and the nervous system controls everything our body does.
When your body is under a state of stress it increases cortisol levels, it blocks insulin reception, and it plays with our hormones. So, if you are chronically stressed, then your body is not going to be able to fight sickness and disease as well as a body that is not under stress. If we are subluxated, it can cause anything from physical, to biomechanical, to physiological distress and disease. It can also lead to pain, metabolic diseases, poor mood, poor sleep, low energy level, and poor metabolism.
When your joints and spine are moving freely and stably, and you supplement that with balance strength in the muscle groups, then you should be able to function at an optimal level without sickness or disease.
So, how do you know if you have a vertebral subluxation? Make an appointment to see a chiropractor.
Chiropractors can diagnose a vertebral subluxation several different ways. There is a specific instrument chiropractors use within a specific technique of chiropractic called the Gonstead technique. The tool is called the Nervoscope and it was developed by Clarence Gonstead. The Nervoscope picks up on heat differentials within the spine. If a nerve is compressed, it’s going to create heat through inflammation. A Nervoscope would find that, and then from there, you can find the joint that is subluxated.
Another way to diagnose a vertebral subluxation is to go through an examination where a chiropractor will take the joint through range of motion. If a joint is not moving as it should, that is a subluxation. To see this objectively, you will take some x-rays.
Once a chiropractor finds the vertebral subluxation, they would decide the best manner of treatment. A chiropractor’s main objective is to correct subluxations and restore function to people’s lives without drugs and without surgery. They should be able to restore function to that joint and that part of the spine in most people, unless they’ve had a huge trauma or are extremely degenerative, or they’ve got a congenital issue within the spine.
