Causes of Subluxations
Acute injuries are one cause of subluxations—things like slips, falls, auto accidents, sports injuries or lifting injuries. But subluxations can also be the result of things like postural issues, sleeping in an awkward position, or repetitive traumas at work. These repetitive traumas cause long-term effects on the spine.
Effects on Muscles and Nerves
When spinal joints don’t move properly, the brain picks up on it and instructs the muscles to “guard” the area. The muscles tighten around the joints as the body attempts to protect itself from further injury.
The tight muscles, in turn, put pressure on the nerves in the area, and these tight nerves create a response in our body—either pain, or a systemic effect somewhere in the body where those nerves travel. It could be a headache, irritable bowel, irregular menstrual cycle, or poor sleep—the list goes on and on.
The chiropractic adjustment allows the joints to move as they should, so the muscles can stop guarding and the pressure is taken off the nerves. The result is that you move better, feel better, and function better.
Working Toward Prevention
At Pirmann Family Chiropractic, we encourage patients to get regular adjustments. This wellness care helps move the body into a preventative model, not a crisis model. With this type of care, we can help counter the long-term effects of our bad posture, sleeping habits or repetitive traumas. When the nervous system works as it should, without pressure from subluxations, your body operates optimally, and you are better able to heal when you experience some type of acute injury.