The nervous system serves as the body's wiring. If this wiring is inhibited, the signal does not reach the intended body part, and illness may result. Such interferences can manifest anywhere
along your spine.
For example, pain in your arm or hand may actually be caused by a problem in your neck, where the nerves connecting to that hand originate.
"I just have a muscle pain."
Muscles are the middle man in your neuro-musculo-skeletal system. Nerves tell muscles to contract and muscles move bones. If the spinal joint gets stress or go out of the alignment, muscles become tight or spastic to protect the area. So you can stretch or massage them, or take pain medications or muscle relaxors for relief, but ultimately your muscle wil become tense or spastic if the problem still remains. Muscles are one of the many components of subluxation.
"A lesion or dysfunction in a joint or motion segment in which alignment, movement integrity and/or physiological function are altered, although contact between joint surfaces remains intact. It is essentially a functional entity, which may influence biomechanical and neural integrity." - World Health Organization
"Chiropractic is concerned with the preservation and restoration of health, and focuses particular attention on the subluxation. 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. A subluxation is evaluated, diagnosed, and managed through the use of chiropractic procedures based on the best available rational and empirical evidence." - Robert Cooperstein, Brian J. Gleberzon. Technique systems in chiropractic. Elsevier Health Sciences, 2004, ISBN 0-443-07413-5, ISBN 978-0-443-07413-4, 387 pages
The chiropractor refers to problem of joint motion and alignment as subluxation complexes. These subluxation complexes have a number of effects, including causing a person to experience pain. Pain and other signs or symptoms indicate that subluxation complexes can cause problems with the nervous system, including individual nerves. This is sometimes referred to as nerve interference by chiropractors. With chiropractic adjustments and other care, the chiropractor corrects subluxation complexes and their effects on the nervous system.
Some of the ways subluxation complexes can affect the nervous system:
1. Inflammation
When ligaments, discs, and other tissues are strained, sprained or damaged(like when you twist your ankle) inflammation occurs. This natural healing process brings blood cells and nutrients to damaged tissue. When this process cannot be properly coordinated, or becomes chronic as in the case of uncorrected subluxation, it may build up a fluid pressure, create damage to local tissues, and cause pain. If this inflammation occurs in spinal joints, it may affect the nerve close by and interfere with the messages passing along them.
2. Abnormal Messages
The joint motion and damage detectors supply information to the brain via the nerves. Altered joint motion or vertebral malposition(as occurs in subluxation) sends continual distorted messages to your brain, adding to your body's perception of stress. Abnormal motion or pressure in your spinal joints may interfere with the "normal" message(much like static on a telephone line during a lightning storm).
3. Transport systems are interfered with
Compression or elongation of nerves alters the flow of nutrients and chemicals required for nervous system communication. Very slight pressure at the spine can disrupt the natural circulation to and through the nerves, alter the communication network and create damage to these sensitive structures. Thinned discs or fragments of a broken down discs can further damage the functioning nerves.
4. Distortion of the coverings of the brain and spinal cord
Around your brain and spinal cord are coverings which protect and provide mechanical support to this delicate tissue. Subluxation result in increased tension in these membranes, which affects your nervous system in two major ways:
1) It disrorts or damages the spinal cord, increasing tension on nerves and reducing its ability to transfer messages effectively.
2) Between the layers of these membranes flows the fluid which supplies nutrients and removes waste products from your central nervous system. The movement of this fluid is largely dependent upon natural, effortless spinal motion. Subluxation alter spinal motion and interfere with this fluid flow.