Chiropractic Therapy is a natural method of health care that restores and optimises normal function of the spine and stimulates the body's nervous system, allowing for more efficient initiation, control and coordination of the various systems of the body.
How does Chiropractic Therapy work?
A chiropractor’s main concern is your spine and nervous system and how well both are functioning. The spine is made up of 24 individual moveable vertebrae. It starts just below the base of the skull and ends in the centre between the hips. Each consecutive vertebra is connected to the immediate vertebrae above and below via a joint.
Consecutive vertebrae are connected by joint capsules, ligaments and muscles, which enable the entire spine to function as one dynamic unit. There are 7 neck (cervical), 12 mid-back (thoracic) and 5 lower back (lumbar) vertebrae, with a cartilaginous disc in between each vertebra. This disc is there to help cushion and absorb shock, reduce friction between the vertebrae and to allow increased movement to occur within the spine. It is a chiropractor’s task to evaluate and identify any problem that might exist within the spine, and to correct any dysfunction that might be present.
What causes such neuro-musculoskeletal conditions?
An everyday action, such as a fall or an accident, lifting objects or even high stress levels, can cause any of the movable vertebrae to lose its normal motion. This causes the joint to become fixed or jammed, which in turn can lead to further irritation of both the joint and the nerve. Irritation of the joint may result in spasm of the surrounding muscle, which can lead to trigger point developing within the muscle.
Irritation of the nerve can lead to pain in the vicinity of the joint or it may cause a referral of pain elsewhere in the body. Alternatively the nerves functioning may be altered causing either an increase or decrease in nerve sensitivity.