Have you ever thought about how the alignment of your spine affects your overall health? It turns out that the way our spines are aligned plays a crucial role in our body's functioning, impacting everything from our muscles to our nervous system. (1) (2) (3)
The Spine: More Than Just Bones
Your spine isn't just a stack of bones. It's a complex structure that houses and protects your central nervous system (CNS), which includes your brain and spinal cord. The alignment of your spine is vital for the CNS to function correctly. (1)
When your spine is misaligned, it can cause "subluxation," leading to a ripple effect throughout your neuromusculoskeletal system (your muscles, joints and nerves).
Subluxations lead to changes in how your nerves function, affect your movement and coordination, and even cause changes in the automatic functions of your body, like heartbeat and breathing. (1) (3)
Why Does Spine Alignment Matter?
A well-aligned spine is essential for your body's biomechanical function. It allows for stability and mobility simultaneously.
When your spine is not properly aligned, it can increase mechanical loads on your Nervous System, subtly or significantly impairing its function. This can manifest in various ways.
For instance, it has been proven that older adults who received chiropractic care showed improvements in two key areas compared to those who didn't receive this care (2):
Sensorimotor Function and Multisensory Integration: This refers to how well their body responds to various sensory inputs (like sight, touch, and balance) and coordinates movements accordingly. Improving in this area can reduce their risk of falling.
Physical Component of Quality of Life: This implies that these older adults experienced better overall physical well-being, which includes aspects like mobility, strength, and the ability to perform daily activities.
In simple terms, chiropractic care helped to move better, reduced chances of falling, and improved overall physical health.
Picture grandma, Suzie. She's not under chiropractic care. The communication between her brain and body is not optimal. Yesterday, Suzy had a fall because she tripped over a pothole. Her brain could not recieve the information that there was a danger fast enough and that she would trip if she did not act quickly.
The Role of Chiropractic Care
Chiropractic care focuses on correcting spine alignment issues and function. Chiropractic uses gentle and specific adjustments, and exercices to restore normal spine alignment.
This natural approach is proving effective, gentle and safe. In many cases, poor spine alignment is a key factor causing or exacerbating neurological symptoms.
The Big Picture: Beyond Pain Relief
Chiropractic care is not just about relieving back pain. It's about optimizing the function of your entire body by, amongst many things, ensuring proper spinal alignment! Research shows that correcting spinal alignment can improve various conditions, from trigeminal neuralgia to Parkinson's disease.
The idea is that by correcting spine alignment, we can improve the communication between your brain and your body to improve functions (like digestion, reproductive system ect), the coordination of your limbs and your reflex times (so you don't fall like Suzie did!).
Takeaway
Your spine's health is integral to your overall well-being. Chiropractic care offers a non-surgical, evidence-based approach to maintaining optimal spine health, which in turn supports the healthy functioning of your entire body.
Remember, a healthy spine means a healthier you!
Book a free posture screen directly from this link and see how chiropractic can help you :
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References :
1) Haavik, H., & Murphy, B. (2021). The Influence of Sagittal Plane Spine Alignment on Neurophysiology and Sensorimotor Control Measures: Optimization of Function through Structural Correction. In Spinal Deformities in Adolescents, Adults and Older Adults (pp. 1-25). IntechOpen. https://doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.94958
2) Oakley and al. (2021) The influence of sagittal plane spine alignment on neurophysiology and sensorimotor control measures: Optimization of function through structural correction.
3) Holt KR, Haavik H, Lee AC, Murphy B, Elley CR. Effectiveness of Chiropractic Care to Improve Sensorimotor Function Associated With Falls Risk in Older People: A Randomized Controlled Trial. J Manipulative Physiol Ther. 2016;39(4):267-278. doi:10.1016/j.jmpt.2016.02.003
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