Re-establishing Structural Integrity, the Foundation of Health

Dr. Miranda Fellows is the founder of Carib Wellness. She has dedicated her life to the implementation of natural, holistic healthcare and the optimal well being of Caribbean people in particular. The Carib Wellness program is a system of Holistic Integrated Medicine that allows the innate healing of the human body without drugs or surgery.

Nerve and structural interference happens when nerves or tissues are interfered with, causing the life energy which flows through them to be blocked. It can be produced through trauma such as an accident or fall, fractures, surgery, emotional stress, bad posture, poor mattress and sleeping position, etc.

If our tissues, muscles or fascial movements are restricted, it can cause interference with the electrical impulses moving through them. Pain and disease are not the initial cause, but are actually key indicators of nerve interference.

Re-establishing structural integrity is the foundation of health. 80% of all conditions improve when the structure of the body is properly re-established to allow a free flow of vital energy.

What is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic doctors practice natural, drugless, non-invasive health care and rely on the body's ability to self heal. Sounds ideal, but just how does it work?

We look at the whole picture. Like other healthcare providers, we follow a standard routine to gain information about the patient. We consult, review the case history, conduct a physical examination, and we may request laboratory analyses and/or x-rays. Unlike other healthcare providers, however, chiropractic physicians also conduct a careful analysis of the patient's structure and pay particular attention to the spine. We also ask you about your life: do you eat well; exercise at all; how do you deal with stress; do you have children; what do you do for work? And so on.

We seek the origin of the problem
Using this information, a diagnosis is made. Included in the diagnosis is the probable reason for your pain or discomfort. It is important to note that chiropractors seek the origin of the illness in order to eliminate it; we do not simply treat the symptoms. If your roof is leaking, do you simply catch the drips in a bucket for years on end, or do you repair the roof to prevent it from leaking? Similarly, if the migraine headache you've had all week is being caused by misaligned vertebra and an irritated nerve, do you continue to take pain killers indefinitely, or do you realign the vertebra to prevent the pain? You get the picture.

We fix the origin of the problem
Chiropractors have a term for misalignments; “subluxations.” A vertebral subluxation is a misalignment of the bones that protect the spinal cord. It's a leak in the roof. Or a kink in the wiring of your nervous system. The severity of the subluxation can vary, and there are a number of potential contributing factors that can be physical, emotional, mental, or chemical. The subluxation can be caused by any number of incidents, from birth trauma to an auto accident to simple repetition or over-use.

What Are Adjustments?
What truly differentiates doctors of chiropractic medicine from any other healthcare professionals, is the fact that chiropractors are the only professionals who are trained to diagnose and treat what are called “spinal subluxations.” The word subluxation comes from the Latin words meaning “somewhat” or “slight” (sub), and “to dislocate” (luxare). So the term “vertebral subluxation” literally means a slight dislocation or misalignment of the bones in the spine. When a subluxation occurs, a chiropractor can correct the misaligned bone and allow it to return to its proper position. This procedure is appropriately called an adjustment, and the adjustment enables the body to heal.

The chiropractic adjustment is a quick thrust applied to a vertebra for the purpose of correcting its position, movement or both. Adjustments are often accompanied by an audible release of gas that sounds like a “crack.” The sound sometimes shocks people a little the first couple times they get adjusted, but the sensation is usually relieving. Occasionally, minor discomfort is experienced, especially if the surrounding muscles are in spasm or the patient tenses up during the chiropractic procedure. There are times when the audible cracking does not occur. This is often due to either significant muscle tightness or that the patient may be having a hard time relaxing during their adjustments. However, the chiropractic adjustment is still important. The leak is fixed. The wiring is fixed. Information is flowing again. To keep the wiring fixed and the information flowing, several adjustments over a course of time may be necessary, in addition to massage, physical therapy, stretching or strengthening exercises. In the chiropractic world, keeping the problem fixed and preventing its reoccurrence is just as important as the initial remedy.

This entry was posted on Sunday, June 1st, 2008 at 12:10 am and is filed under health and beauty. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.