Another blog post from Ann Arbor chiropractor, Mike Tannenbaum, D.C.

Any number of patients at my Ann Arbor chiropractic office ask me what the word “subluxation” means, as they have often heard the word associated with chiropractic. This is my response: simply, a subluxation is the misalignment of two adjoining bones. That is, a subluxation occurs at the joint (joining) of any two bones. When the two bones don't align with each other in an anatomically correct position, they are considered “subluxated,” or you could say someone “has a subluxation.” Chiropractors work to correct these subluxations to insure these bones are properly aligned. (Chiropractors most often deal with subluxations found in the spinal column.) Also, and simply, chiropractors generally believe that subluxations occur due to physical, environmental, and emotional stressors, such as taking a fall, breathing harmful chemicals, or being under a lot of mental stress.

So, the next question I get from my Ann Arbor chiropractic patients is “why are subluxations bad for you?” My answer to this is subluxations may cause pinching of a nerve(s) running between two adjacent bones, which can cause the nerve signals that run through the pinched nerve to change. The change in nerve signals may cause pain (such as back pain, neck pain and headaches), faster and more pronounced bone and tissue degeneration and ill health of the body's organs (potentially serious ill health).

The next question my Ann Arbor patients often ask is, “How do I know if I have a subluxation, and how do I treat it?” Subluxations are often painless and so generally the only way to know if you have a subluxation(s) and to get it treated is to visit a chiropractor, as chiropractors are thoroughly trained in the art and science of diagnosing and treating subluxations.

If you have any questions about this blog post, chiropractic, back pain, neck pain, or headaches please feel free to contact me at my Ann Arbor chiropractic office at [email protected].