Given that Chiropractics is the
fastest-growing health care profession,
it is important that you understand
what Chiropractics is and what
it can do for you. Chiropractics
is a form of natural health care
that focuses on treating a patient
without using drugs or medicines.
Chiropractics not only focuses
on the treatment of an injury or
pain, but also on the wellness
approach of patient healthcare
in order to prevent future injury/pain.
Fact: The nervous system is the
primary control mechanism of the
body. The nervous system is comprised
of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves.
The nervous system regulates all
bodily functions, both voluntary
and involuntary, by communicating
the necessary messages, via the nerves,
between the brain and virtually every
cell, tissue and organ of the body. The
health of the spinal column and its
relationship with the nerves that
flow through it is the focus of the
Chiropractic discipline. In
order to understand fully what this
entails you need to understand a
little about how the spinal column
works.
The spine has two basic functions:
1) to allow freedom of movement and
2) to house and protect the spinal
cord. The spinal cord is the
pathway for almost all nerve impulses
transmitted to and from the brain.
The spinal cord is protected within
24 moveable bones called the vertebrae
as well as the lowest bones, the
sacrum and the coccyx, and together
this makes up the spinal column.
The spinal column is divided into
four regions of the vertebrae: The
Cervical, Thoracic, Lumbar, and Sacral
regions.
To help you understand the terminology
a simplified explanation of the bones
in the spinal column follows:
The
Atlas: is
the first bone in you neck
and is freely movable.
The Atlas supports the
base of the skull and every
nerve in your body passes
thru the Atlas at the brainstem
and for this reason alone
deserves a separate mention
even though it is part
of the Cervical Vertebrae.
The Cervical
Vertebrae: consists
of the first
seven bones,
including the
Atlas, which
make up your
neck. Individual
vertebrae are
referred to as
C1-C7.
The Thoracic Vertebrae: make
up the middle back and are
the next 12 bones of the spinal
column. This is the longest
portion of your back. Individual
vertebrae are referred to as
T1-T12.
The Lumbar Vertebrae: is
commonly referred to as your
lower back and consists of
five large vertebrae known
as L1-L5.
The Sacral Region: is
commonly referred to as your
tailbone and is made up of
the sacrum and the coccyx. As
a child the sacrum consists
of five individual bones and
the coccyx is made up three
to five bones. In the
adult, the sacral bones and
the coccyx bones fuse so that
each of these two bones are
solid individual bones |
Each vertebra has two bony projections
called facets, which form a hinge
with the facets of the adjoining
vertebrae. A thin disc,
made up of cartilage on the outside
with a soft gelatin-like material
on the inside, lies between each
vertebra providing a cushion for
your spinal vertebrae. This combination
of vertebrae and disc provides flexibility
in the spine. Ligaments, tendons,
and muscles surround and attach to
the spine giving it its strength.
Since the Nervous System affects
such a large percentage of the body,
Chiropractors may treat individuals
with:
- Headaches
- Joint pain
- Neck pain
- Low back pain
- Sciatica
- Osteoarthritis
- Spinal Disk Conditions
- Carpal Tunnel
- Tendonitis
- Sprains
- Strains
- TMJ
Chiropractors are not limited to the
above list, they also aid in Digestive
Disorders, Allergies, Asthma, Sinus
trouble, Dizziness and more. Since
the nervous system supplies nerves
to so many organs and tissues, many
body systems may be affected. Chiropractors
must be aware of how the many systems
are integrated and affected by an injury/damage
to the spinal system.
