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.

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.