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.
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