{"id":160,"date":"2009-09-01T16:32:36","date_gmt":"2009-09-01T23:32:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eastendchiro.com\/?page_id=160"},"modified":"2014-12-23T12:52:37","modified_gmt":"2014-12-23T18:52:37","slug":"a-more-complex-explanation-of-chiropractic","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/eastendchiro.com\/how-chiropractic-works\/a-more-complex-explanation-of-chiropractic\/","title":{"rendered":"A More Complex Explanation of Chiropractic"},"content":{"rendered":"

Segmental Dysfunction \u00a0(<\/strong>Also known\u00a0\u00a0 as \u201cVertebral Subluxation Complex\u201d)<\/h4>\n

A vertebral segment consists of:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

—\u00a0 two adjacent vertebral bones<\/p>\n

—\u00a0 a disc to separate and cushion the bones<\/p>\n

—\u00a0 muscle, tendons, and ligaments to stabilize and move the joint<\/p>\n

—\u00a0 a segment of the spinal cord with nerve roots that branch off that segment<\/p>\n

Dysfunction of a segment:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

When one or more of the components of the vertebral segment is not working properly, it affects the entire segment.<\/p>\n

Most importantly, segmental dysfunction affects the nerve roots that emerge from each side of the segment.\u00a0 These nerve roots carry important information to and from the muscles and organs throughout the body.\u00a0 Dysfunction of the L4 -L5 vertebral segment, for example, can cause pain or weakness in the leg and may also affect the bladder.<\/p>\n

Symptoms of segmental dysfunction: <\/strong><\/h4>\n

This condition can manifest itself in many different ways.\u00a0 It is possible to have segmental dysfunction and experience no symptoms for weeks, months, or even years.\u00a0 In the later stages of this process, the most common symptoms are back pain, neck pain, headaches, numbness\/tingling in the arms or legs, shoulder pain, arm pain, leg pain.\u00a0 Segmental dysfunction can also be linked to reproductive problems, bowel and bladder problems, problems in the circulatory system, sinus problems, eye, ear, nose, throat . . .<\/p>\n

Causes of segmental dysfunction:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Sometimes this condition is idiopathic, meaning, we can\u2019t really trace it back to a certain accident or activity.\u00a0 Some of the common known causes are trauma<\/span>, degenerative disc disease<\/span>, dysafferentation\u00a0 (a neurological term)<\/span>, ligamentous sprain<\/span>, muscular strain<\/span>, thoracic outlet syndrome<\/span>, disc prolapse<\/span>, flat feet<\/span>, mental stress<\/span>, and others.<\/p>\n

Dysafferentation<\/strong><\/h4>\n

A big word, a confusing concept, but worth knowing<\/p>\n

Pronounced \u201cDis- affrin-tashun\u201d <\/em><\/p>\n

Two kinds of Nerves<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This is a term used in neurology, or the study of the nervous system. There are two kinds of nerves that come from the spinal cord; afferent <\/em>nerves that carry information from the body\u00a0 to the brain, and efferent <\/em>nerves that carry information from the brain to the body.\u00a0 So, dysafferentation refers to faulty signals being sent to the brain from somewhere in the body.\u00a0 In most cases I see, these faulty signals are coming from the spinal muscles.<\/p>\n

Two kinds of Spinal Muscle<\/strong><\/h4>\n

There are two types of muscle in the spine;\u00a0 superficial and deep.\u00a0 The superficial muscles are the larger muscles close to the surface of the skin.\u00a0 These are the muscles that are responsible for most of the movement of the torso, trunk, and neck.\u00a0 The deep muscles are much smaller and\u00a0 contribute very little to the larger movements of the spine.\u00a0 However, they are rich in nerve endings which relay messages to the brain, or afferent <\/em>messages.\u00a0 These messages help coordinate the movement of the larger muscles.\u00a0 If these smaller deep muscles are not toned, faulty messages may be relayed to the brain.\u00a0 As a result, faulty signals will be sent from the brain to the larger muscles in the spine causing segmental dysfunction, muscle spasm, poor flexibility, and pain.<\/p>\n

What causes the smaller deep spinal muscles to be weak?<\/strong><\/h4>\n

These muscles are exercised most when we are required to use our sense of balance.\u00a0 The human race was created to walk barefooted on dirt, sand, hills, beaches, etc.\u00a0 We should be stepping over rocks, running through muddy creek beds, etc.\u00a0 Instead, we walk on sidewalks and marble floors with an inch of shoe between us and the ground.\u00a0 As a result, these deep spinal muscles don\u2019t get the sensory input exercise they need and they lose their tone.<\/p>\n

How do we correct this problem? <\/strong><\/h4>\n

This problem is addressed using an exercise routine known as \u201cProprioceptive Training.\u201d Proprioceptors are the proper name of the nerve endings in the deep spinal musculature.\u00a0 These exercises are performed on an unstable surface such as a Swiss Ball, a balance board, or a thick mushy foam mat.\u00a0 These surfaces force you to use your sense of balance, and thus restore proper tone to the deep spinal musculature.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Segmental Dysfunction \u00a0(Also known\u00a0\u00a0 as \u201cVertebral Subluxation Complex\u201d) A vertebral segment consists of: —\u00a0 two adjacent vertebral bones —\u00a0 a disc to separate and cushion the bones —\u00a0 muscle, tendons, and ligaments to stabilize and move the joint —\u00a0 a segment of the spinal cord with nerve roots that branch off that segment Dysfunction of […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10,"featured_media":0,"parent":156,"menu_order":2,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"yoast_head":"\nA More Complex Explanation of Chiropractic - East End Chiropractic<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/eastendchiro.com\/how-chiropractic-works\/a-more-complex-explanation-of-chiropractic\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"A More Complex Explanation of Chiropractic - 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