There have been replies to comments in which people don't seem to understand what a vertebral subluxation is or are misinformed as to what a Doctor of Chiropractic actually does.
 
  Here is some information which I hope will guide you on your journey to good health.
 
Good health is determined by a healthy nervous system, particularly a healthy spinal column from which all your nerves fan out. A vertebral (or chirpopractic) subluxation occurs when vertebrae become misaligned and place pressure on the nerves exiting the spinal cord.
A doctor of chiropractic will use specific techniques to return the vertebrae into their proper positions or help mobilize them so they can move freely. These techniques are called spinal manipulations and adjustments. During an adjustment, the vertebra is freed from the misaligned position and returned to the proper position in the spinal column. Once performed, the adjustment allows the body to heal and maintain nervous system function.

Chiropractors are trained in a variety of adjustment techniques. Some are done by hand, some require the use of specialized instruments and appropriate training. Since each patient and their nervous system is different, your chiropractor will choose the best technique for your particular subluxation.

Some adjustment techniques used by chiropractors include the following:

  Toggle Drop - this is when the chiropractor presses down firmly on a particular area of the spine. Then, with a quick and precise thrust, the spine is adjusted. This is done to improve mobility in the spinal joints.

Motion Palpation - this procedure is done to determine if your spine is moving freely in the normal planes of motion.

Lumbar Roll -the chiropractor positions the patient lays on his side, then applies a quick and precise thrust to the misaligned vertebrae, returning them to their proper position.

Release Work - the chiropractor applies gentle pressure using his or her fingertips to separate the vertebrae. This is a very fine adjustment which requires extremely sensitive fingertips and years of experience to do properly.

Table adjustments - The patient lies on a special table. The chiropractor applies a quick thrust at the same time the table drops. The dropping of the table allows for a lighter adjustment without the twisting positions that can accompany the manual adjustment.

Instrument adjustments - These are often used by inexperienced chiropractors in place of release work. While adequate, they aren't a substitute for the hands (fingers) on approach.

Keep in mind that you may need to return to the chiropractor's office for additional adjustments before you experience complete relief from your symptoms.

Why Chiropractic is Important for Children

Today more parents than ever before are bringing their children to Doctors of Chiropractic for common health concerns and to support a healthy lifestyle.

Is it safe to adjust a child or infant?

Chiropractic is absolutely safe for children. Doctors of Chiropractic use very gentle and specific techniques for children. The purpose of chiropractic is to remove interference to the nervous system, which is the control center for all of the bodyâ(TM)s organs, tissues and systems. Chiropractic adjustments release the bodyâ(TM)s healing powers in children just like in adults.
 
Infants as young as 6 months can be adjusted, though many Doctors of Chiropractic feel that the spine should wait until 3 years of age, enough time to set, before adjustments.

Why do infants need chiropractic?

The birth process is highly traumatic and can introduce great stress to the infantâ(TM)s skull, spine and pelvis. Infants should be checked by a chiropractor for spinal subluxations that may impair nerve function and can contribute to colic, earache and asthma. As babies grow, they begin to crawl, sit, and walk by using their spine. Proper alignment is essential for ensuring normal function.

Why do children need chiropractic?
Children are highly susceptible to trauma in their spines. Since spines grow rapidly during the first five years of life, checking for abnormalities during this time is critical for proper development. Though symptoms may not surface until years later, injury to vital nerves can result in a lifetime of serious health problems.

Chiropractic is especially necessary, some would say critical, for young athletes in contact sports. However, parents bring their children to chiropractors for everyday health concerns such as asthma, common infections, bed-wetting, falls, ADD, and colds. Chiropractic care allows children to have better nerve function, which affects all of the bodyâ(TM)s other systems, and develop to their highest potential.

Parents Use Chiropractors for their Healthcare Team Todayâ(TM)s parents make sure they are well-informed when making healthcare choices for their children. With the rising concern about the side effects of Big Pharma drugs on their children, parents are hesitant to jump to medications to mask symptoms of serious subluxations. They seek out natural healthcare solutions which support their childrenâ(TM)s natural ability to be healthy.
 
  Chiropractic is a critical part of your familyâ(TM)s wellness lifestyle!

I've seen some fairly vicious replies to my posts. Some dripping venom. I'm not trying to start arguments, so please don't attack me before opening your mind even a little.
 
Chiropractic is a branch of the healing arts discovered in the late 1800's by DD Palmer, a former magnetic healer who discovered the benefits of spinal adjustments. It is based upon the knowledge that good health depends, in part, upon a normally functioning nervous system (especially the spine and the nerves extending from it). "Chiropractic" comes from the Greek word Chiropraktikos, meaning "effective treatment by hand." Chiropractic stresses the idea that the cause of many disease processes begins with the body's inability to adapt to its environment. This manifests itself as subluxations in your body. Chiropractors looks to remedy disease, not by the use of drugs and chemicals, but by locating and adjusting a musculoskeletal area of the body which is functioning improperly.
 
The complete and in-depth examination of the spine, which may include an xray, is how chiropractic different from other health care procedures. Your spinal column is a series of bones which begin at your skull and end at your hips. Thirty-one pairs of spinal nerves extend down the spine from the brain and exit through a series of openings. These nerves leave the spine and form a very complex network which influences every living tissue in your body.
 
Only a trained professional can diagnose and treat the subluxations which every living creature will form over a lifetime.

For some reason I can now only post once per day to the Slash.dot blog. The error message says twice but for some reason after just one post I get that message. Congratulations, Big Pharma Money, you're working hard at silencing me but I will persist! I will tell the people about your drugs and vaccines while enlightening them about natural and drug-free cures for their ills.
 
Cure the subluxations, cure the patient. It's that simple!

It's a fact that the spine has nearly all nervous system traffic pass through it. Cause a roadblock on the nerves and your health will suffer. There are dozens of Chiropractic studies which show a person who has a blockage (or subluxation, though that term is being phased out) in their nervous system will almost always suffer ill health.

This could manifest itself in something as mild as a sore back, or something serious like cancer or weakened immune system.

One of the things to be leery of is a Doctor who is quick to prescribe pills. They are paid millions of dollars by BigPharma to push their toxins into your system.

FACT: There is VERY LITTLE that BigPharma poisons can do that proper spinal adjustments from a trained Chiropractor cannot. Not to mention side effects and other horrible things.

To The Editors:

Please don't vote my comments down. I'm a new member and have a right to my say. You may not disagree but voting me down is killing this karma thing and I won't be able to post as much.

Thanks,
  Bob