Can I Correct a Misalignment or Subluxation Myself?
It is virtually impossible to adjust yourself since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force applied in a specific direction to a specific spinal joint. One method some people use to try to correct a misalignment is to "pop" their spine themselves by twisting or turning. Although this movement may cause the bones to move and often "pop", it is not specific enough to solve a problem, and is often counterproductive because it makes the unstable areas of the spine more mobile and therefore less stable. Adjusting the spine is not for amateurs and can cause further discomfort and spinal damage if done incorrectly.

Some subluxations correct themselves. One of the great benefits of going to bed at night is that it takes the weight off the spine. This allows subluxations that developed during the course of the day to correct themselves. This occurs naturally due to the elasticity of the supporting muscles and ligaments.

Unfortunately, not all subluxations are self-correcting. Here's why:

Weak Ligaments - Ligaments are supposed to hold the vertebrae in place, however, even mild or moderate sprains can result in lax ligaments. This ligament weakness allows subluxations to recur and may require chiropractic treatment from time to time.

Muscle Spasms - Muscle spasms frequently cause subluxations which become chronic if not treated early. It usually takes a series of treatments to get chronic subluxations corrected.

Congenital Defects - Congenital defects (i.e. extra spinal vertebrae, fusion, malformations) or weakness in the spine affect about one out of every twenty people.

Unequal Leg Length - Studies have shown that more than 10% of the population have significant differences in leg length.

Spinal Imbalance - Normally, the body weight is divided equally when standing, but, distortion or imbalance puts a strain on supporting muscles. Many people are substantially out of balance and need chiropractic treatment to become rebalanced.

Emotional Tension - Mental strain and fatigue predispose patients to persistent or recurring subluxations.

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Who Gets Subluxations?

Almost everyone develops spinal subluxations. Fortunately, most of these subluxations correct themselves when one relaxes or lies down to sleep. When spinal subluxations are severe or persistent they require chiropractic diagnosis and treatment.

The four major causes of vertebral subluxations are:

1. Congenital Instability

About one out of three people are born with some kind of congenital malformation, defect, or anomaly of the spine which, if severe enough, produces a basic instability in the spine and predisposes that person to frequent or repetitive vertebral subluxations.

2. Injury

An injury need not be severe to produce a vertebral subluxation. The spine can be injured in many ways: during the birthing process, as a result of sports injuries, overuse, auto accidents, etc. Children at play frequently stumble, tumble and fall, which automatically puts them at high risk of injury and vertebral subluxations.

3. Fatigue

As fatigue sets in, muscle coordination dwindles and awkward uncoordinated movements can cause injury and vertebral subluxations.

4. Reflex Reactions

Just as a person automatically blinks when something comes near the eye, a startling or awkward movement can cause one to jerk the head, neck, or back and produce a vertebral subluxation.

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Why Do Children Need Chiropractic Care?

Chiropractors treat the condition of life. Chiropractors check the spine for vertebral subluxations, nerve pressure caused by misaligned vertebrae, which cause interference in the flow of information from the brain to the various systems of the body. This nerve interference left uncorrected insidiously and negatively effects good health. Getting adjusted regularly helps each and every function of your body, promotion lasting good health.

Subluxations may occur at any time in our lives. For example, during the birthing process, difficult vaginal or obstetrical intervention (forceps, vacuum extraction or cesarean), can cause subluxations. Such procedures often disrupt the integrity of the delicate infants' spinal column, altering the function of the nerves emanating from the upper neck area. This can lead to upper neck problems and increased susceptibility to ear, nose and throat infection.

Many times children have accidents and parents may believe that they are fine because there is no external evidence of damage. Spinal subluxations sometimes don't signal an obvious symptom. The earlier children's spines are checked, the earlier problems can be detected, preventing health problems from occurring and becoming serious. We recommend all children be checked regularly for nerve interference, even without symptoms present. Prevention is the best medicine.

If you know a child who is not under chiropractic care and suffers from any of the following problems, please urge the child's parent to consider Chiropractic. Remember, vertebral subluxations lead to pressure on spinal nerves which leads to dysfunction.

Fever		Bed Wetting
Colic		Bronchitis
Croup		Constipation
Allergies		Weakness/fatigue
Wheezing		Skin problems
Poor Posture		One leg shorter
Stomach ache		Irritability
Hearing loss		Nervousness
Ear infection		Learning disorder
Neck/back pain		Sinus problems
Leg/hip/foot pain		Eye problems
Numbness		Scoliosis
Headaches		Arthritis
Coughs/Colds		Poor concentration
Asthma		Hyper-activity/ Attention deficit disorder

Parents who are aware of the importance of a properly functioning nerve system automatically want their children checked by a chiropractor.

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