Reflection: Subluxation and Manipulation

Since its inception, chiropractic care has been used to treat a variety of musculoskeletal conditions. Chiropractors have based their practice on the idea of manipulating the spine with the goal of reducing or correcting a subluxation. Inconsistencies among the chiropractic profession to what truly defines a subluxation still exits today. The biomechanical and pathophysiological aspects of a subluxation do however seem to integrate with one another which can lead to various clinical syndromes. It is agreed that the spinal adjustment, or manipulation, is a fundamental technique used to address subluxations. Although the precise mechanism has not been identified for why manipulation tends to address the issue, a number of theories have been suggested. For instance, manipulation has shown to overcome muscle spasm by resetting muscle spindles, ultimately relaxing the hypertonic musculature. Manipulation has also been shown to improve joint function and mobility by breaking scar tissue and increasing joint lubrication. The release of endorphins, ultimately suppressing the perception of pain experienced by the patient is another plausible theory suggested. Some practitioners believe solely that an adjustment will move the vertebra solely so that it stops irritating the surrounding nerve structures. It is important to understand that all these potential mechanisms would interact with one another; therefore it is most likely a combination of these theories that allows spinal manipulation to be such an effective method of treatment.

This brief video demonstrates the 'veterbral subluxation complex' a theory to what contributes to a spinal subluxation.