The most common obstruction to the free flow of energy and information through the nerves of the spinal column is a subluxation(AKA vertebral subluxation complex-VSC). This is a condition that exists when a vertebral bone is misaligned or not moving well(or both!) creating interference with nerve function and brain – body communication. This condition is what Doctors of Chiropractic treat! Chiropractors do not treat any other symptom or condition. The approach is not to treat the disease, but to remove structural interference with the nerve system of the patient so that the patient can heal themselves. Removal of the interference to the body’s nerve system which controls all the other systems(circulatory, immune, digestive,…) can produce dramatic results in patients with symptoms and conditions. Chiropractors are clear, however; the body heals itself when you give it a chance to do so. All Chiropractors really do for the nerve system is give it a chance to work without interference by reducing subluxations in the spinal column.
Chiropractors are the only health care providers adequately trained in the location, correction, and prevention of spinal subluxations. A Chiropractor uses many techniques and tests to locate and “adjust” the subluxation to reduce nerve interference to the body to restore normal nerve function. All techniques Chiropractors use work well, but some patients respond better to some techniques. I have been a “technique junkie” and have learned many techniques. All Chiropractors end up using a combination of a number of different major techniques to adjust subluxations. There are hundreds of ways to adjust the spine. Some subluxation patterns respond better to manual adjustments and some to instrument adjustments. The real “art” to Chiropractic is to fit the technique to the patient.