The body is a breathtaking creation. Not only is it specifically designed to withstand your demanding daily life, but it also has the ability to adjust and heal itself in some cases to make sure you can keep moving.
However, if you’ve ever had a spinal subluxation, you know that the body can also cause you a great amount of pain if something in it goes out of alignment. In this article, we will review what a spinal subluxation is and explore whether or not it has the ability to heal on its own without intervention.
What is a Spinal Subluxation?
There are an astonishing 360 joints in the human body, all designed to allow your body to move in thousands of directions. When a spinal subluxation occurs, you have a full or partial dislocation of the joints in your spine that allow for your upper body movement.
Because your spine is such a big part of all movement in your body, a subluxation can come with a lot of easy-to-notice symptoms such as:
- Pain around the joint
- Swelling around the joint
- A sensation of joint instability
- Limited mobility
- Numbness
- Bruising
However, a subluxation may come with no symptoms at all. When this occurs, the spinal misalignment causes pressure on the nerves over time and may cause permanent damage. Over time, if your spine continues in this state, you may begin to experience the symptoms listed above.
There can be many causes for spinal subluxation to develop. Since subluxation is a stress response, a person may experience one if the body is introduced to certain physical stresses such as falls or car accidents, emotional stress, or chemical stress.
During times of stress, the muscles respond to it by going into spasms. This spasm then causes the spinal bones to lock up and joints no longer move the way they should.
Can a Subluxation Clear Up on Its Own?
The answer isn’t as easy as a simple yes or no, so we’ll just say that it depends. What it depends on is how severe or acute the spinal subluxation is to begin with.
As we said before, the body is an amazing creation with the power to heal itself in a lot of situations. If your spinal subluxation is small and minor, it can absolutely clear up on its own. If you’re an otherwise healthy person, your normal activities such as walking, stretching, bending, and moving will often help your spine readjust all by itself. Your spine is able to reposition itself into its normal position again with no problem.
However, not all subluxations are going to be minor, therefore not all subluxations will correct themselves over time through normal movement. When this is the case, your best course of treatment is going to be chiropractic treatment where your chiropractor will do a series of adjustments to align your spine once more.
What Happens During an Adjustment?
If you need intervention from a trained professional for your subluxation, you will need chiropractic adjustments to change the position of your spinal joints so they no longer put pressure on your nerves.
During an adjustment, your chiropractor will apply specific and precise force on your spine in the right direction to help the displaced vertebrae move back to its proper position. The best news is that you shouldn’t feel any pain when this is done. However, you might feel a few pops and cracks as your spine goes back into place.
After a series of adjustments, you should be able to feel relief from the symptoms you were experiencing as the body adjusts to holding the spine in its proper position to alleviate stress on the nerves.
If you are experiencing symptoms of a spinal subluxation that doesn’t seem to be healing on its own, it’s time to see one of the experts at South Orange Rehabilitation & Wellness. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you feel and move better with just a couple of adjustments.
