A vertebral subluxation is when your spine is not moving and your body is not functioning to its fullest potential. With improper motion and/or position the nerves communicating between your brain and body are affected. A vertebral subluxation is a stress response. This response cause muscles to spasm, joints to lock up and nearby nerves to receive and send a distorted message to the rest of your body. When these distorted messages are received by the body it results in pain and pathology like headaches, asthma, allergies, muscle pain, vertigo, or digestive problems - just to name a few.

Your nervous system includes your brain and all your nerves. This system controls everything in your body and sends messages through your spine. Therefore, having a spine free of vertebral subluxations is essential to optimal health and wellness. Chiropractic adjustments are the ONLY way to detect and remove vertebral subluxations.

A chiropractic adjustment is how vertebral subluxations are removed. Sometimes a specific, highly-accurate thrust is used. Or an instrument delivers carefully directed energy. Or a slow, constant pressure is used. Several areas may be adjusted or just one. You may hear a sound or feel movement in the area adjusted. Most practice members report a sense of ease, well-being, or awakening afterward. It is common to feel a little sore or generally tired afterward because your body is being pushed into a healing state, the first phase being an acute inflammatory response, allowing needed nutrients in and starting your body’s healing towards its optimal state.

Adjustments feel great! Sometimes they can be uncomfortable, awkward, or sensitive on sore spots when setting up for the adjustment, but the adjustment itself does not cause pain. Most practice members report a sense of ease, well-being, or awakening afterward. Our chiropractors are experts at evaluating your specific needs, identifying where your vertebral subluxations exist and when your body is ready to receive the adjustment. Adjustments are performed because your body is begging for it, therefore only causing good - not harm.

No one is ever too young to have their spine checked and subluxations removed. An infant’s spine looks different than an adult skeleton, but still experiences trauma. Adjustments are tailored to younger spines, are very low force usually using guided pressure or an instrument, and are specific to your child’s individual needs.

Starting at conception, a new mom is placed under a considerable about of emotional stress in our society. The stress hormone chemistry is the first barrier newborns face in utero.

During natural childbirth, when your infant is effaced (head down) and uterine contractions begin, pressure is placed on your newborn’s head and neck to be pushed through the cervix. During a C-section, through a small incision, the surgeon is taught to remove your newborn from the uterus with a “whiplash-like” motion pulling at the head and neck. Either force is a considerable amount of physical stress to a baby’s spine, especially the neck.

Upon entry into our world, the baby’s next barrier is the environmental toxins we are all exposed to on a daily basis. Between air quality and cleaning chemicals alone, the baby’s body must immediately begin being efficient at filtering airways and the bloodstream.

These facts combined cause all newborn spines to be placed under substantial stress during the entire birth process. The best news is that babies are innately made to heal and adapt quickly and efficiently. This is why when medically examined baby appears healthy, but can later present itself as colic, torticollis, constipation, feeding difficulty, ear infections or delayed milestones down the road.

Throughout all stages of life, from birth to death, everyone should be checked for spinal subluxations.

Chiropractic is very safe and effective when adjustments are properly utilized. Just ask me for the research! For this very reason, our chiropractors perform a thorough initial examination, get x-rays when called for, and utilize different techniques or instruments for your individual needs. Our chiropractors are experts in analysis. Therefore ONLY chiropractic adjustments are the safest and most effective means of removing vertebral subluxations.

Just because you are not in pain does not mean you are not functioning at your optimal level. Pain is your body’s LAST result in telling you something isn’t right. Let our chiropractors remove your vertebral subluxations BEFORE you are in pain and you will be optimizing your overall health, able to perform at your best, and experience a longer and higher quality of life.

Chiropractic is famous for helping reduce musculoskeletal pain, like neck and back pain, but ultimately our chiropractors work with your nervous system. The nervous system includes your brain and every nerve in your body.

So, what does your brain control? EVERYTHING! All things are controlled and maintained by your nervous system. When yours is functioning to its fullest innate potential is what reduces disease, pathology, aches, pains and increases the overall quality of life. The list of things chiropractic can help and affect is so long we could not possibly name each one.

“The adjustment is communication through touch, between the Chiropractor’s intelligence and practice partner’s innate using the nervous system as the transmission medium.” – Dr. Holder, DC

Being “out of alignment” means your spine is subluxated. Some people are more aware of what this feels like compared to others. Sometimes you will not feel anything at all because of the different types of nerve fibers in your body. Spinal subluxations and therefore all disease is caused by three things: trauma, toxins, or thoughts. These three things encompass everything in our modern world which can interfere with our nervous system and body. Trauma, mostly everyone can find something that caused this, but toxins and thoughts are the silent threats causing interference. Just because you don’t see or feel something doesn’t mean it’s not there.

This is true. Think of going to the Chiropractor like going to the dentist. We all learn at a young age to brush our teeth twice a day and go to the dentist for cleanings twice a year. Now relate that same thinking to your spine and it’s not very different. The number one goal is to initially address any pains, issues, or concerns you have. During care, you will come to realize, and my favorite part to witness, is what your potential truly is. You will see things improve in your life that you might not have expected. These things may include better sleep, reduced anxiety, or easier digestion to name a few. Also, just like brushing your teeth, I will teach you spinal hygiene exercises and stretches to do every day for overall efficiency and wellness.

Stress in our world is inevitable. Whether it be physical stress, chemical stress, or emotional stress – it cannot be avoided. The good news is your body is designed to always adapt and heal, but compounded over time these stressors interfere with your body’s ability to function optimally. The ultimate goal is to get your body out of a corrective care phase and into a preventative wellness care phase with spaced-out regular tune-ups. Let’s stop things before it snowballs into a problem. Once you experience the potential that lives within yourself, you will never want to go back to where you started.

At Awaken, we see high value and the best results when pairing Chiropractic care with soft tissue mobilization. It’s like the chicken and the egg: when your spine is misaligned, your brain sends the message for your muscles to tighten and stabilize your body; when your muscles are tight there is no physical space for your joints to move. Both are happening within your body and I take the time to address both. The first visit is a thorough examination to make sure it is safe to adjust and that you are a candidate for chiropractic care, taking about an hour. Regular appointment times are around 25-30 minutes.