The holidays season is here! Many good things come from this time of year, the family time, the good food, and glad tidings. However, the onset of Winter also means colder weather, more traffic, and an increased risk of injury. A common injury related to slips, falls, and auto accidents is something known as subluxation, or the loss of alignment in vertebrae. Remember to be careful while driving and walking on potentially slick surfaces to make sure your holidays are safe, happy, and injury free!
What is Subluxation?
Simply put, subluxation occurs when the vertebrae in the spine are put out of alignment- this can reduce a person’s range of motion and create painful symptoms due to the pressure put on nerves and blood vessels. This creates a painful condition that can become debilitating if left untreated.
Untreated subluxations can become permanent as the body becomes used to the vertebrae being out of alignment. The body may then begin to compensate for this lack of alignment which makes it more difficult to correct. Subluxation can damage the disks in the spine leading to a degenerative cycle that is difficult to treat once it is started.
Causes and Symptoms
Subluxation is typically caused by sudden trauma to the spine such as that caused by slips, falls, and auto accidents. This sharp force causes the vertebrae to be jolted out of their straight alignment and puts immense pressure on blood vessels, nerves, and disks within the spine. Subluxations can be painful, and it is very important to seek treatment as soon as possible if you believe your vertebrae have been misaligned.
Symptoms of a subluxate vertebrae include pain in the back and neck which are the closest parts of the body to the subluxated vertebrae. Neck and back pain results from the pressured nerves and sore muscles that tighten to compensate for the subluxation. A lack of range of motion is another common symptom of subluxation as it becomes nearly impossible to move your back from the stiffness caused by misalignment. Headaches are the final symptom to look out for. Because the spine is so closely connected to the central nervous system with the spinal cord being one of the major parts of this system, headaches may result from the pressured nerves.
If you are experiencing any of these symptoms after a slip, fall, auto accident, or any other trauma- you should call your doctor or chiropractor to understand your treatment options and ensure that your subluxation is not allowed to become degenerative.
Treatments
New subluxations are readily treatable by a chiropractor using a therapy known as a Chiropractic Adjustment. This involves the chiropractor realigning the spine to ensure that each vertebra is in its correct position and not pressuring any nerves, blood vessels, or disks. It is very important to get a chiropractic adjustment soon after a subluxation occurs because while it is initially an acute condition it can degenerate and cause chronic issues.
The first phases of subluxation are treatable by a chiropractor, but this is something that you should not wait to get treated as a subluxation can become permanent and is unable to be fixed by non-invasive means. To avoid this unfortunate situation, speak with your doctor or chiropractor today to realign your spine before degenerative subluxation sets in.
Final Thoughts
Subluxation sounds like a scary condition, but it is easily treatable with a chiropractic alignment in its early stages. If you are currently experiencing symptoms of a subluxation, call your doctor or chiropractor today to be treated as soon as possible. If you do not have a chiropractor, call North County Pain Management, and ask about scheduling a free initial consultation!
