A subluxation is any misalignment or interference in the transmission of the impulses of the nervous system. I've seen the research and I know that there are varying opinions on what and how a subluxation can occur. There are some in the profession who would forgo this terminology altogether, however, that would be blatantly ignoring the history of our profession and the research that provides evidence of subluxations and their affect on our nervous system.

There are different ways we can define a subluxation. Some look at it through the lens of a thought, toxin or trauma that may cause any interference with the nervous transmissions flowing throughout our body. Each of these points is valid for different reasons and yet they are all hedging on the same principle.

Thoughts are generated in the brain. A subluxation due to a thought will originate from the brain. You could argue that the brain then "creates" a subluxation in the spinal column. Functional neurology, a branch of the chiropractic realm, looks at these subluxations "above the atlas" and attempts to correct them by strategies to reprogram the brain function and enable proper thought processing without interference. The thinking here is that with poor brain function the body will literally adapt the rest of the nervous system so as to better understand itself.

Besides from a direct break in the brain pathways, there are other ways thoughts can affect the body. Emotional outlook may have an effect on the production of subluxations throughout the body. If you have a positive outlook on life the human body adapts to that viewpoint. Have you ever noticed the posture of someone in good versus bad spirits? Someone with a positive outlook stands up straight, smiles and loves. Someone with a negative outlook is often hunched over, unhappy, and depressed. These descriptions can be analyzed further because the postural changes can then cause alterations in the nervous system and the emotional feelings can cause changes in body chemistry.

We know almost nothing about the emotional system of the brain, only that it affects everything we do. Alterations in the emotional qualities of personality can drastically change a person's mood and behavior. These limitations on brain function due to emotions can further affect the body in ways that we are only beginning to understand but tend to tie together with the endocrine or hormonal system.

Traumas are the second potential cause of subluxations. Traumas may be confusing. Macro or large, trauma to the body will produce obvious subluxation such as occurs in a car accident. The key here is the micro, or small, trauma that we undergo every single day. A continuous position when we sleep, drive, eat, write or any other meaningful task can eventually take a toll on the body. Micro-trauma may not involve a painful response from the body and yet has the potential to be the more powerful trauma of the two.

Pain is useful and helps us identify what is happening in our body. Unfortunately, pain can be generated by many factors and doesn't always provide a clear answer. Macro-trauma often causes pain such as found in whiplash injuries or broken bones, micro-trauma doesn't. Micro-traumas are the day to day things that we adapt to in our lives and never notice until they become unbearable. Subluxations created from micro-traumas are often unnoticeable and yet research has shown time and again that these traumas are often the most vigorous and deficient to our organs, immune system, and cognitive function among other things. It is the silent killer that causes far more damage.

Toxins are the third category. Now, being a future chiropractor, nutrition is important to me personally, not professionally. By this I mean; my focus as a chiropractor is correcting the nervous system from interference by adjusting the spine, not giving supplements and nutritional doctrines. The ONLY way the body can function at its optimal level is through a subluxation-less spine and nervous system. Only then can the body actually use and incorporate nutritional factors. Without proper communication, the body cannot utilize nutrition effectively and may let it go to waste.

One of the largest networks of neurons in the body controls the digestive system. The sympathetic and parasympathetic control over this system provide direct input and can significantly alter how we process food. After all, if you are running from a bear (sympathetic system) your body does not care about what you ate for breakfast. Likewise, if you have taken in toxins from your diet this may cause your body harm and the first line of defense to control this harm is the nervous system. Signaling from the nervous system allows the adaptations of the body to any sort of toxic material. This is the nature of toxins causing subluxations in the body. Nutrition and the nervous system go hand in hand, however, prior to fully utilizing proper nutrition the body must be subluxation free.