Chronic Subluxations
Every chiropractor has encountered chronically subluxated patients. These persons respond favorably to adjustments and can be the most compliant of patients, however, they continually present with the same vertebral joint dysfunction and symptomatology.
We have been taught early on that the vertebral subluxation complex can be manifested from emotional, chemical or physical means (or any combination of the three). Many doctors address each of these issues using their various techniques or adjunctive practices. However, the chronic subluxation still rears its ugly head.
I always marvel when miraculous, life-changing adjustments occur, often in just one session. However, it appears that there is a plethora of external components in our patients' lives that complicate or delay their response rates. Although I have witnessed these spectacular adjustments transform lives, why doesn't it happen as frequently?
Our Stressed Society: A Major Factor
We do not have to look much further than out our own windows to observe our stress-ridden society. Work, family, personal interests and global terrorist activities all combine to send even the calmest person into a frenzy. To complicate matters further, add our environmental bombardment of chemicals; toxins and pollutants that stem from the water we drink; to the food we consume. Sadly enough, the triad of subluxation precursors has never been more prevalent than in our present era.
Stress: Fight-or-Flight Syndrome
The body's stress-induced, internal mechanism (fight/flight syndrome) was developed to preserve life during an attack or other threatening situation. However, dawdling human evolution, coupled with copious amounts of external stressors, can induce this emergency mechanism and lock it into place.
When the fight/flight syndrome becomes the body's daily default mode, the adrenal glands are the first organs to be triggered into action. Although the initial stressor may no longer be present while locked into this emergency mode, the body will continue to perceive the threat and act accordingly. After time, limitations of matter prevail, and the body can no longer surge the adrenal glands to respond, even though it still desires to.
Emergency Mode: Survival Physiology
As adrenal dysfunction ensues (see Figure), a wide spectrum of symptoms will manifest. Everything from sleep disturbances; blood sugar imbalances; depression; joint pain; or weight problems (gain or loss) can occur. After the body can no longer maintain the fight/flight mode merely using its typical means, it will begin to "steal" hormonal precursors (which can later compromise the sex hormones) to keep the adrenals in the alarm state. These resultant sex hormone imbalances in both sexes can lead to reduced libido and male impotency and female menstrual or menopausal problems.
The key to addressing this complex situation is to move the body out of the fight/flight syndrome to allow the adrenals to recover. Until this mechanism is shut off, and hormonal balance is maintained, the body will continue this destructive pattern, which can lead to lethal consequences. As the adrenals are allowed to repair and normalize, the rest of the body can become more balanced.
Adrenal Help is Near
Our job as doctors is not to 'fix' our patients' problems. However, adrenal dysfunction is a serious condition that could potentially keep the patient subluxated and geared toward other systemic deficiencies or failures. Therefore, its potential negative health impact makes it worth investigating.
Whether you maintain a strict adjusting-only policy, or you partake in other adjunctive therapies, there are simple yet effective ways to help support the adrenals to allow for better all-around recovery. Many of these suggestions can be easily obtained through health food stores, or directly ordered by you, the practitioner.
When I graduated from chiropractic college in 1981 and started practice, I heard it all, and very little was positive. “You are a quack; you do not know what a subluxation is; you couldn’t get into a real health care program, so you chose the one that is slightly above a mail-order degree; you have no proof that chiropractic works; Are you really licensed?”, and so much more.
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A central challenge in creating our identity is that chiropractic is a method of care, not a technique or procedure. This is an important concept for us to promote. Our patients are treated with lifestyle modification, exercise, nutritional supplements, diet and a whole-body approach to accelerate the natural healing process. We are not simply CMT providers.
The results of a global survey released late last year (2023) unveiled some startling findings among medical and nursing students. The “Clinician of the Future: 2023 Education Edition” surveyed 2,212 students, of which 446 were in the United States, from 91 countries.
