What is a Subluxation?
A subluxation, also known as a vertebral subluxation, occurs when one or more of the 24 vertebrae in your spine shifts out of alignment. This misalignment can irritate the surrounding soft tissues and smaller pain-sensing nerves, potentially impacting the larger spinal nerves. Your body has 31 pairs of spinal nerves branching from the spinal cord:
- C1–C8 (neck)
- T1–T12 (mid-back)
- L1–L5 (low back)
- S1–S5 (sacrum)
- and 1 pair of coccygeal nerves (tailbone)
When vertebrae are misaligned, it can interfere with the function of these nerves, affecting not just how you feel—but how your body functions.
How Does This Affect You?
Imagine your body like a phone line. If there’s static in the connection, the message doesn’t get through clearly. The same thing happens when there’s interference in your nervous system. Since your nervous system controls and coordinates every function in your body, any disruption in nerve signals can lead to dysfunction.
This may show up as:
- Neck or back pain
- Headaches
- Heartburn
- Gallbladder or bowel issues
The specific symptoms can vary depending on which area of the spine is affected.
How Do You Fix a Subluxation?
It’s my responsibility as a Doctor of Chiropractic to detect, analyze, and correct subluxations. This is done through precise chiropractic adjustments—either by hand or with an instrument called an Activator. Chiropractors undergo extensive education and training at both undergraduate and doctoral levels to specialize in this area of care.
Have Questions About Your Health?
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Want to Learn More?
To dive deeper into subluxation and chiropractic science, we recommend PubMed—a trusted, comprehensive resource for scientific and medical research.
Dr. Joe Heinecke, DC
Mountain Valley Chiropractic
(970) 314-9244
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