When first introduced to chiropractic, people often are incredulous at how many subluxations (that is, slight misalignments of the vertebrae) the chiropractor finds in their spine or that they are subluxated at all if they have no symptoms or conditions. Invariably they ask, “Is that normal?” Are subluxations a normal part of life? First, we must understand that a vertebral subluxation is never normal. The key to health, proper function and physical, mental, and social well-being is communication. In the case of the body, it is communication between the brain and the body’s organs, glands and cells. The nervous system is the primary system used for communication and any interference causes a loss of communication and a loss of control of functional activity by the brain. That is never normal.

While subluxations are not normal, they are very common. They occur for many reasons from the birth process to the normal activities of life. The first subluxation probably occurs if  the newborn is pulled forcibly from the birth canal. This physical trauma to the spine is more than enough force to subluxate that newborn’s spine.

The falls that a youngster experiences during childhood are not normal but they are a common experience for every child. Falling is never a normal function of the body. Eating is a normal function and sleeping is a normal function. The body was not designed to fall. However, it was designed with the ability to adapt to falls, up to a point. It was also designed to heal itself from the effects of a fall, again up to a point. We can be thankful for these capabilities because while falls are not normal, they are common.

There are many other physical, chemical and emotional stresses in our lives that are all too common and do result in vertebral subluxations. That is why we need to be checked by our chiropractor on a regular basis. How long would you want to be in a subluxated state? If your health is a priority, the answer would be no longer than is absolutely necessary. We do not have a little red light telling us that we are sublxuated as we do on the dashboard of our car to tell us that our parking brake is still on. Our car has that little light because we can still drive with the parking brake on, just not as efficiently. The same is true of a subluxations. We can walk around with a vertebral subluxation and not feel it or know it, and there is no warning light to tell us. It is no more normal to go through life with a subluxation than it is to drive your car with the parking brake on. That is why we need to have our spines checked regularly and adjusted when necessary.