For thousands of years, humanity has struggled to understand the place of men and women in the universe. All sorts of explanations have been brought forward, many proposing that humanity is part of a greater whole and helps contribute to the welfare of all. Equally many theories suggest that humanity
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Vertebral subluxation refers to a set of signs and symptoms that affect the spinal column. Specifically, it is a complex that occurs when the bones of the spine lose their usual position and motion due to chemical imbalances, alcohol, prolonged sitting, trauma or even stress. An automobile accident and improper lifting are just two types of trauma that can cause vertebral subluxation complex, or VSC.
How Does Vertebral Subluxation Complex Affect the Body?
The term “complex” is associated with vertebral subluxation because, as the word suggests, the condition is multifaceted and consists of many elements. This is because VSC is the underlying cause of health care problems. When one or more vertebrae are misplaced or fail to carry out their intended motion, they can disrupt the function of the nervous system. The vertebral bones are designed to contain and guard this system, so interference can lead to pressure on the spinal cord or the nerve roots as they pass out of the spinal column. When VSC presents, a number of things can happen to affect the spine, its related soft tissues, and even the tissues and organs controlled by the affected nerves.
Vertebral Subluxation Complex and Its Five Interrelated Parts
VSC typically has — and is — identified by five major interconnected components, including:
- Spinal kinesiopathology. This component sounds much like vertebral subluxation itself. Here, the bones of the spine have lost their natural motion and position, making it difficult for the patient to turn and bend. It sets the other four components in motion.
- Myopathology. When the muscles sustaining the spine weaken, atrophy or become stiff, they can go into spasm. This can result in scar tissue that changes the muscle tone.
- Neuropathophysiology. If the spine functions improperly, it can obstruct, stretch or agitate nerve tissue. Nerve tissue is delicate. Irritation in these ways can cause nerve system dysfunction and lead to aggravating symptoms elsewhere in the body.
- Histopathology. A patient’s body temperature can rise due to an increase in blood and lymph supplies. This, in turn, can lead to inflammation and swelling, which can then cause discs to protrude, tear, herniate or deteriorate.
- Pathophysiology. This is when abnormal bony growths like bone spurs try to meld faulty spinal joints, leading to decay of the spine, scar tissue and nerve dysfunction.
The articles within this section discuss each of the five components further.
How Chiropractic Treatments Can Help
Your chiropractor will not only detect and minimize VSC, but, once the spinal bones are back in their normal position and have regained their natural function, he or she will try to prevent the problem from recurring. Chiropractic treatments, particularly spinal adjustments, can be used to treat VSC and ward off its associated symptoms.
To find out how chiropractic treatments can be designed to address your particular VSC-related condition, contact your practitioner.
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Cosmic Consciousness
Category: Newsletter Library, Mind-Body Connection
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Is 60 the New 40?
Category: Newsletter Library, Staying Young
"60 is the New 40" is more than a marketing slogan. The phrase is also a metaphor for optimism, as well as a metaphor for good health. How can 60 really be the new 40? First, there are the demographics. Forty years ago, when today's 40-year-olds were just being born, 40 was a fairly substantial age.
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Taking Care of Older Joints (and Younger Joints, Too)
Category: Newsletter Library, Staying Young
Many people experience increasing musculoskeletal joint stiffness as they get older. Shoulders, knees, and ankles don't seem to be as flexible as they once were. It seems more difficult to bend over and pick up a dropped object. It may be uncomfortable to turn your head around to see the car in the next
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The Time Machine
Category: Newsletter Library, Staying Young
The Macintosh operating system contains a subprogram called "Time Machine" that allows you to reset your status to any previously saved state. Provided that you have designated a location for backups, you can literally go back in time and recover documents, directories, and applications you may have
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You Say It's Your Birthday
Category: Newsletter Library, Staying Young
Let's imagine that today is your birthday. One of the things you might do on or around your birthday is to take a look back at what you've accomplished in the year gone by. You might be glad at all the things you've done and a little sad at all the things you didn't get to do. You might feel proud that
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Your Computer and You
Category: Newsletter Library, Life-Work Balance
Windows and Mac users actually do have one thing in common - computer ergonomics issues, namely, pain.1,2 Beyond the usual hardware and software gotchas we deal with on a daily basis, the real bottom-line question is, "how to play nice with my computer". Doing computer work is a funny kind of work,
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The Inner Game of Health
Category: Newsletter Library, Stress & Anxiety
Way back in the 1960s, when everything was brand-new, the Beatles introduced Maharishi Mahesh Yogi to national television audiences in American and the UK. The Maharishi came to the West with the Beatles to introduce a new thing - Transcendental Meditation.At the time most Westerners were not familiar
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What's the Problem with Stress?
Category: Newsletter Library, Stress & Anxiety
We live in stressful times. The economy is tough, global conflicts rage, severe weather events are affecting people in every corner of the globe, and our numerous technological devices don't seem to be making things any easier. Of course, this is nothing new. Every generation thinks theirs is the best
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Weight Loss That Stays Lost
Category: Newsletter Library, Weight Loss
America's weight problems are now so well-known they're even fair game for jokes at the Oscars. "Americans really know how to fill up a seat," jibes Ellen DeGeneres, host of the 2007 Academy Awards. The statistics are alarming. Sixty-five percent of Americans - 130 million in 2001 - are overweight.
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Owning Your Health
Category: Newsletter Library, Breaking Bad Habits
Recent discussions in the scientific literature are focusing on monitoring and possibly improving cardiovascular health in children. There's been a lot of conversation and a lot of controversy. An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association1 argued that universal screening of children
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Principles of Posture
Category: Newsletter Library, Breaking Bad Habits
Long ago and far away, a fourth-grade teacher told a student to "stand up straight - you look like a pretzel". The unthinking adult only offered criticism. The child was left to try to unkink himself in the ways that probably caused more structural damage. Most of us think good posture involves thrusting
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Rise and Shine!
Category: Newsletter Library, Breaking Bad Habits
We all know people who get up with the first rays of the sun. Some people wake up even earlier, bouncing out of bed before there is even a glimmer of Homer's famous "rosy- fingered dawn" in the eastern sky. In contrast, for many people leaving the confines of their comfortable bed is a daily exercise
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Your New Reality
Category: Newsletter Library, Breaking Bad Habits
Is it possible to create a new personal reality? So-called unscripted television shows say you can - "The Biggest Loser" being one of the more popular of these tell-all and show-all programs. But most of us realize that these shows don't closely represent reality as we experience it. What causes us to
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Control Your Breathing
Category: Health & Wellness, Healthy Thinking, Relaxation Techniques
Relaxed breathing, also called diaphragmatic breathing, can help you relieve stress. Have you ever noticed how you breathe when you're stressed? Stress typically causes rapid, shallow breathing. This kind of breathing sustains other aspects of the stress response, such as rapid heart rate and perspiration.
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Find Your Mantra
Category: Health & Wellness, Healthy Thinking, Relaxation Techniques
To find your mantra you can go to a peaceful place, sit in a comfortable position, and focus on a word or phrase that you find relaxing. Autogenic means something that comes from within you. During this type of relaxation, you repeat words or suggestions in your mind to help you relax and reduce the
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Relationships with Others
Category: Health & Wellness, Healthy Thinking, Get Positive
Relationships are important for good emotional health. Numerous studies have shown that people who have close friends and intimate relationships are healthier, happier, and live longer. In fact, the simple act of petting a dog, holding a child, or seeing someone you love causes a decrease in stress hormones
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