Nobody likes driving on a street with potholes. They create unnecessary wear and tear on a vehicle and alter the alignment of the axle. The tires wear down faster when guided by a misaligned axle. The same phenomenon occurs in the spine. When a spinal vertebra becomes altered in its position and alignment, stresses occurs on areas not created to withstand the additional trauma. The process results in spinal degeneration.
The large-scale concern for health arises when people come to understand that new spines do not exist in the same realm as new tires or machinery parts. Battered and degenerative spines find no refurbishment through the intervention of hospitals or shopping centers. Few structures rival the complexity and irreplaceable magnificence of a healthy spine. Spinal vertebrae connect to each other and work proficiently like a high-efficiency machine. Muscles, ligaments, and tendons attach in perfection to promote movement, support and stabilisation in precise order with one another. The movement and stress created in the spine constantly trigger small receptors and neurons in the discs, ligaments, joints, and muscles that send feedback to the brain every single second of a person’s life. The brain and nervous system become stressed and afflicted when movement becomes altered or disrupted. Movement equates to life; and no body system requires movement more than the spine.
Alignment and movement in the spine prevent degeneration. Good movement and alignment also help the entire body work in harmony by eliminating stress on the central nervous system. Stress creates immobility and misalignments in the spine that mimic the impact of potholes on a car axle. A successful plan for long term health and wellness involves a regimen of proper diet and nutrition, water intake, exercise, sleep, mental attitude, loving relationships, and a life in balance which partners with regular Chiropractic checkups and adjustments for the entire family.
The spine cannot be replaced. It determines the health and performance potential of every person’s present and future. Optimal nervous system health and function require harmony and the elimination of stress chemicals which promote the degeneration of the entire body. Chiropractic promotes an environment of maximum performance that not only promotes health in the here and now but also allows people to maintain the activities and hobbies which will ensure independent living in later life.
Research published a few years ago showed the reduced mobility in a joint only needs to be present for approximately four weeks before the degenerative process began to initiate in that part of the body. The early stages of degeneration are dramatically reduced with the restoration of mobility to that specific joint.
Chiropractors want their patients to understand nervous system care involves so much more than freedom from current pains and symptoms. One of the greatest benefits of regular Chiropractic care manifests in the body’s ability to prevent spinal degeneration which robs both life and quality from millions of people. Regular checkups and spinal maintenance provide preventative care with value far greater than any reactive approach once spinal function begins to deteriorate beyond repair. Research has shown that hypomobility or lack of proper movement can lead to articular surface degeneration in the spinal zygapophysial or facet joints in as little as 1 week. Thus, it is recommended from a wellness viewpoint to have fortnightly to monthly checkups to promote ideal conditions which will prevent spinal degeneration while maintaining spinal health and maximising body functions connected to the spine and nervous system. A timeless adage states, an ounce of prevention carries greater value than a pound of cure. Chiropractic provides the preventative ounce which protects the priceless and irreplaceable spine and nervous system.
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