“You are all clear! The power is on! You are better!” If you have been in our office you have likely heard one or more of these sayings once or twice after an adjustment. You get up, grab your stuff and go. Maybe you have walked away thinking, is that it!?
YES and NO!
Yes, that was everything you needed in that instant. The doctor analyzed your spine and nervous system. If they detected any indicators of nerve pressure, they found the primary subluxations and adjusted them. It does not take long, but this is only the start of the journey. What happens next is truly incredible…
Let’s start from the beginning.
The brain and nervous system are responsible for all healing and function in the body. If you think of the brain like a power generating station, it generates the power or the mental impulses and it sends this power along the nerves (the wires) to every tissue, cell and organ in the body. This power allows your heart to beat, lungs to breath, stomach to digest, muscles to move, body to sleep, hormones to be released and everything else in between! If there is interference to the mental impulses, then it is always directly or indirectly due to subluxations (or misaligned vertebrae) in the spinal column. This is not good and can negatively effect your health.
Following a detailed spinal analysis from your Chiropractor, you are ready for a specific, scientific, adjustment to correct any subluxations. The adjustment is delivered, now what!?
Well, if you thought that chiropractic was about getting rid of your pain then you may be somewhat disappointed…PAIN can be broken down into an acronym that stands for Pay Attention Inside Now. Pain and symptoms are one of your body’s ways of telling you to pay attention as there may be a problem. But, this is a big BUT, only 1 in 10 nerves are designed for pain function. Let me say that again, only 1 out of 10 nerves is designed to perceive pain. So, that means that 90% of the nerves are there for all of the other functions in your body that you may not even feel! So, if you are going to the chiropractor to try to only get rid of your pain, you are missing out on 90% of the other benefits!
And so back to the adjustment.
There are three main outcomes you may feel after an adjustment. You may feel better. You may feel worse. Or you might feel no different. In all of these possible outcomes your body is always getting better, hence why I say ‘You are better.’
By removing the subluxation, you are releasing the imprisoned impulses and allowing better communication between the brain cell and tissue cell. And this happens in an instant! The larger myelinated nerves carry nerve impulses at a whopping speed of up to 268 miles per hour! So as soon as the adjustment takes place life starts to flow. Your bodies innate intelligence is now better able to communicate over your nervous system, immediately.
And maybe after the adjustment you feel better. That is awesome!
Of course we would love you to feel better, even though it is not our primary outcome measure. After the adjustment not only are your nerves flowing better, but also the following may happen:
- blood flow improves
- spinal fluid flow improves
- detoxification occurs
- oxytocin and dopamine are released, which is why you may feel light or more relaxed
- blood pressure normalizes
- your body moves out of a sympathetic (stress) response and into a parasympathetic (healing) state
- hormones rebalance
- posture improves
- tight muscles relax or slack muscles tighten
- sleep/wake cycles are better
- muscles are stronger
- balance improves
- self-awareness improves
- Heart Rate Variability improves
- Brain function improves. Proper spinal movement is like food for the brain and 90% of this comes from the spine, in particular the upper neck
And the list goes on…
And maybe after the adjustment you feel no different. Well, if you are following along, then all of the above are still improving because your brain and nervous system are now better able to regulate your body’s function.
And maybe after the adjustment you feel worse or have more or different symptoms. Well, this is usually a strong indication that your nervous system is coming back on line. Your innate intelligence is bringing life back to the cells and tissues that were paralyzed.
So next time you are questioning what did the Doctor even do today, just remember that the adjustment is not just about pain relief, it is about function restoration. It is about restoring the flow of your innate intelligence, the God given healing power that you were gifted at the moment you were conceived and will have to the moment you take your last breath. Nothing is bigger than life!
Dr. Thom