The Safety Pin Cycle
True health is possible when there is clear nerve communication between the brain and body, in both directions.
That's represented by the safety pin clasped. The body is best able to adapt to its environment. Tissue cells of the body function as they were designed. The brain can properly control and regulate the body. There is a sense of ease and well-being.
Now consider the safety pin in an opened position.
Poor health is represented by the unclasped safety pin. This represents a partial loss of nerve connection between the brain and the body. Impaired nerve messaging can be on the efferent side of the loop (leaving the brain) or the afferent side (returning to the brain). In either case there's a loss of "ease" or dis-ease. If left uncorrected over time then disease may result. At this early stage the body has lost its ability to comprehend itself, its environment, or both. Of course this can cause pain, but there is much more at stake.
Think about numbness down the left arm. Most people consider this to be a problem with the arm itself. The more common cause of this problem is a disconnect between the arm and the brain. This is caused by spinal nerve stress from misaligned bones in the neck.
Now consider the stomach. At first glance, acid reflux, indigestion or other stomach symptoms appear to be a stomach problem. More likely? It could be a brain-to-stomach or a stomach-to-brain nerve communication issue. It simply manifests as a stomach problem.
The abnormal shifting of bones in the spine is a common cause of nerve interference. The resulting nerve impairment is represented by the unclasped safety pin.
Chiropractors refer to this as a vertebral subluxation. In simpler terms, we refer to it as a structural shift.
Vertebral, meaning of the spine. Sub, meaning less than. And luxation, meaning a dislocation. So, a condition of less than dislocation in the spine.
Chiropractors use the term subluxation in a more nuanced way than medical practitioners. Even the slightest spinal misalignment can have neurological effects. However, it's often disregarded as "normal" by an emergency room physician.
Three types of stress can produce the nerve interference of subluxation / spinal shifting.
1. Micro Trauma and Macro Trauma: Repetitive motions like bad posture or improper lifting are micro traumas. A lack of sleep or over exertion can take its toll. Macro traumas include sports injuries, falls, and car accidents. Among children, the birth process, learning to walk, contact sports or heavy backpacks are common causes of physical stress.
2. Toxic Stress: Common sources of chemical stress include poor nutrition, sugar, refined carbohydrates and unhealthy fats. Alcohol, drugs, preservatives, etc. can negatively affect the nervous system. Which in turn influence muscle tone and spinal alignment.
3. Thoughts/Emotions: Fear, grief, anger and other emotions can affect our entire body. Frustration, or a sense of powerlessness at work, is an all-too common form of emotional stress. Notice the posture of someone who is sad or depressed. Our mind affects our body. And our body affects our mind.
Stress exhausts our reserves. Chronic stress reduces our adaptive capacity. Then, something as trivial as tree pollen or cat dander can put us over the edge. Chiropractic care helps restore your adaptive capacity.
What should be done when there is a loss of neurological integrity? Locate the source of interference and reduce it. This is what the chiropractor does with a proper spinal examination and adjustment.
Now imagine if we close the safety pin.
This is achieved by adding energy at the right time and place along the spine to help the body "right itself." This is called a chiropractic adjustment. The chiropractor's hands, or a chiropractic adjusting instrument is used to direct the energy.
Re clasping the safety pin is life-affirming.
It usually takes a series of repeated chiropractic adjustments to produce spinal changes. Each visit builds on the ones before. By the time many people consult a chiropractor they have had their spinal misalignments for some time. This delay permits supporting muscles and soft tissues of the spine to atrophy or develop scar tissue and breakdown. This makes correction more challenging.
Your body will always do better when the safety pin is closed - where the brain can talk to the body and vice versa. Our goal here is to keep that connection, to give you the best chance at health and healing.