St. Paul chiropractor, chiropractor in St. Paul, MN

SMT: How does it work?

Vertebral joint dysfunction is a common source of spine pain and muscle spasm. However, vertebral joint dysfunction CANNOT be corrected by exercise . In fact, exercise can make vertebral joint dysfunction WORSE (John Mennel, MD). Thus, relieving joint dysfunction with a treatment plan of spinal adjusting is necessary prior to beginning exercise. (Note: The amount of time it takes to relieve joint dysfunction enough to resume exercise depends on the individuals case severity, degree of trauma, degree of spine degeneration and the individuals rate of recovery).

Patients often think they have a "bone out place, pinching a nerve". Relief then comes from "the bone no longer pinching a nerve". While that is true to a degree, we have a better understanding of the how the pain relief occurs.

For example, neck pain creates signals that go into the spinal cord and up to the brain. The spinal adjusting creates signals as well that go into the spinal cord and up to the brain (See Figure 1).

When the doctor performs spinal adjusting, the signals from this treatment compete with the pain signals. Often, the signals created by the spinal adjusting are great enough; they stop the pain signal right at that spinal cord level (See Figure 2).

Next, the "signals" from spinal adjusting go up into the brain, causing the brain to respond. The brain responds by sending down its "signal" that further inhibits or stops the pain signal.

In essence, spinal adjusting does two things: a) Neurologically shuts down the pain signal at several points and b) Biomechanically, it treats the dysfunction that is creating the pain signal in the first place by moving the spine into proper alignment.

Pictures are courtesy of: www.3Dscience.com