How chiropractic care works?

Chiropractic care has often been misrepresented as a profession that solely treats musculoskeletal conditions, with a primary focus on the nervous system and spine. To believe this is like saying a food processor can only make a good soup while ignoring all it's other functions. To truly understand chiropractic care, we must first grasp the intricate nature of our physiology from within.

Every function in the body is driven by chemical reactions. Whether it's sleeping, digesting food, or experiencing happiness, specific hormones must be secreted to initiate these processes. For this hormonal sequence to occur, the brain must first recognize the action and then send signals to the appropriate organs and glands to trigger the release of the necessary hormones.

Understanding the Anatomy

The spine consists of 24 movable bones, each separated by intervertebral discs that allow us to bend, twist, and move freely. If the spinal column were designed as a single rigid structure, our mobility would be no greater than that of a metal rod. Beyond providing movement, the spine also serves as a protective shield for the spinal cord, which runs through the vertebral foramen.

At every spinal level, two nerve roots exit through the intervertebral foramen, extending to the rest of the body and carrying motor, sensory, and autonomic signals to the organs. If a subluxation—a small but significant misalignment of the spine—exists at any level, it can disrupt the function of the nerve, leading to problems in the structures it innervates. This can manifest as:

• Muscle tightness or weakness

• Altered sensation (pins and needles, numbness)

• Overactive or underactive organ function

Even minor spinal misalignments can have profound effects on the body’s ability to function optimally.

Normal Spine VS Spinal Subluxation

Where Chiropractic Care Comes In

What if I told you to consciously activate your stomach’s chief cells to release pepsin after a meal to aid digestion? You wouldn’t be able to, because these processes are autonomously controlled by the body, which instinctively knows how to maintain survival. However, for this to happen seamlessly, the nervous system must remain intact to allow signals to travel from the brain, through the spinal cord, and to the stomach.

Now, let’s consider a scenario: As a child, you fell, wrestled, or experienced minor accidents. Though you may not have noticed symptoms at the time, let’s say your sixth thoracic vertebra (T6) became subluxated, irritating the nerve root that controls signals to the stomach. Over time, this could lead to organ dysfunction, potentially causing:

Hypersecretion → Heartburn or peptic ulcers

Hyposecretion → Indigestion or poor digestion

Autonomic Nervous System

If the root cause of your condition is not genetic, it may remain undiagnosed for years, leading to a reliance on medications to mask symptoms rather than addressing the underlying problem. Now imagine if, as a child, a chiropractor had examined and corrected that T6 vertebra, freeing up the nerve pathways and allowing your stomach to function normally. This is the essence of chiropractic care—restoring optimal nerve function so the body can heal itself.

The Realization

In the 1950s, self-breast examinations were introduced to help women detect lumps associated with breast cancer. However, by the time a lump becomes detectable, cancer cells may have been dividing for up to five years. This highlights an important fact: Conditions often take years to manifest into noticeable symptoms.

The same principle applies to vertebral subluxations. In the early stages, they may not cause any noticeable discomfort, but if left untreated for too long, symptoms will eventually arise. This is why chiropractic care is fundamentally a preventative profession—you don't need to wait for symptoms before seeking care.

Everyone has some degree of spinal misalignment, whether from daily activities, past injuries, or poor posture. The best approach is to receive chiropractic care from a young age, as children undergo significant physical stress from birth through their teenage years.

As chiropractors, we do not claim to treat indigestion, asthma, or even back pain. What we do is restore proper nervous system communication, allowing your body to function without interference. Your body’s natural ability to heal is what ultimately improves your health after seeing a chiropractor. Put simply a life without a subluxation is undoubtably a better way to live.

Seek a Chiropractor Today

If you or someone you know is experiencing symptoms or simply wants to optimize their health, reach out to MDemetriou Chiropractic today. Book an appointment with your trusted London chiropractor and experience the chiropractic difference!

MDemetriou Chiropractic