Why do chiropractic patients get their spines adjusted?  Is it only to get relief from low back pain?  Or do some actually perceive chiropractic as being more than just an “expensive alternative to aspirin?”

Many have come to understand that chiropractic is an effective method to permanently free themselves from pain.  Often times pain can be caused by, or exacerbated by, a misalignment of the spine called vertebral subluxation.  Vertebral subluxation, or subluxation for short, can negatively impact the movement, musculature, and joint components of the spine.  Most damaging, however, is the effect of subluxation on the nervous system.  A subluxation can impede the proper flow of nerve energy which can also trigger pain.  Over-the-counter and prescription medications only numb the nervous system temporarily to the painful effects of subluxation.  Spinal surgery only tries to repair the damage after it’s been already done.

The chiropractic adjustment actually corrects the spine by eliminating the subluxation.  As proper spinal alignment and function is restored, the painful effects which were caused by the subluxation go away.

But is that where the chiropractic adjustment ends-- at pain relief?

No!  There are thousands of people in Hawaii who have taken their chiropractic care to the next level: wellness.  That is, each adjustment which a patient receives helps the body to heal more efficiently, function more effectively, and elevates that individual to a higher level of physical, mental, social, and spiritual well-being!  How can this be? How can a few “cracks” to your back do so much?

Consider the master system, our nervous system.  Everything about our bodies, from our conscious thoughts, to the automatic beating of our hearts, to the coordinated movement of walking, to the words we speak and write, EVERYTHING about us is regulated and controlled by our nervous system.  Our very life force, the innate intelligence within all of us, is transmitted through the power of the nervous system.  Therefore, ultimate health and healing depend on a properly functioning nervous system.

Subluxation causes damage to the nerves.  I already mentioned how this damage to the nervous system may cause pain syndromes, but more importantly, the damage done to the nervous system by vertebral subluxation will stop the body from actually functioning properly, impeding the expression of life at its highest potential.  Just as a hurricane can destroy the electrical lines on this island stopping the flow of energy from power station to thousands of electrical outlets, subluxation will destroy the nerve tissue exiting our spines, stopping the proper flow of nerve energy from the brain to the individual organs, tissues and cells of the body.

Each adjustment helps to correct subluxation.  In some cases, devastating subluxation may be corrected with one single adjustment.  Sometimes it may take years to correct the subluxation damage that has taken place over decades.

I feel that most of the people of Hawaii are more inclined to eliminate symptoms with pills or some other temporary fix.  We in this society are so concerned about finding the fast and the easy way, often times a choice is made to try the convenient instead of that more difficult, even though the difficult may be more effective in the long run.

Make chiropractic a part of your life— for the rest of your life.  It takes commitment, sacrifice and determination, but the rewards are great.