Depending on your knowledge of and experience with chiropractic care, you may or may not have heard the term “subluxation.” Whereas a luxation is a complete dislocation of a joint, a subluxation is essentially a partial dislocation—the joint is either misaligned or not functioning correctly. While we’ll be primarily focusing on a subluxation of the spine in this post, it’s important to note the condition also commonly affects the shoulder, kneecap, and elbow.
Depending on the causes discussed below, subluxations can put pressure on your spinal nerves, making them very painful. If you suspect you might have a subluxation, it’s important to get it examined as soon as possible. Not only does your spine health continue to be compromised the longer the partial dislocation goes unaddressed, but the condition can cause degeneration in the surrounding tissue, decreasing spine mobility. Your body might also try to adjust itself to the change in your spinal shape, making the damage more difficult to reverse.
Causes
Subluxations are commonly caused by physical trauma, like a serious fall, car accident, or even childbirth. However, minor physical stress can also be responsible for a partial dislocation: improper form when exercising or a repetitive motion injury, similar to those that cause tennis elbow. Poor posture and spinal sleep health can also cause subluxations over time, as it leaves your spine in an unnatural alignment for a long period of time.
Surprisingly, it isn’t just physical stimuli responsible for subluxations: the emotional and chemical are also to blame. High stress levels cause tension in the shoulders, back, and neck, which can pull vertebrae out of place. Your body strives to be chemically balanced, but depending on what’s contained in your food and water—even the air you breathe—your chemical balance can be thrown off, causing your muscles to contract and straining your spine.
Symptoms
Unlike a full dislocation, subluxations aren’t visible. You may not experience pain at first—it might just be a mild discomfort rather than pain—but symptoms will gradually worsen. Common symptoms include:
- Swelling around affected area
- Bruising
- Loss of feeling or numbness in extremities
- Reduced range of motion
- Headaches
- Pain around joint, sometimes radiating up into neck
- Joint instability
Treatment
Because the symptoms of subluxations vary depending both on the individual and the cause, it’s best to get examined by a professional trained to identify the condition. Your trusted chiropractor will be able to help you develop a treatment plan. Minor cases may be treated with the R.I.C.E. method and over-the-counter pain medication, but a chiropractic adjustment may be needed to prevent further problems from developing
In general, it’s best to get a professional opinion on your spinal health. At Crossroads Chiropractic, we’re well-trained when it comes to identifying and treating subluxations—stop in or contact us online to see what we can do for you.
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