Repetition

Repetition…Repetition….Repetition

By Arno Burnier, D.C.

One of the most frequent statements made by lay people about Chiropractic is that “once you start receiving care you must keep going frequently for an extended period of time.” This, taken without rational understanding, distracts many to seek the beneficial health effects which are to be gained from Chiropractic.

What the Doctor of Chiropractic works with are blockages that develop in the spine as a result of stress and various other trauma. Those blockages are natural physiological responses to overwhelming invasive forces. The excessive impact causes some of the 134 spinal joints to tighten and lose their normal movement. In advanced situations the loss of motion is so severe that it causes complete restriction of movement called ankylosis. This is a progressive process of variable intensity readily observed in the elderly.

 As a rule, any tissue in the body will tighten in response to trauma. If you get punched in the shoulder, the next day you have a tight shoulder. If you go home and find your husband or wife has left you suddenly, your stomach will knot up. In the same way, the muscles, ligaments, and joints of the spine contract when subjected to overpowering stresses.

 The purpose of spinal adjustments is to correct the blockages by restoring the normalcy of movement in the articulations of the spine. This is a corrective process achieved by creating a repeated demand for movement and elasticity in the specific areas where the blockage has occurred.

 No more than a weight lifter can develop strength, bulk, and definition by lifting once a week, can correction be achieved in the spine by few adjustments. It is the regularity of stretches every  day that allows the gymnast or dancer to effectuate a full split. The body responds to what we demand from it according to the law of demand and supply. It is the constant pull of braces upon our teeth that achieves the desired result after few years. Wearing braces for a few weeks or months undoubtedly induces changes but is not sufficient to correct the distortion.

 Here lies the rational behind the frequency of visits during the original phase of care. The duration of that phase is directly dependent upon the condition of each individual spine, their age, overall physical condition and history of trauma past and present.

 Since the spine is the most battered organ in the human body and since more people are incapacitated by a spinal problem at any give time than by any other ailment, it is only logical to take care of our back bone and have it checked regularly.

 After all the spine is not only the back bone of the human body but it is also its life line.

 Arno Burnier, D.C

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