Why Alignment is So Important As Explained by Austin Chiropractor Zeke Harkleroad, D.C.
If you are like most people in the world, your water cooler conversations revolve around (at least in part) the subject of abnormal postural biomechanics and the subsequent negative long term effects of unbalanced weightbearing on various musculoskeletal regions in the body. No? Well, me neither and I’m an Austin Chiropractor, but since that is the subject of our discussion, let me break it down into something that doesn’t make our heads spin out of control: Bad Posture and Misalignment = back and body pain.
I know that is probably a no brainer statement, but here is the real news. The actual physiological ailments and the result of prolonged misalignment have not been documented in a scientific manner prior to a recent study. This means the results that patients of Chiropractors have gotten through their adjustments, by extension, the relief experienced by their clients has been anecdotal at best, that is, until now.
Doctors Schweitzer and White of Thomas Jefferson University hospital have recently completed a study that shows, through Magnetic Resonance Imagery (MRI), the exact effects of what happens to the biomechanics of the body when the spine is out of alignment.
Their study was simple, yet very effective in making the case for the type of work that Chiropractors do each and every day. Simply put, they gathered subjects and knocked them out of alignment for a few weeks and then measured how their body was responding. They did this by placing a small arch insert into one of their shoes to gently, but effectively, force the subject’s bodies to be out of alignment. This would be similar to walking along for several weeks wearing one high heel and one flat, though not so dramatic. The compound effects of this uneven stress were enough to show that the negative effects begin to occur quickly.
Once the two weeks were up, these subjects were photographed using an MRI to see exactly what changes may or may not have occurred. The MRI’s were conclusive in showing the beginnings of bone marrow edema, or fluid buildup, in bones of the feet, leg bones, and hip joints. These results were astounding because these physicians were immediately able to create REAL visible physiological reactions based on misaligning the body.
Even more astounding was that once the insert was removed and the subjects were then photographed with the MRI, the bone marrow edema and subsequent swelling all but disappeared, and in several subjects, the edema completely disappeared.
I know what you’re thinking…”Ok Doc, what the heck does this all mean?”
Well, put simply, when the body is out of alignment, small but potentially significant changes occur throughout the body as it tries to compensate for the less than optimum biomechanics that result. This misalignment could occur because of prolonged bad posture, an injury, or simply a sudden movement that knocked you out of “whack”. The resulting effect can be that the bones near the area of misalignment can become brittle or receive tiny fractures as the weight of gravity on the body is not being distributed properly. In addition, the body’s process to try to repair this naturally can result in increased tissue and bone rigidity that will, over time, exacerbate or worsen the condition.
The important thing for the patient to pay attention to is like most of medicine: if detected early, treatment is easier and effective! What this means is, VISIT AN AUSTIN CHIROPRACTOR CLINIC TODAY for a detailed examination! Let an advanced chiropractic professional examine you and your source of back and/or body pain. A simple misalignment could lead to a worsening of symptoms and a lifelong condition that worsens with age. Regular consistent spinal manipulation can help to ensure your body is aligned, working correctly, and making YOU pain free.
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