Subluxation
Within the body there resides an innate wisdom. This wisdom coordinates, inspires, heals and motivates every action and reaction. It is perfect and ever-present. The nervous system is the main communication system of the body and this is vital for the transmission of that innate wisdom. The nervous system (NS) also being the memory and perception system of the body is constantly receiving and storing information from its internal and external environment. If at any point the NS is overloaded with input, the circuit will crash much like a computer system crashes when information is fed in too quickly. Unlike the computer, however, the body’s innate wisdom can adapt and change. It can self-correct. So instead of the entire system shutting down, the body will compensate, localizing the damage and creating what we call a subluxation (an interference pattern in the NS). This acts to preserve the whole.
Now, one or two subluxations will most likely go unnoticed. As they start to accumulate, the effects become much greater and therefore the NS becomes progressively more rigid. The body's ability to adapt, self-correct and recover from stress decreases. Our perception becomes distorted, the natural healing ability of the body diminishes and we slowly become more a being of the past than of the present now moment. The cumulative effect of this stored tension or stored energy in the system, is the source of all dis-ease.
The big thing to understand however, is that all these stored and accumulated stresses and tensions on the body, although eventually signal us to the impending dis-ease process underway, need not be interpreted as a "bad" thing. Quite the contrary, all these stresses are simply stored energy in our body and energy is not good or bad, it just is and it is meant to flow through all that exists. In fact, the greater the flow of energy, the healthier the body.
The body's inability to integrate this energy causes it to be stopped as if by a dam and therefore stored instead of simply flowing through. The body was not meant as a storage house for energy and energy was not meant to be contained. This storage containment creates tension and dis-ease. But once again, energy is just energy and even though it may wreak havoc when stored, contained and built up, it has an equally powerful healing affect when released. In much the same way as the Chinese character for crisis is opportunity, every bit of tension stored in the body is a great source of potential energy, waiting to be released. The greater the tension and the greater the unhealed event, the greater the source of potential energy and healing. So, the pain that we feel as a result of the energy that is stuck and not flowing can be a wonderful tool, a platform and a catalyst for change. As the stored energy is released it has the potential to reorganize and to move us to a higher and more efficient level of being.
Amazingly the body's ability to adapt is so great that it will continue to function even when greatly compromised. And what's more amazing is that the body's ability to heal is so great that even given the slightest chance to improve, it will self-correct. Getting adjusted gives your system that chance. Just as the subluxations in your system accumulate bit-by-bit in your body, getting regularly adjusted gradually and progressively releases those subluxations. Each time an adjustment is given, a little bit of potential energy is released, increasing the flow of life in the body. With each adjustment your system becomes better able to adapt, heal and self-correct.
So why then do we live in this environment of constant stress and nervous system input? This constant input is necessary to increase our energetic flow, to increase our healthy functioning, to help us evolve. Each step you take generates a force which in turn generates a wave of energy thus increasing your flow. When we begin viewing life in terms of potential energy, our perspective changes.
When you find yourself getting overwhelmed, all it means is that you are not fully able to integrate all of the input occurring in that moment. However, knowing that the body will store what it cannot integrate in that moment, there is no need to worry. It only becomes a problem if those overwhelming stressors are left there unattended. If, however, you get adjusted, it is simply stored energy that is allowed to flow into life energy, i.e. more fuel for your internal generator. Life is full of potential energy and so is your body and as chiropractors we are so blessed to be able to help you release it and see you reach your full potential.
Imagine if all your experiences could be perceived through a clear NS instead of being colored by the past. Imagine if your body was flexible enough to flow with every stress instead of hitting it head on. Getting adjusted takes you progressively toward the flexibility, the recoverability, the ease, and the flow of health and wellness.