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Vertebral Subluxation
A vertebral subluxation is a term used extensively in
chiropractic.
In traditional medicine, a subluxation is defined as a partial dislocation of a joint, bone or organ. According to the medical definition, spinal subluxations are rare, but chiropractors use the term in a completely different way.
What is a Vertebral Subluxation?
In chiropractic terms, a subluxation describes a subtle misalignment of a
vertebral bone.
This slight deviance from the “normal” position is not usually visible on any imaging study. It is detectable only to the trained hands of a master chiropractor. Medical doctors do not subscribe to this diagnosis of a
subluxated vertebra.
There is no medical proof that there is any particular “normal” or optimal vertebral position, so it is difficult to determine if a vertebra has shifted abnormally.
Effects of Vertebral Subluxation
Vertebrae that rotate or tilt can
pinch nerves
exiting from the spine. This model makes sense to both medical science and chiropractic. However, the meaning of subluxation as defined by a chiropractor is very ambiguous and might describe the most miniscule shift from an arbitrary “normal” position. This shift may not cut off nerve energy or compress the nerve, but it may reduce the quality of the nerve signal. This can be the start of a health problem in the area served by that affected nerve.
Chiropractic Treatment for Subluxated Vertebrae
A manual
chiropractic adjustment
is used to realign the spinal bones. The adjustments will usually be given to the entire spine, regardless of the location of the subluxation. The sound produced by a spinal manipulation is akin to the cracking of one’s knuckles, and is medically termed “crepitus” or "cavitation".
Recommendation on Vertebral Subluxation
Subluxation is a word that was in medical usage long before it was adopted by chiropractic. I question if it was wise for chiropractors to use this same term to describe a completely different condition than a medical spinal subluxation. This issue was a point of contention between doctors and chiropractors for many years. If it was not for the highly profitable pairing, these 2 professions would probably still be arguing over the semantics of the words…
Vertebral Subluxation to Back Pain Home page
12/30/06 Revised 9/15/09
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