Reminder that we will be closed June 26-July 5th.
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Updated Office Procedures

Beginning July 6th, we will resume our walk-in style visits and no longer take appointments (except for new patients). When you arrive to the office, please TEXT your name to (833) 344-0120. Please wait in your vehicle until we text you back to come in. If you do not have a cell phone, or are unable to text, please peek your head in the door and we will assist you.

The waiting room is open for business! We will continue to keep the waiting room at a limited capacity. Remember, we are not all in the same place yet. Respect each other’s space while in the office. We ask that patients wear a mask while in the waiting room, however, they are not required in the adjusting rooms.

We will continue with all the cleaning procedures we have already implemented and all of the staff will continue wearing masks and washing their hands routinely while they are in the office.

Thank you everyone for your patience and understanding through the last few months as we shifted our procedures to fit the guidelines and safety needs for everyone.

Dates to Remember

The office will be CLOSED for our summer break Friday, June 26th - Sunday, July 5th.

Chemical Stressors

When asked about chiropractic care generally, or vertebral subluxation specifically, it’s very common for our minds to go directly to neck or back pain. The average person will almost always connect a physical injury to the presence of vertebral subluxation and the need for chiropractic care, but that is not the only equation.

Causes of Subluxation

Vertebral subluxation is more simply defined as nerve interference; signals sent from the brain, down the spinal cord and out via nerves to the muscles, organs, and glands are being inhibited. When this happens, it is the presence of vertebral subluxation but it is not always the result of a physical stressor There are actually three causes of subluxation: physical, emotional, and chemical.

Physical stresses are the more obvious: a fall or tumble; repetitive stress injuries sustained during sports; and strains or traumas caused by improper lifting, bending, or twisting. These and other physical injuries may result in a vertebral subluxation.

Emotional stressors are a little less obvious but are easily understood. Emotional stress is felt in many ways. For instance, when stressed or scared, the body will tense up and actually create a physical response to the source of the original emotion. Additionally, studies have shown that as an adaptive response to stress, there is a change in the serum level of various hormones. These changes may be required for the fight or flight response. When stressed or afraid, our bodies release various hormones to create a biomechanical response.

The Third Cause

Of the three causes of vertebral subluxation, the most difficult to understand may well be chemical stressors; however, this is made easier when we consider the adaptability of the human body. It is a biomechanical organism made up of many different regulatory systems that when working together properly, will respond to a change in conditions. When this change in conditions (whether external or internal) can’t be modified, it may result in discomfort, illness or even disease.

Since the body is a self-regulating system, it responds to chemicals as it does to foreign invaders: the immune system will respond and attempt to right the chemical balance in the body. Again, this process may create a biomechanical response which can affect the spine and result in nerve interference or vertebral subluxation.

Dietary Sources

The most common source of chemical stressors is the diet. This includes processed sugar, refined carbohydrates, bleached and processed grains and unhealthy fats. Along with preservatives, additives, artificial flavors, colors and sweeteners, and other chemicals in highly processed and packaged food items.

Additional chemicals consumed include caffeine, alcohol, nicotine. Any chemical we put into our body is going to affect our overall health and irritate the optimal function of the nervous system creating nerve interference.

Household Sources

Commonly overlooked sources of chemicals found in our homes include those that we use to clean our homes, our furniture, our clothes and even ourselves. Unless they are specifically marketed to be organic and chemical-free, the majority of household cleaning supplies are sludge made up of chemical compounds, even furniture polish and laundry detergent. Shampoos, conditioners and cosmetics are also known to contain chemicals.

It’s estimated that there are about 80,000 chemicals on the market in the U.S. that have never been tested. In 1976, the Toxic Substances Control Act gave the EPA authority to monitor chemicals, but when the law passed the EPA allowed an estimated 62,000 chemicals to remain on the market without testing; since then only about 200 new chemicals have actually been tested prior to being released to the public. Of that 200, fewer than a dozen have been restricted.

Prescription and Non-Prescription Sources

Another common source is pharmaceuticals and over-the-counter medications. Dana Kolpin, a research hydrologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, has said, “All pharmaceuticals, by design, are meant to elicit a biological response.” There is no medication (prescription or otherwise) that was not designed to have an effect on the body. They are designed to create a response. 

Studies have shown that many of these chemicals are not metabolized by the body and so they pass to the environment through human waste. Rebecca Klaper and colleagues at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee tested Lake Michigan and found evidence of 32 pharmaceuticals and personal products in the water and 30 in the lake’s sediment.

The Chiropractic Response

Clearly, no matter how hard we try, it’s not going to be possible to completely shelter ourselves from all exposure to chemicals. We live in a society that makes that next to impossible. But with education and research we can at least avoid some of the more blatant chemicals. Making dietary changes, researching the best household cleaning supplies, and using the best personal-care products is a start.

The biggest concern must be how exposure to these substances is affecting our health and what to do about it. Regular chiropractic checkups and adjustments will surely be the first step to reversing the vertebral subluxations being caused by these chemical stressors.