If I keep physically fit, can I expect to be subluxated less?

We need to expound on the question before we can answer it.

What does it mean to be subluxated?

A vertebral subluxation is “the condition of a vertebra that has lost its proper juxtaposition with the one above, or the one below, or both; to an extent less than a luxation; and which impinges nerves and interferes with the transmission of mental impulses.”

To simplify, a vertebral subluxation is a misaligned spine that creates structural and functional disruptions in the body. A vertebral subluxation compromises the integrity of the body. To be subluxated means your health potential is lessened.

What causes a subluxation?

A subluxation is caused by a failure of the body to adapt to stress or a combination of stresses. The stresses are an unlimited combination of three general types: physical, chemical and emotional.

Physical stress could be the result of a fall down some stairs, an abnormal twisting of the neck or traumatic birth.

Chemical stress can come from pesticide-laced food, smoke in the air that we breathe in, or contaminated water.

Emotional stress can come from a bad day at work, a fight with your spouse, the loss of a loved one, or being around a group of people you feel uncomfortable with.

One specific job of the brainstem found within the upper cervical spine is to adapt to these stresses and help bring the rest of the spine back into balance. If the stresses are too great for the brainstem to adapt, compensations arise. One compensation that occurs in the upper cervical spine is a vertebral subluxation.

What does it mean to be ‘fit’?

Fit in a sense means you “adapt properly” to the situation at hand. The more physically fit you are, the better you can adapt to physical stress. The better you can adapt to physical stress, the less you need to compensate for physical stress. The less you compensate, the less likely you are to produce a vertebral subluxation.

The more chemically fit you are, the better you can adapt to chemical stress. The better you can adapt to chemical stress, the less you need to compensate for chemical stress. The less you compensate, the less likely you are to produce a vertebral subluxation.

The more emotionally fit you are, the better you can adapt to emotional stress. The better you can adapt to emotional stress, the less you need to compensate for emotional stress. The less you compensate, the less likely you are to produce a vertebral subluxation.

Can you expect to be subluxated less if you are physically fit? Yes, but only if you keep yourself chemically and emotionally fit as well.

But very few of us are completely fit in all three stress categories. We all carry not just emotional baggage but physical and chemical baggage as well. This is not to say we are doomed by stress. We can get stronger and more fit in all aspects of stress. Chiropractic wants to aid you in this by reaching a higher plane of functionality. Reducing the compensations that negatively effect your health can improve your adaptability.

It is great to be as physically fit as possible. But health is more than physical fitness. Health is a state of complete physical, chemical and emotional wellness. Health involves the whole being. This is why a holistic approach to health is imperative. You need to be fit in all aspects of health in order to be well.

- Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP

Jarek Esarco, DC, CACCP is a pediatric, family wellness and upper cervical specific Chiropractor. He is an active member of the International Chiropractic Pediatric Association (ICPA). Dr. Jarek has postgraduate certification in Pediatric Chiropractic through the ICPA. Dr. Jarek also has postgraduate certification in the HIO Specific Brain Stem technique through The TIC Institute. Dr. Jarek is happily married to his wife Regina. They live in Youngstown, Ohio with their daughter Ruby.