How Specific Chiropractic Care Can Help

June 8th, 2010

The major nerve controlling the thumb, index, and parts of the middle, and ring finger is called the median nerve. From the tip of your fingers, it travels through the bones in your wrist, past your elbow, up your arm, through your shoulder and neck, and finally to your spinal cord. Problems can develop in one or more of these areas.

The carpal “tunnel” is formed by bones in the wrist. The median nerve, tendons, and blood vessels pass through this opening. If one or more of the bones forming this tunnel should “collapse”, inflammation, nerve pressure, and painful symptoms can result.

The median nerve connects to the spinal cord through openings between several bones in the lower neck. When these spinal bones lose their normal motion or position, they can cause problems in the fingers and wrist.

After a thorough examination, your. chiropractic doctor will perform specific adjustments where needed, to help normalize structure and reduce nerve irritation. When given time, conservative, chiropractic care has produced excellent results with carpal tunnel problems-without drugs or surgery.

Could you benefit from less drugs and surgery in your life? Why not join millions who are enjoying the most popular non-medical health care system in the world-chiropractic!

What Is Chiropractic?

Chiropractic is a system of health care that releases a serious form of stress from your body called the vertebral subluxation complex. This is a condition that can affect your nerves, muscles, internal organs, discs, bones and brain. It is often referred to by chiropractors as a “silent killer” because it is often painless; you may have it in your body for years, all the while damage is being done, and not know it. It is for that reason that we all need to have our spines checked for this condition by a doctor of chiropractic. By keeping people subluxation-free chiropractic has become the largest drugless health care profession in the world!

Neck, Mid-back, Low Back

Your spine is made up of twenty-four vertebrae or spinal bones: seven in your neck (cervical vertebrae), twelve in your mid­ back (thoracic vertebrae) and five in your lower back (lumbar vertebrae).  At the bottom of your spine, under the 5th lumbar vertebra, sits the sacrum, a bony block made up of five fused vertebrae. Under your sacrum is a tiny slip of 3 or 4 fused bones called the coccyx which is what’s left of the human tailbone.

Mid-back (thoracic) Curve

Viewed from the side, your entire spine was curved like a big “c” when you were a fetus and infant. At about 6 weeks of age when you started to hold your head up, your neck curve formed as a reverse “c” and at about 6 months, as you began to crawl and then stand, your low back reverse “c” curve formed. Your thoracic spine however, still retains your original fetal “c” curve. For that reason it’s sometimes referred to as a primary (kyphotic) curve; your neck and low back curves are secondalY (lordotic). But when your spine is unhealthy the mid-back curve can be exaggerated (as in osteoporosis), reduced, flattened or even reversed!

Thoracic Spine Adjustments

Every vertebrae has different joint shapes and a slightly different way of moving into and out of place. Chiropractors use different spinal adjusting techniques to put them back into place to reduce the vertebral subluxation complex. The thoracic vertebrae move less than the neck and lower back vertebrae since they are attached to the ribs and special adjusting techniques or “moves” have been designed especially for this area.

To make things more complicated, when a thoracic vertebra subluxates the ribs are also involved. Some chiropractors adjust the ribs directly while others place minor importance on the rib “subluxation” claiming that when the vertebrae are properly adjusted the ribs will then automatically re-align. Why not ask your chiropractor how he/she addresses this condition?

Your Ribs

Each of your 12 thoracic vertebrae has two ribs attached to it-one on each side making 24 ribs in all.

Men and women have the same number (except perhaps for Adam). On· rare occasions a person will be born with 10 or 11 ribs on each side.  Most of your ribs connect to your sternum or “breastbone” in front, but the two lowest ribs, attached to the 11th and 12th thoracic vertebrae, are not attached to any bone in front-they “float.”

Sympathetic Nerves

Nerves come from all parts of the spine but a special group of nerves–the sympathetic nerves–exit from between the thoracic vertebrae. These nerves help regulate your: heart rate, breathing, digestion, body temperature, blood pressure, digestion and blood supply to your heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines, stomach, bowels, sexual organs, liver, spleen, pancreas, glands–even your eyes, ears and brain! These sympathetic nerves form nerve chains (called the sympathetic chain, of course).  Uninterrupted communication between your sympathetic nerves and your internal organs is essential for your resistance to disease, body function and overall health.

Spinal Degeneration

The sympathetic nerves also play a part in spinal degeneration. If they’re stressed they can cause unnatural aging or wear-and-tear of your vertebrae, discs, cartilage, tendons and ligaments.

Mid-Back Subluxations

Unnatural movement or locking of your thoracic vertebrae and it’s related tissues can restrict the movement of your heart, lungs and other organs in your chest cavity and also prevent the proper draining of fluids from your head, brain, throat, heart and lungs which may cause congestion of body fluids and affect the proper flow of blood to these organs. Also, the vertebral subluxation complex can irritate the nerves coming from your spine to your sympathetic chain, affecting the blood supply and proper function of your internal organs. Because unhealthy spinal function in the thoracic area can affect so many organs, when your chiropractor releases pressure in this area the benefits can be both physically and psychologically profound.  Are you living with the vertebral subluxation complex or spinal stress ill this area of your spine? Ask your doctor of chiropractic.

The major nerve controlling the thumb, index, and parts of the middle, and ring finger is called the median nerve. From the tip of your fingers, it travels through the bones in your wrist, past your elbow, up your arm, through your shoulder and neck, and finally to your spinal cord. Problems can develop in one or more of these areas.
The carpal “tunnel” is formed by bones in the wrist. The median nerve, tendons, and blood vessels pass through this opening. If one or more of the bones forming this tunnel should “collapse”, inflammation, nerve pressure, and painful symptoms can result.
The median nerve connects to the spinal cord through openings between several bones in the lower neck. When these spinal bones lose their normal motion or position, they can cause problems in the fingers and wrist.
After a thorough examination, your. chiropractic doctor will perform specific adjustments where
needed, to help normalize structure and reduce nerve irritation. When given time, conservative,
chiropractic care has produced excellent results with carpal tunnel problems-without drugs
or surgery.
Could you benefit from less drugs and surgery in your life? Why not join millions who are enjoying the most popular non-medical health care system in the world-chiropractic!
What Is Chiropractic?
Chiropractic is a system of health care that releases a serious form of stress from your body called the vertebral subluxation complex. This is a condition that can affect your nerves, muscles, internal organs, discs, bones and brain. It is often referred to by chiropractors as a “silent killer” because it is often painless; you may have it in your body for years, all the while damage is being done, and not know it. It is for that reason that we all need to have our spines checked for this condition by a
doctor of chiropractic. By keeping people subluxation-free chiropractic has become the largest drugless health care profession in the world!
Neck, Mid-back, Low Back
Your spine is made up of twenty-four vertebrae or spinal bones: seven in your neck (cervical vertebrae), twelve in your mid­ back (thoracic vertebrae) and five in your lower back (lumbar
vertebrae).  At the bottom of your spine, under the 5th lumbar vertebra, sits the sacrum, a bony block made up of five fused vertebrae. Under your sacrum is a tiny slip of 3 or 4 fused bones
called the coccyx which is what’s left of the human tailbone.
Mid-back (thoracic) Curve
Viewed from the side, your entire spine was curved like a big “c” when you were a fetus and infant. At about 6 weeks of age when you started to hold your head up, your neck curve formed as a reverse “c” and at about 6 months, as you began to crawl and then stand, your low back reverse “c” curve formed. Your thoracic spine however, still retains your original fetal “c” curve. For that reason it’s sometimes referred to as a primary (kyphotic) curve; your neck and low back curves are secondalY (lordotic). But when your spine is unhealthy the mid-back curve can be exaggerated (as in osteoporosis), reduced, flattened or even reversed!
Thoracic Spine Adjustments
Every vertebrae has different joint shapes and a slightly different way of moving into and out of place. Chiropractors use different spinal adjusting techniques to put them back into place to reduce the vertebral subluxation complex. The thoracic vertebrae move less than the neck and lower back vertebrae since they are attached to the ribs and special adjusting techniques or “moves” have been
designed especially for this area.
To make things more complicated, when a thoracic vertebra subluxates the ribs are also involved. Some chiropractors adjust the ribs directly while others place minor importance on the rib “subluxation” claiming that when the vertebrae are properly adjusted the ribs will then automatically re-align. Why not ask your chiropractor how he/she addresses this condition?
Your Ribs
Each of your 12 thoracic vertebrae has two ribs attached to it-one on each side making 24 ribs in all.
Men and women have the same number (except perhaps for Adam). On· rare occasions a person will be born with 10 or 11 ribs on each side.  Most of your ribs connect to your sternum or “breastbone” in front, but the two lowest ribs, attached to the 11th and 12th thoracic vertebrae, are not
attached to any bone in front-they “float.”
Sympathetic Nerves
Nerves come from all parts of the spine but a special group of nerves–the sympathetic nerves–exit from between the thoracic vertebrae. These nerves help regulate your: heart rate, breathing, digestion, body temperature, blood pressure, digestion and blood supply to your heart, lungs, kidneys, intestines, stomach, bowels, sexual organs, liver, spleen, pancreas, glands–even your eyes, ears and brain! These sympathetic nerves form nerve chains (called the sympathetic chain, of course).  Uninterrupted communication between your sympathetic nerves and your internal organs is essential for your resistance to disease, body function and overall health.
Spinal Degeneration
The sympathetic nerves also play a part in spinal degeneration. If they’re stressed they can cause unnatural aging or wear-and-tear of your vertebrae, discs, cartilage, tendons and ligaments.
Mid-Back Subluxations
Unnatural movement or locking of your thoracic vertebrae and it’s related tissues can restrict the movement of your heart, lungs and other organs in your chest cavity and also prevent the proper draining of fluids from your head, brain, throat, heart and lungs which may cause congestion of body fluids and affect the proper flow of blood to these organs. Also, the vertebral subluxation complex can irritate the nerves coming from your spine to your sympathetic chain, affecting the blood supply and proper function of your internal organs. Because unhealthy spinal function in the thoracic area can affect so many organs, when your chiropractor releases pressure in this area the benefits can be both physically and psychologically profound.  Are you living with the vertebral subluxation complex or spinal stress ill this area of your spine? Ask your doctor of chiropractic.
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