The chiropractic perspective on health and disease emphasizes four fundamental concepts:
1. The normal state of the body is health, not disease.
2. The brain and nervous system control and coordinate all body functions.
3. The abnormal position and/or movement of the joints of the spine (vertebrae) can adversely influence nerve function as the nerves exit the spine, and thereby how the body functions.
4. If all of the body parts are present and intact, and all interferences to the normal function of them have been removed, the body can heal itself.
Although chiropractic shares much with other health professions, its emphasis on and application of its philosophy distinguishes it from conventional medicine. Chiropractic philosophy gravitates toward a holistic ("total person") approach to health which combines elements of the physical, biochemical and mental/emotional, in partnership with patient participation. It maintains that optimum health depends on knowledge of and adherence to natural laws, and that deviation from such laws can result in illness. The longer the deviation, the more involved the problem(s).
Dorland's Medical Dictionary defines health as "a state of optimum physical, mental and social well-being, not merely the absence of disease and infirmity." ...not merely the absence of disease...
Health has to do with function. Health is not possible without every body part functioning properly and in coordination with its related parts. 100% function results in 100% health. Symptoms are signals that something is wrong, that function is at less than 100%. If every body part were functioning properly in coordination with every other part, one would have health and not have symptoms. Symptoms actually follow malfunction, not the other way around.
So, how does function go wrong?
Gray's Anatomy states that the nervous system (the brain, spinal cord and other nerves) controls and coordinates the function of every cell, tissue and organ of the body. It is the main communication system of the body.
The skull and spinal column house and protect the brain and spinal cord. If the spine is aligned properly, the nerve signals can flow properly. If a section of the spine is misaligned, nerve signals get disrupted or even shut off. This alters communications to the involved area of the body resulting in loss of function in that area, which results in disease symptoms. If not corrected, the passage of time will result in outright disease.
Click on our Interactive 3-D Spine to see some of the different spine-nerve-organ-condition relationships.