08/08/2024
We look for spinal “cavities” in our office
A topic of conversation that often re-occurs in our practice is why we take the time to check patients’ spines with a temperature instrument (scope) on at each visit. The reason being, it’s important for us to know why we’re adjusting what we’re adjusting. We’re looking for abnormal heat spikes along the spine which tell us where a nerve is being pinched by a misaligned vertebra. Interestingly, it’s common for us to find abnormal heat spikes that require adjustments at places patients do not hurt, and it’s important to understand why.
Your spine is remarkably designed to withstand stress, protect your spinal cord and still retain your mobility. Twenty-four spinal segments called vertebra are linked together in an intricate way, forcing one segment to rely on the segments above it and below it to move in unison. One bone that misaligns and loses its symmetrical motion will have a ripple effect across the whole spine. Over time inflammation will build up around this bone, and this process will start to harm the nerve and disc. The problem is that you will not feel this harmful process until it has damaged the spinal joint enough to where the pain receptors in the nerve and joint are activated. The process can go on for months or years before the pain starts.
So, the analogy is to that of the dentist that finds cavities in teeth that do not hurt. Do you wait until these cavities hurt before you take care of them, or do you nip it in the bud and save the tooth? The same applies to your spine; save the joint and nerve before the process goes on too far.
You can think of the scope that we use as a "cavity" finder for your spine. These spots that we find may not hurt but are a big deal to the overall health of your spine, therefore reasoning that it's a great
idea to get checked on a regular basis even if you are not in pain.