How and Why Does Chiropractic Work?

The Chiro.Org Blog


SOURCE:   A Chiro.Org Editorial


There is no more hotly debated topic in our profession than the huge variety of answers to the question:

What is the Vertebral Subluxation Complex” (or VSC)?   However, this is not the place to debate philosophy.

All of us have observed significant improvements in patient’s health when we adjust them. So, what are we to conclude when a patient, who has been diagnosed with asthma, and has been using steroid inhalants, suddenly does not need to use their meds any more? Did chiropractic *cure* asthma?   NO!   The reality is that the patient never had asthma to begin with!

Medical diagnosis is based upon the same concept as playing that old TV game show “Name That Tune!”.   If the patient presents with reduced inspiration or expiration, wheezing (a whistling sound when you breathe), chest tightness, shortness of breath, and coughing, then the answer is? Asthma!

Well, let’s think about this from a chiropractic standpoint. The smooth muscles in the lung are controlled by the nervous system. If a subluxation causes those muscles to contract, then inspiration and expiration is reduced. This leads to congestion in the lung because it’s more difficult to cough. The rest of the symptoms naturally evolve from there.

If any of this sounds remotely interesting to you, then you want to read Dale Nansel, Ph.D’s fascinating article:
Somatic Dysfunction and the Phenomenon of Visceral Disease Simulation as it dissects the older theories of subluxation and then discusses the the most current neurologic theories that explain WHY chiropractic gets such remarkable results.

Enjoy!