One of my greatest joys in practice is when I watch someone whose hope is re-ignited when they “get it” about healing. There are Principles or predictable, reproducible things you can do that will improve your overall health. For example, if you do a bicep curl long enough, your muscle will grow stronger. As you eat better foods, your inflammation will go down. When you receive a Chiropractic Adjustment, your Central Nervous System reboots and runs your body more efficiently. These are examples of Principles or “Laws of the Body” that promote healing.

In this series we are going to talk about the Laws of the Physical Body, the Chemical Body and the Mental/Emotional Body. In this installment, we will explore the Laws of the Physical Body.

The Laws of the Physical Body that promote health can be summed up as “Good Health” which comes from Healthy Movement, Poor Health comes from Unhealthy Movement. The most obvious example of this is Trauma. Various slips, fall and impact collisions can cause some obvious and some not so obvious problems. Clearly, the initial stages of trauma cause pain and inflammation. However, less obvious is what the body does if the effects of trauma aren’t corrected. The body will grow scar tissue. This is the best course of action the body will take in order to try and stabilize an injured area. The problem with scar tissue is that it is tighter, stiffer and more painful than normal tissue. This is why it is best to begin correction of an injury with Chiropractic Adjustments as soon as possible. By restoring proper movement we 1) promote circulation and tissue repair 2) increase joint and muscle range of motion and endurance 3) lessen the firing of pain sensitive nerve endings, thereby reducing pain and preventing the brain from entering the neurological loops that lead to chronic pain.

What most people don’t realize about trauma is that there are very different healing times for different tissues. There are RED tissues and WHITE tissues. Red tissue is muscle. It is red because it is full of blood which carries water, oxygen and nutrients; all of which are essential for quick healing. This is why most uncomplicated muscle injuries heal within 4-6 weeks. White tissues however are white because they do not have blood in them. These are tendons, ligaments, discs and cartilage. These tissues therefore require osmosis and lots of time to “soak up” the necessary oxygen, nutrients and water to heal. This is why it can take 6 months to two years to heal some more complicated injuries.

This is why you should want to administer Chiropractic care, good nutrition and healthy movement as quickly as possible. The goal here is to mobilize quick tissue healing response and minimize scar tissue and neurological dysfunction. Research confirms that the sooner and more active we become after injury, the better and quicker we heal.

So healthy movement on a regular basis promotes immunity, boosts fat and sugar metabolism, balances hormones and gives a general sense of well being. Healthy movement in the form of some aerobic exercise along with some resistance training will keep our bodies functioning effectively. Remember, healthy movement is a principal – if you do it, it will help. Chiropractic care definitely promotes healthy movement by keeping our joints and muscles flexible and our Central Nervous System adapting to the stress of life.

Dr. Sterling Armata

A subluxation in simple terms is a minor misalignment or abnormal movement of a vertebrae which irritates a nerve, which in turn causes the muscles to tights.

Chiropractors correct Spinal Subluxation by an Adjustment, a gentle push on the vertebrae to unlock it. This adjustment helps the bones, muscles and nerves work better to keep you healthy.

Dr. Sterling Armata