Most of us have or have experienced spinal misalignments, or what's referred to as Vertebral Subluxation Complex (VSC), which affects our bodies causing mild to extreme degrees of paralysis. This paralysis may even affect the entire body, depending on the location, position and degree of misalignment.

Brain to Body Communication
The brain is the computer that runs the body through the central nervous system. It signals all of our organs and internal systems to work, giving us the ability to talk, hear, smell, see, move, taste, think and feel.

The brain is mostly contained within the skull. Each minute, the brain sends 13 million electronic signals through the brain stem to trigger all bodily activities such as digestion, assimilation, elimination, circulation, immune system function and cell production.

The spine, which houses the spinal chord, transmits this innate intelligence via the peripheral nervous system from the brain to the 50 to 70 trillion receptor cells in the body. These receptor cells can't function unless they are receiving messages from the brain to tell them what to do. If the cells aren't functioning properly, they create abnormal cells which create abnormal tissues and organs.

Spinal Misalignment
When the spine is not aligned properly, pressure is created on the nerves or spinal chord which prevents the brain from communicating with the rest of the body. This pressure blocks the signals and causes any number of symptoms depending on the location and severity of the pressure on the nerve.

Through gentle spinal alignment, it is possible to remove this pressure from the nerves and restore optimum health to the whole body.

Body and Spine Stress
How does the spine become misaligned or subluxated? The answer is stress. Stress appears in the body in one of three ways: physical, mental and toxic.

Physical Stress
Most of us have physical stress during the birthing process, for example. Additionally, small children learning to walk will fall, on average, 5,000 times. As the toddler begins to grow, there are other physical and playground culprits such as falling from bicycles or out of trees and other playground equipment.

As technology creeps into our growing life, television, computers and cell phones (think of the ear-to-shoulder caller who we've all seen driving down the road) can all cause poor posture. So too, can reading, writing and slumping when we walk, as can excess weight, illness and the frailty that comes with aging.

Toxic Stress
Toxic stress can be caused by poor eating habits as well as environmental toxins, such as exposure to chemicals, repeated use of certain medications and lack of or too much sun. Regarding food, it's important to know which foods are right for your body because everyone has different nutritional needs based on their own unique lifestyles.

Emotional Stress
Of course, the leading cause of spinal misalignment is pure and simple emotional, angst-ridden stress. There are many causes of emotional stress – fear, anger, anxiety and confidence issues, for example.

In short, the best tools for dealing with all types of stress are regular exercise, a healthy diet, proper rest and regular chiropractic adjustments to keep the spine in proper alignment.

Emotional balancing exercises, such as Tai Chi, meditation, reflection and even prayer have all been shown to help diminish stress. Find something that works for you and practice at it.

Chiropractic Care
Regular chiropractic checkups, like brushing and flossing your teeth, are an important part of wellness and preventive care. With proper spinal alignment, the brain stays connected to the body and good health occurs or continues. Additionally, this alignment positively impacts immune system function, ensuring good health.

One medical dictionary defines health as an “optimal state of physical, mental and spiritual well-being, not merely the absence of sickness.”

That is powerful! So keep the pressure off your nerves and spine and enjoy a healthy life!

Joseph Eplett, D.C., is a licensed chiropractor in Indialantic with more than 30 year's experience. Dr. Eplett specializes in the gentle Grostic chiropractic technique. For more information, visit online at www.dreplettforlife.com or call (321) 733-4434.