“Subluxation” is a clinical term that just means “displacement of a joint.” Chiropractors recognize subluxation as a condition that frequently affects joints, especially in the spine and neck and the extremities, like the joints of our arms and legs. You may have a subluxation that can be treated with chiropractic care if you are experiencing these symptoms:
Painful Joints
The main reason most people go to a chiropractor for pain relief. When a joint is affected by a subluxation, it may be sore or painful. You may be experiencing pain, especially when first getting up in the morning or after you’ve been sitting for awhile. This is different from the kind of soreness you might experience after a workout. Rest doesn’t seem to help, and may even seem to make it worse.
While pain or soreness in movement is the most common symptom, in some cases a subluxation may
make a joint or other parts of your body sore to the touch.
Stiff Joints
Stiffness in joints is often closely associated with joint pain. Difficulty moving a joint through its normal range of motion, or even a feeling that a joint is “frozen” and can’t move through the range of motion you used to have, are signs you may have a subluxation.
Weakness in Limbs or Joints
Because subluxation of vertebra or other joints often involves restricted blood flow or nerve function, you may also experience weakness in affected limbs. You may feel that you don’t have the strength in a limb you once did, or you may find that a limb isn’t responding to a load the way it once did.
Muscle Spasms
Muscle spasm, whether experienced as severe cramps or simply a feeling of tension in a muscle that won’t go away, can also be a sign of subluxations. Chiropractic care can help by treating both the subluxation and with treatments designed to release muscle tension.
Swelling
Because subluxations may interfere with the normal flow of blood in a given part of your body, you may find that you have swelling in your limbs or around certain joints. This is another sign you may have a subluxation that could benefit from chiropractic care.
Regardless of your exact symptoms, manipulation of your spine and joints, along with other chiropractic treatments, can help relieve the pain and weakness caused by subluxations. Schedule a visit and see what chiropractic care can do to get you on the road to better health.