Benefits of a Healthy Spine

Maintaining a healthy spine through regular chiropractic care is essential for overall well-being, healing, mobility and body function.

Are there any warning signs that someone might not have a healthy spine?

Dr. Scott Gardner: There definitely can be. We always recommend getting a regular chiropractic checkup or screening, just like you would for your teeth. So, there’s really only one way to know for sure if the spine is healthy, and that’s to have it evaluated. But there can be some warning signs as well. Things like pain, numbness or tingling, whether hands are falling asleep or feet are falling asleep, chronic stiffness, headaches, and definitely poor posture.

How does spinal health influence mobility and flexibility?

Dr. Scott Gardner: Spinal health is vital for maintaining proper mobility since it provides the foundation for ideal posture, flexibility and movement, which can affect daily activities as simple as walking and bending, things that maybe we are taking for granted.

How does the health of the spine affect other systems in the body?

Dr. Scott Gardner: So, the spinal column protects the nervous system, and we know the nervous system is the master control system of the body, meaning that every cell, tissue and organ in the body are controlled by the nervous system. So, if the connection from the brain to the body is not clear, the body cannot function at its optimal level. But when we remove the interference by making sure that the spine is aligned properly, it will lead to optimal health and healing for the individual.

What is involved during a first visit to the chiropractor for a new patient trying to determine if their spine is healthy?

Dr. Scott Gardner: The first visit consists of what we call a pre-consultation, so that’s where we do a visual posture evaluation, kind of like a baseline check to see what the person’s posture is like and how potentially it’s compensating for something that’s going on inside of the individual. Once we do that, we then have them lie down and we check the spine for alignment, but we’re also checking for muscle tone, and we’re checking for heat, which can indicate inflammation.

Once those two tests are complete, if either one of them show us positive findings, and there’s a chance that subluxation or misaligned vertebrae are at the root of the person’s problem, at that point we would want to complete the evaluation by doing computerized posture evaluation, and also digital x-rays.

Once we gather all the information and take a thorough history, then we can give the person feedback on exactly what the problem is, the severity of it, so how long it would take to fix, how often they would need to come in, and what their responsibility would be.

Can chiropractic care help prevent long-term issues, such as arthritis, by keeping the spine healthy?

Dr. Scott Gardner: So, after the age of about 20, there’s no longer a direct blood flow to the cartilage in the body. The way the nutrients get into the cartilage is through motion. Chiropractic care helps to prevent degenerative arthritis in the spine by maintaining the normal motion within those joints. This allows the nutrients to be pushed or forced into the disc or the cartilage, and that’s going to help to keep the disc healthy.