Structural
instability is defined as the point when a building or other
construction becomes affected by things that can potentially unsettle
them. Although tactics designed to induce fear are far too commonly
utilized in healthcare today to influence patient behavior, it would be
fair to, in acknowledging that the human body is similar to a building
or other construction, use fear as a tool for emphasis at least of the
following fact, which goes almost completely undiscussed in modern
traditional physician offices: if your body is structurally unstable, it
will break down and exhibit the myriad symptoms thereof, and it will
contribute greatly to your health's demise.
The
good news is, scary as the physically unstable proposition and its
associated pain, degeneration, and progressive immobility may be, the
human body is more than capable of re-adapting into a structurally
stable state. Granted, such a proclamation goes against the common way
of thinking of the body as destined to fall into indefinite despair
without the possibility of optimal recovery, so it is important to gain
an understanding both for the origins of structural instability and for
how regaining stability is achieved.
Fundamentally,
the body is built from the top-down, rather than ground-up, making the
relationship between the head and the upper neck the foundation of
structural stability (the first bony structures formed during in-uterine
development are the skull and the top two vertebrae in the spinal
column, to protect the brain and brainstem respectively). The head sits
atop the first cervical vertebra, so if the head and the top bone in
the neck are not critically balanced, the head is taken off of its level
position, starting a chain reaction that causes the rest of the body,
from head-to-toe, to shift as well.
Injuries,
especially at an earlier age long before the body fully develops
physically, are typically the source of the shifted foundation. Indeed,
the repeated micro-head-traumas while learning to walk, falling off
bikes, concussions, and the like that may not have even prompted an
emergency doctor visit can be quite clinically relevant in the big
picture; by a 500:1 ratio, the vast majority of traumas occur between
the ages of 0 and 10 by comparison to the rest of our lives combined.
Like
any other structure, the body is inherently dependent on the integrity
of the foundation, so a foundational misalignment changes everything.
Widespread adaptation, which forces the other spinal vertebrae, the
shoulders, the hips, and the legs out of their normal positions, alters
the way that the muscles move the bones; some muscles are forced to work
harder than others as a result, and as the physical domino effect
continues, range of motion decreases, ultimately leading to the joints
becoming comparatively stuck from a lack of consistently fluid movement
and pressure subsequently building between those joints.
This
first phase of instability, if you will, segues seamlessly into the
next unless the foundation is fixed. Each human body is born with a
structural support system to bear the weight on its frame. The primary
structural supports consist of the spinal (banana-shaped) curves in the
neck, upper back, and lower back and the discs in between the spinal
vertebrae. When foundational alignment is lost and the entire body
compensates, the curve in the neck is lost as a result. Once the curve
in the neck is lost, the curve in the lower back frequently follows
suit, and then the curve in the upper/mid back changes. The changes in
the curves force the discs in between the vertebrae to bear more weight,
often unevenly due to the other physical adaptations previously
mentioned; and it is this repercussion – not age – that is the primary
cause of discs breaking down and greater susceptibility to disc
bulges, herniations, or ruptures; another potential by-product is a
closing down of spinal nerve canals (stenosis).
Heavy
consumption of alcohol, school or work stress, over-use of medications,
the death of a loved one, an abundance of negativity, and other types
of chemical and emotional trauma become more likely to further unsettle
the body, amplifying the instability, as the above-described more
advanced phases of structural compensation occur.
The
bottom line is that, just as driving your car with the front end out of
alignment causes premature tire wear, long term body imbalance causes
your body to age faster. Accelerated aging, commonly known as
degenerative disc/joint disease or osteoarthritis, is a long and arduous
process, more so for some than for others. When the foundation of a
home shifts, the development of cracks in the walls, windows, and roof
are to be expected, if not sooner than later, then eventually without
question. Comparably, the signs of the human body breaking down
following a foundational shift often include, at variable times
post-shift, headaches, acute and chronic pain throughout the body,
vertigo, numbness, andtingling, etc.; bear in mind that, given how
intelligent the human body is, consistent symptoms may not show up until
a more recent trauma occurs. The longer that the fundamental problem
exists, then the greater the effects to be expected.
A
foundational misalignment can be proactively identified down to the
nearest millimeter and degree by Upper Cervical Chiropractors so as to
avoid instability and its proliferation into later stages that carry
with them damages of an irreversible nature; still, even the most
unstable situation can reach at least relative stability once the
foundation is fixed. The human body is the most dynamic structural
system in existence, and through correcting the foundation and other
complimentary measures, it can heal, slow to outright halt accelerated
aging, and return the body to its optimal state.
Thinking good things for you, as always,
-Dr. Chad
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