Understanding Subluxations: The Root Cause of Health Interference

If you've ever heard Dr. Lawson mention "subluxation," you might wonder what exactly that means. It's not a term you hear in everyday conversation, but it's central to chiropractic care — and understanding subluxations is key to understanding why the Gonstead approach works so well.

What Is a Subluxation?

A subluxation occurs when a spinal bone shifts out of place, causing harmful stress on the nervous system and impairing the body's function and communication. It's not necessarily a dramatic injury or break — it's often a subtle misalignment that can create significant interference with your body's most important communication system.

When a subluxation happens, it results in the pinching or compressing of the nerves that run through that area. These compressed nerves become inflamed and impede the proper transmission of impulses to the section of the body controlled by those nerves.

Why Your Nervous System Matters

The nervous system is the body's powerhouse and communicator; its job is to control every function of every cell in the body at any given time. Think of it this way: when you move into a cell phone dead zone, your signal drops and communication breaks down. A subluxation does the same thing to your nervous system.

When nerve interference occurs, it doesn't just cause pain. It interferes with your body's ability to function properly — affecting digestion, immunity, mobility, and overall wellness.

The Gonstead Understanding: Where Subluxations Start

Dr. Clarence Gonstead's approach to subluxations differs from other chiropractic methods in an important way. Dr. Gonstead proposed that vertebral misalignment disrupts the Parallel Disc alignment, leading to compression at the nucleus pulposus.

This means subluxations originate at the intervertebral disc level, where inflammatory responses from damaged tissue create the nerve pressure and dysfunction. It's a more complete picture of what's actually going wrong in your spine.

Primary vs. Secondary Subluxations

Here's another crucial insight from Dr. Gonstead: not all subluxations are equally important to correct. The notion of 'primary' versus 'secondary' subluxations, and subluxation versus compensation were largely developed by Dr. Gonstead. For every subluxation there is compensation, and certain subluxations will likely be exerting more influence on the overall bodily health status than others.

This is why a "shotgun" approach to chiropractic — where a practitioner adjusts every segment of the spine — isn't as effective. Dr. Gonstead noted that three adjustments on the wrong vertebral segment could cause a Subluxation; therefore it is extremely important to be as specific as possible.

Dr. Lawson applies this principle at every visit: locate the primary subluxation causing the problem, correct it, and leave everything else alone.

How Dr. Lawson Finds Your Subluxations

At Lawson Family Chiropractic Center, finding subluxations requires precision. Dr. Lawson uses the five components of Gonstead analysis:

• Visualization – Observing your posture, gait, and movement patterns

• Instrumentation – Using the Nervoscope to detect areas of inflammation through bilateral temperature differences

• Static Palpation – Feeling your spine while you're still, checking for tenderness and changes

• Motion Palpation – Feeling your spine as you move, to assess how well each segment functions

• X-Ray Analysis – Full-spine X-rays to see the exact structural alignment and disc positioning (X-Ray not in House)

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When all of these correlate, Dr. Lawson is able to give you a truly specific adjustment. The greater the specificity, the greater the change you'll notice in your health.

How Gonstead Corrects Subluxations

Once a subluxation is located, the Gonstead approach is direct and specific. The focus of the Gonstead adjustment is to be as specific, precise and accurate as possible, addressing only the problem areas. Great care is taken to ensure a bio-mechanically correct position and precise thrust to provide the most accurate and painless adjustment possible.

Dr. Gonstead's philosophy was simple: "Find the subluxation, accept it where you find it, correct it and leave it alone."

Why This Approach Works

Chiropractors address the cause of a condition, and not merely its symptoms, by locating and correcting subluxations. This is the fundamental difference between chiropractic care and many other healthcare approaches. Chiropractic works with the nervous system to recapture the body's optimal function. It is about function, not just about pain relief.

When Dr. Lawson corrects your subluxations, she's removing the interference that's preventing your nervous system from functioning optimally — which allows your body to do what it's designed to do: heal and maintain itself.

Do You Have a Subluxation?

Subluxations don't always hurt. In fact, many people have subluxations without knowing it — they only notice the effects: reduced mobility, chronic pain, digestive issues, or general malaise. That's why a thorough Gonstead analysis is so important. It uncovers subluxations that standard exams might miss.

If you're ready to find out whether subluxations are interfering with your health, Dr. Lawson and the team at Lawson Family Chiropractic Center are here to help.

Lawson Family Chiropractic Center 6760 Thrush Drive, Suite C, Canal Winchester, OH 43110 📞 614-834-4444

Office Hours: Monday, Tuesday, Thursday & Friday, 8:30 AM – 2 PM | Closed Wednesday

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