The Body is Structural in Nature

~~In the last article we identified the 4 Pillars of Health as outlined in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). 

They were briefly described as 1) Structure, which involves the human frame, and all the muscles, ligaments, joints, and tendons that hold the body together.  2) Electrical, which is the Meridian system and the nerves that conduct energy to make muscles, organs, and glands work.  3) Chemical, which is the process of digesting and converting food, fluids, and other substances into the basic elements of life and distributing them to the body.  4) The complex of Mind/Body/Spirit. 

Today we will focus on the Structure of the Body.  The human body is made up of 206 bones, and over 600 muscle groups, and held together by a vast array of connective tissue including the tendons (connect muscle to bone) and ligaments (connect bone to bone) and the fascial layer (covers the muscles and holds the organs together).  Normal structure is essential for the proper function of the joints and mechanics of the human body.  When structure breaks down, function is lost, which may be loss of movement of a joint, or pain. 

There is a principle in Physical Medicine that says that if a joint works properly, there should be not pain.  So, if there is pain present, and limited motion of the joint, you should strive to improve the function and motion of the joint which will in turn get rid of the pain.  

A Structural problem needs a Physical correction.  Pain pills (chemicals) are largely ineffective at helping with joint pain because they do nothing to address the cause of the problem.  Pills may cover up pain for a while, but if the problem is still there the pain will keep coming back until the underlying condition is dealt with. 

Chiropractic is the treatment of choice for the evaluation and treatment of structural problems. In many cases, the patient heals completely simply by correcting the imbalance that has caused the problem. 

The spine is made up of 24 freely movable vertebrae, and Chiropractors are specialists in analyzing functional problems in the spine, and correcting them to normalize motion, and thereby reducing pain and dysfunction.  Shoulder and Hips, Elbows and Knees, Wrists and Ankles also depend upon proper structure for normal function, and can all be addressed by modern Chiropractic techniques.