Chiropractic is a series of medical activities that treat curvatures, degenerations and other spine ailments. Chiropractic, manual therapy, osteopathy and chiropractic are different definitions of an identical treatment method. The Chiropractic History And Function Of The Spine are discussed in this article.
It is based on the thesis that a significant part of the diseases we struggle with results from the displacement of the vertebrae of the spine. Chiropractors unanimously emphasize that after restoring them to their proper position, our body will feel relief and the discomfort will disappear.
Probably everyone has heard the famous “don’t slouch” at least once in their life. However, they usually find out about the need to take care of the spine when its pain begins to bother us. The human spine is not only a kind of “scaffolding” supporting our entire body. It is primarily a vertebral tunnel with the spinal cord inside.
An adult’s spine consists of 33-34 vertebrae, which, stacked on top of each other, form a movable axis for the head and torso. The spine lies on the dorsal side of the body. The vertebrae that build it limit the spinal canal in which the spinal cord runs.
Human Spine Function
The human spine actually has three basic functions:
- protective (especially for the delicate structures of the spinal cord which is located in the spinal canal),
- supporting – by carrying the entire upper part of the human body,
- the function of movement that takes place between individual segments of the movement (excluding the immobile sacrum)
When it comes to the biomechanics of the spine itself, the intervertebral discs play a special role. These discs consist of a pressure-resistant outer part (fibrous ring) and a hydrated middle part (nucleus pulposus).
The nucleus acts as a “water cushion”, absorbing momentary pressures acting in the axis of the load. The most important tasks of the pulmonary nucleus are:
- adaptation and equal distribution of external pressure on the fibre ring and covering plates,
- shock absorption,
- fulfilling the function of a ball bearing in the movements of the spine.
Chiropractic History
In fact, on Chiropractic History it is not clear how many centuries ago and where exactly chiropractic began to develop. There are records that already in ancient China massage was used in the treatment of various diseases, other documents claim that also Hippocrates knew this healing method and considered changes in the position of individual vertebrae in relation to each other as a direct cause of many diseases.
It is an indisputable fact that in the past, chiropractic was the most popular in the countryside. People who dabbled with him were often considered a kind of miracle worker, often enjoying local fame. An exact, detailed description of 148 cases in which human suffering was related to spinal injuries or hypersensitivity to the spine, was described by two Americans in 1834.
This is the oldest credible description of chiropractic practice that has survived. In modern times, the ancient knowledge of chiropractors and quacks has been thoroughly verified, mainly from a medical point of view, and is used as a recognized part of the medical activity under the name of chiropractic or manual therapy. This name has its roots in the composition of two words from the Greek language: “chiro”(ie hand) and “practicors” (ie made).
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