Stacked on top of one another in the spine are more than 30 bones, the vertebrae, which together form the spine.  All the nerves in the body connect to the spinal cord and pass through the narrow channel in the center of the spine.

Numerous conditions are caused by the misalignment of the spine as each vertebrae affects different parts of the body and body functions based on the segment of the spinal cord which passes through it.

The spinal cord is divided into segments similar to the corresponding vertebrae: cervical, thoracic, lumbar, sacral, and coccygeal.  The cord also has nerve roots and rootlets which form branch-like appendages.  Along the dorsal root are the cells of the dorsal root ganglia, which are critical in the transmission of “pain” messages from the cord to the brain.  Here is where injury, damage, and trauma become pain.

The loss of structural integrity from the misaligned spine results in distress in the nervous system and may be affecting the brain, the brain stem, spinal cord, and/or the peripheral nervous system.

Between the vertebrae are round, spongy pads of cartilage called discs that act like shock absorbers.  In many cases, degeneration or pressure from overexertion can cause a disc to shift or protrude and bulge, causing pressure on a nerve and resultant pain.  When this happens, the condition is called a slipped, bulging, herniated, or ruptured disc and it sometimes results in permanent damage.