Key Principles

The Causes of Illness

Chiropractic tradition holds that much of illness occurs as a result of disturbances in the nervous system. Such disturbances are caused by derangements of the musculoskeletal structure. These disturbances may cause or aggravate disease in various parts or functions of the body. 

Subluxations occur as a normal part of living in any culture. Our bodies were not designed to sit for long periods of time. The modern sedentary lifestyle consisting of little exercise and long periods of sitting, either at desks, in cars, or at home, puts an unnatural strain on the spine and contributes to subluxations. The spine does not receive the degree of daily movement with which it evolved. Modern lifestyles often impede a normal, healthful degree of flexibility . 

Many chiropractors also hold that health is further compromised by other aspects of lifestyle, such as inadequate nutrition, pollution and chronic stress. All these factors together create a situation in which the flow of vital force through the nervous system is impaired at a time when it is needed to be at its optimum. This results in the variety of chronic and degenerative illnesses we face today. 

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