Nervous System and Energy System
Chiropractic – Nervous System and Energy System
As chiropractic treatment was developed by D.D. Palmer in 1895, the nervous system was still a mysterious and uninvestigated thing. Initially, D.D. Palmer intended to push malpositioned vertebras back into place. By doing so, he noticed positive effects on parts of the body that were far away, and that his patient’s condition improved generally by this. They felt better and were much more flexible and agile.
Academic medicine could not provide explanations for this, so D.D. Palmer and his son turned to eastern medical systems to find explanations.
Handles on the spine and the joints of the arms and legs have been applied by humans for thousands of years.
Understanding the body in two different ways
The understanding of the body in eastern medicine and philosophy differs fundamentally from the assumptions of the west. It is less based on anatomical observations than it is on the actual experience of the body and the introspective observation of what effects Yoga, meditation, herbs and other practices have on the body, mind and consciousness. The accurate comprehension of which anatomical structures caused these effects is not really necessary.
D.D. Palmer was probably fascinated with yogic teachings on the energy system of the body, which is actually comparable to the energetic nervous system. Thousands of years before western medicine recognized our brain and spinal cord as central structures of our body, yogis had already realized the importance of the energy flow along the spine. They assumed this cord to connect energy centers inside us – the chakras. These energy centers are of great importance for the quality of our being.
D.D. Palmer explained the effects of chiropractics on the immanent energy that every living creature carries in it. As long as this energy can flow freely, health is there. As soon as this flow is broken, illness occurs. There can be blockages, especially along the spine, which hinder the energy flow, which is why chiropractics puts a high emphasis on that point.
The energy system and modern medicine
Now we know that the nervous system is transmitting information through electric signals. Looking at the amount of these signals, which are led through the brain and spine, from the viewpoint of modern medicine, we can very well speak of an energy that is flowing through the spine.
Experienced chiropractors assume that the effects of this method are not only due to the interplay of muscles, nerves and joints.
The deeper effects of chiropractic treatment reflect the synthesis of two medical philosophical systems that are combining holistically in the body.
Chiropractic treatment can thus be acknowledged as a system that is using mechanical work on the body to influence not only its physical structures, but also the energetic system, in a deep way. By doing so, it has long-term and holistic effects on human health.
As it is a load-bearing structure in our body the chiropractic focuses on the spine.