Of course subluxations are always bad! However, from time to time someone comes up with the idea that perhaps the innate intelligence of the body creates a subluxation as an adaptative process. It seems that the issue comes up enough that we may have to start defining a vertebral subluxation a little differently. We may have to add that a vertebral subluxation is not only a bone that has lost its proper juxtaposition and is interfering with the nerve system, but that the bone is no longer under the control of the innate intelligence of the body. Bones are constantly moving as we move, they may be moving within the normal range of motion or they may even be subluxating, but the innate intelligence has the ability to restore that bone to its proper juxtaposition. It is first important to know that innate intelligence moves the bone. Even though it is an educated function, it is still dependent upon the action of the intelligence in the muscles. If that vertebra is going to have detrimental effects upon the overall function of the body, the innate intelligence will move other bones to line up the neural canal and the intervertebral foramina to compensate. We have all seen people with tremendous curvatures that are adaptations of the body. The innate intelligence can move a bone without having it interfere with the nerve system. A subluxation only occurs when the bone is moved out of position because an external invasive force has overcome the innate intelligence’s internal resistive forces. Innate intelligence does not create external invasive forces. External invasive forces are universal forces and tend to be destructive toward structural matter. Actually innate intelligence’s purpose is to adapt universal forces for use in the body. So right away the idea that innate intelligence creates a subluxation conflicts with the traditional Palmer philosophy.
I must admit that there is a part of the traditional Palmer philosophy that could be interpreted as an innately created subluxation. In his HIO years, B.J. maintained that only the Atlas-Axis vertebrae subluxated and any misalignment below that was a compensation and would be corrected once the Atlas or Axis was adjusted. B.J. never expounded upon this concept and his description was somewhat confusing in my opinion. He said that the vertebrae were not subluxated although they seemed to meet the criteria for a subluxation (misalignment, loss of juxtaposition, interference with mental impulses). The reason they were not subluxations from my understanding of his writings was because only the Atlas or Axis could subluxate. That seems to me to be circular reasoning. Still, that is not the same as the innate intelligence creating subluxations. Those who maintain this idea are suggesting that the body may create subluxations to help it adapt the organism. An example they use is that the innate intelligence will subluxate a vertebra to shut off the mental impulses to some part of the body (for some specific purpose). For example, the innate intelligence can cut off the blood supply to the extremities to preserve the core temperature. However, this reasoning is faulty because the innate intelligence does not need to create a subluxation to cut off the nerve supply to accomplish something else. It would just do the something else, in this case maybe constrict blood vessels or lower blood pressure. If I want to stop verbal communication with someone, I just stop talking. I don’t have to cut my throat to do it. The innate intelligence of the body may sacrifice one part of the body to preserve the whole but the last thing it would do would be to purposefully interfere with the communication system. That would not aid the process. In fact, it would probably be detrimental to it and innate intelligence would not do anything to harm the tissue in which it resides and vertebral subluxations are harmful.
Still, some give the argument that the innate intelligence learns from the experience of a subluxation and hence the body is better for it. This is a false assumption based upon an incorrect idea of the innate intelligence of the body. The innate intelligence does not have to learn anything. That would be like suggesting that God’s knowledge is increasing every day. What does take time is for the matter of the body to “get with the program.” The innate intelligence can adapt the body right away but for the organ or tissue to respond to that need takes time. It is always a limitation of matter, never a limitation of the innate intelligence.
There are other interesting aspects of this issue some of which are addressed in an essay by Jason Meyerson, DC. It is on the Foundation’s web page at http://p4.hostingprod.com/@f-a-c-e.com/are_subluxations_always_bad.htm. Please read it and while you are at it enjoy some of the sites other articles and essays. V24n4