Pueblo West Chiropractic Center-David Vik

General information

I am a doctor that focuses on correcting the structural alignment of the body under the influences of gravity. I understand how important that correction is as it has a direct influence on the joints and the nervous system, which controls every function of our body. The spine houses the central nervous system which is the information superhighway between the brain and the body. The basic philosophy behind what I do, gravitational postural alignment, is to determine, and correct, causes of structural misalignment in the spine rather than just treating the symptom, as a symptom is nothing more than the body trying to bring conscious attention to a problem area in the body. Structural symmetry will result in correction of both the cause, and the symptom, even when there may be no apparent connection. Misalignment often causes muscles to compensate elsewhere in an attempt to hold the body upright against gravity. When you are not structurally aligned this changes the origin and insertion of muscles to hold the body upright, thus causing muscle and soft tissue changes to compensate for the body not being symmetrically aligned with gravity. The body is designed to send constant feedback to the brain as to where it is in relationship to the forces being placed upon each joint, from gravity or other levers. Each joint in your body has nerves which send information to the brain (afferent) of how gravity is pulling on the joints and muscles. In return, the brain gives feedback (efferent) to stabilize the body against gravity by adjusting muscular tension and length in order to respond to the structurally altered weight bearing area.
“Nerves that fire together, wire together”
Inherently, three key proprioceptive (balance signals to the brain) areas must have stability in order for the body to maintain a structurally aligned posture; the feet, the sacrum (tail bone), and the occiput (base of the skull). Based upon balance (proprioceptive) input received from these areas to the brain, the body will structurally deform to hold the eyes level with the horizon in an upright weight-bearing position against gravity. Long-standing stimulation of abnormal joint reflexes causes change in spinal cord memory that eventually “burns a groove” in the central nervous system, as the brain and cord are unknowingly saturated, with a constant stream of inappropriate balance/proprioceptive information. Regrettably, the brain comes to rely on this faulty, weight-bearing feedback that determines established posture. The brain simply forgets the proper innate (in-born/natural) alignment.
This upright posture misalignment results from the brain causing the body to keep the eyes level with the horizon. The ongoing compensation patterns, created to keep the body aligned with gravity, will also lead to decreased function, strength and range of motion, as well as improper nerve conduction flow from the brain back and forth to the body. Signs and symptoms of this often manifest in the patient body as: fasciitis, tendonitis, trigger points, inhibited tight muscles, referral pain, decreased coordination, poor balance, decreased reflexes, loss of joint motion, decreased eye hand coordination, headaches, numbness, tingling, muscle weakness, atrophy, joint pain, depression, psychosocial disorders, mood swings, as well as a host of other ailments that affects the body and the organs.
Structural alignment goes hand and hand with muscle length. In order to achieve the maximum potential of a muscle group, it must be equal/symmetrical in length. This allows the muscle to provide equal recruitment and proprioceptive feedback to the brain via the peripheral nervous system (nerves from the body back to the spinal cord). The job of skeletal muscles is to stabilize the joints by changing its tension to accommodate movement or to hold the joint stable in one position. When the joint changes position, the muscle must respond by changing tension. Thus initiating the theory that muscles can be turned on and off depending on joint alignment. If the joint structure is misaligned, muscle tension will remain for joint stability. Or, muscle groups will be inhibited in order to keep the body aligned with gravity. This can cause muscle groups or individual muscles to overwork, or underwork, and tear, form adhesions, tender/trigger points, etc. In order to have maximal muscle balance and strength, the joint structures of the upright body must be equally aligned with gravity.
It is important to note that when the body is out of structural alignment, exercise will produce uneven and uncoordinated muscular activity due to uneven muscle lengths from improper joint positioning, thus producing uneven cartilage erosion and arthritic changes (plastic deformation). Therefore, it is imperative to determine and correct the structural cause, in order to prevent injury and retain optimal function.
Our goal is to create symmetrically equal weight bearing, structural postural alignment. Further consideration is a concern that nerve and innate healing energy is disrupted, as a result of a distorted and dysfunctional weight bearing spine.