How the spine protects your nerves, why nervous system function matters, and how we use testing to guide care
Ask most people what a chiropractor does and you'll probably hear something about cracking backs or putting bones back into place. I understand why, but that's only a small part of how I approach chiropractic care.
I think of the bones of your spine as protective armour for your nerves. Those nerves carry messages between your brain and the rest of your body, including your muscles, organs and sensory systems. When a nerve is irritated or under pressure, it may affect how well those messages travel.
A neuro-based approach looks beyond the bones and joints themselves. We want to understand how the spine and nervous system are functioning together, and whether there are problems that may be affecting communication between the brain and the rest of the body. The goal is to help improve function, not simply address where something hurts.
It often starts with pain, but it doesn't end there
Many people first come to see me because they're in pain. That's understandable. Pain is hard to ignore, and it often motivates people to look for help. But once patients understand how the nerves, muscles and joints work together, they often start thinking about more than pain relief. They want to function better, too.
Some patients tell us they've noticed improvements in things like fatigue, headaches or sleep as they've progressed through care. Everyone is different, and those experiences aren't the same for every person. But they illustrate why I look beyond pain alone when assessing someone's health and function.
Why I test rather than guess
One thing I've learned over 25 years in practice is that pain doesn't always tell the whole story. The amount of pain someone experiences isn't necessarily a reliable measure of what's happening with their spine, muscles or nervous system. That's why I use objective testing as part of the assessment process. At our clinic, we use three main tools:
- Surface EMG: This measures electrical activity in the muscles along your spine, helping us assess patterns of muscle activity and tension.
- Thermography: This measures temperature patterns across the skin. We use it to look for differences that may be associated with changes in nervous system function.
- X-rays: These allow us to examine the structure of the spine, including the position of the vertebrae and signs of structural changes.
Each tool gives us a different piece of information. We consider the results alongside your health history, symptoms, and physical examination to build a clearer picture of what's happening.
Five areas we look at
When assessing spinal and nervous system function, I look at five related areas. They help us consider how the spine, nerves and surrounding tissues may be working together.
- Spinal movement and alignment: Are the vertebrae moving normally, or are there restrictions in movement or changes in their alignment?
- Nerve function: Could irritation or pressure around the spinal nerves be affecting how nerve signals are transmitted?
- Muscle function: Are the muscles along the spine overly tight, weak, in spasm or otherwise not functioning as they should?
- Soft-tissue health: Are there signs of inflammation, swelling or other changes involving the muscles, nerves, discs and supporting tissues?
- Long-term structural changes: Are there signs of wear and tear, joint degeneration or bone spurs that may be affecting spinal function?
These areas don't exist in isolation. A problem involving spinal movement, for example, may also affect the surrounding muscles and tissues. Looking at them together helps us understand the bigger picture.
When your scans help tell your story
Something I hear from patients is that their scans seem to tell their story. That's important, particularly for people who have been dealing with symptoms that aren't obvious to others.
You might have family members, friends or colleagues who see you struggling but can't understand why. They don't necessarily see a physical problem, and you may have difficulty explaining what you're experiencing yourself.
When patients can see the results of their assessments and discuss what they mean, they often feel validated. It helps them understand that their symptoms deserve attention and gives us a starting point for discussing what may be contributing to the problem and what we can do about it.
How testing helps shape and guide your care
Testing isn't something we do just once at the beginning. We use it throughout the care process to monitor changes and compare results over time. That helps us identify what's improving, what may need more attention, and whether we're making the progress we'd expect. The objective is to improve your function, and having measurable information helps guide those decisions.
Of course, life happens. Someone might be doing well and then spend a weekend raking leaves or shovelling snow, only to find that some familiar symptoms have returned. By reassessing and comparing results, we can get a better understanding of what's changed and how to adjust the approach.
It's another reason I don't rely on pain alone to tell me how someone is progressing.
What changes might you notice?
Patients often tell me they've started sleeping better, or that they're able to do more and stay active for longer without experiencing the same setbacks. Sometimes the changes are more subtle.
I remember one woman who would leave our office and find herself adjusting the rearview mirror in her car. At first, she thought she might have bumped it when getting into the vehicle. Eventually, she realized something else was happening: her posture was changing. She wasn't holding herself in the same protective, guarded position, so the mirror needed to be raised.
It's a small example, but it illustrates how changes in the way we move and hold ourselves can become noticeable in everyday situations.
Everyone responds differently to care, and there's no single timeframe for improvement. That's why we monitor progress and tailor our approach to the individual.
What 25 years in practice has taught me
After 25 years, one thing is clear: no two people are exactly alike.
People may come in with similar symptoms, but that doesn't mean they'll respond to the same approach. What works well for one person might not be right for another.
Over the years, I've developed a range of assessment and treatment tools so I can tailor care to the needs of each individual. Experience has taught me the importance of looking carefully, measuring what I can, and being prepared to adapt rather than assuming there's one solution for everyone.
A different perspective when you've already tried other things
Many people come to see us after trying several other approaches without finding the relief or improvement they were hoping for. That's okay. Sometimes those experiences have helped rule out other possibilities. Sometimes a different perspective is worth exploring.
I won't claim that chiropractic care is the answer to everything. But a neuro-based approach gives us another way to look at the relationship between the spine, nervous system and overall function.
If you're in West Toronto and you're curious about whether this approach might help, the best place to start is with a proper assessment. We'll take the time to understand your concerns, explain what we find, and tailor our recommendations to your particular needs.