Subluxation

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A subluxation is an incomplete or partial dislocation. (Latin: luxatio)^[1]

Contents 1 Medicine 1.1 Examples 2 Ophthalmology 3 Chiropractic vertebral subluxation 4 References

[edit] Medicine

In medicine, a subluxation is an incomplete or partial dislocation (Latin: luxatio) ^[2] of a joint or organ.^[1] A dislocation of any joint will usually need medical attention to help relocate or reduce the joint, although some patients will report the joint relocating by itself^{[citation needed]}. It is a "significant structural displacement, and therefore visible on static imaging studies."^[3]

[edit] Examples

Nursemaid's elbow is the subluxation of the head of the radius in the elbow. Other joints that are prone to subluxations are the shoulders, fingers, and kneecaps. A spinal subluxation is relatively rare but can sometimes impinge on spinal nerve roots causing symptoms in the areas served by those roots.

[edit] Ophthalmology

In ophthalmology, subluxation is most often used in the context of describing ectopia lentis, an ocular condition characterized by a displaced or malpositioned lens within the eye. ^[4] Although a relatively rare disorder, subluxated lenses are frequently found in those who have had ocular trauma and those with certain systemic disorders, such as Marfan syndrome and homocystinuria. Some subluxated lenses may require removal, as in the case of those that float freely or those that have opacified to form cataracts.

[edit] Chiropractic vertebral subluxation

In chiropractic, a vertebral subluxation is defined as a relatively common condition in which a spinal vertebra has lost its proper juxtaposition with one or both of its neighboring vertebrae. While not as extreme as a luxation, doctors of chiropracty believe they cause nerve impingement. Much of chiropractic medicine is founded upon these subluxations' interference with the transmission of mental impulses, causing "dis-ease" and negatively affecting systemic health.

The degree of structural displacement of the chiropractic vertebral subluxation may not necessarily be "visible on static imaging studies. Despite this, chiropractic methods often claim to be able to sense them anyway, and be able to successfully correct them. "^[3]

[edit] References