Do You Have Back Pain?

Subluxation Correction

in Athens, Georgia

What Is A Subluxation And What Does It Do To Me?

In simplest terms, a subluxation (a.k.a. Vertebral Subluxation) is when one or more of the bones of your spine (vertebrae) move out of position and create pressure on, or irritate spinal nerves. Spinal nerves are the nerves that come out from between each of the bones in your spine. This pressure or irritation on the nerves then causes those nerves to malfunction and interfere with the signals traveling over those nerves.


How does this affect you? Your nervous system controls and coordinates all the functions of your body. If you interfere with the signals traveling over nerves, parts of your body will not get the proper nerve messages and will not be able to function at 100% of their innate abilities. In other words, some part of your body will not be working properly. It is the responsibility of the Doctor of Chiropractic to locate subluxations, and reduce or correct them. This is done through a series of chiropractic adjustments specifically designed to correct the vertebral subluxations in your spine. Chiropractors are the only professionals who undergo years of training to be the experts at correcting subluxations.

Illustration of a herniated spinal disc compressing nearby nerves in the lower spine
Illustration of a spinal vertebra subluxation with labeled normal and misaligned vertebrae, discs, and nerve irritation

Now, the detailed explanation.

Subluxations are really a combination of changes going on at the same time. These changes occur both in your spine and throughout your body. For this reason chiropractors often refer to vertebral subluxations as the "Vertebral Subluxation Complex", or "VSC" for short.


In the VSC, various things are happening inside your body simultaneously. These various changes, known as "components," are all part of the vertebral subluxation complex. Chiropractors commonly recognize five categories of components present in the VSC. These five are:


The osseous (bone) component is where the vertebrae are either out of position, not moving properly, or are undergoing physical changes such as degeneration. This component is sometimes known as kinesiopathology.

The Nerve Component is the malfunctioning of the nerve. Research has shown that only a small amount of pressure on spinal nerves can have a profound impact on the function of the nerves. This component is scientifically known as neuropathology.


The Muscle Component is also involved. Since the muscles help hold the vertebrae in place, and since nerves control the muscles themselves, muscles are an integral part of any VSC. In fact, muscles both affect, and are affected by the VSC. This component is known as myopathology.


The Soft Tissue Component is when you have misaligned vertebrae and pressure on nerves resulting in changes in the surrounding soft tissues. This means the tendons, ligaments, blood supply, and other tissues undergo changes. These changes can occur at the point of the VSC or far away at some end point of the affected nerves. This component is also known as histopathology.

The Chemical Component is when all these components of the VSC are acting on your body, and therefore causing some degree of chemical changes. These chemical changes can be slight or massive depending on what parts of your body are affected by your subluxations. This component is often known as biochemical abnormalities.


Chiropractors have known about the dangers of subluxations for over one hundred years. Today, more scientific evidence is showing the dangers of subluxations and the health benefits of correcting them. To be truly healthy, it is vital that your nervous system be functioning free of interference from subluxations. Our goal is to allow your body to return itself to the highest level of health possible by correcting VSC. Chiropractors are the ONLY health professionals trained in the detection, location, and correction of the VSC.

What Our Patients Are Saying

★★★★★
"I can't say enough how pleased I am for going in to see Dr Huppert. I was at a point with lower back and leg pain it was affecting my work as a Exterminating Company owner in my daily work along with just walking and doing normal every day things. After about 5 visits now I feel like a different fella. Did yard work for six hours last week and went to the Atlanta Nascar race this past Sunday and had a great time. Son even noticed how much better I am getting around. Dr Huppert and his whole staff are awesome. Couldn't recommend them enough !!!!"
Lanier P.
★★★★★
"I can't say enough about the staff at Five Points. I had a chiropractor that I was previously seeing but, would not work with the VA for me. I found Five Points and must say that I am extremely happy things didn't work out with my previous chiropractor. They are much more thorough, address my issues as needed, make me feel welcomed and have helped me with my VA paperwork. They have everything in office to address your needs and to ensure that you are getting excellent chiropractic care. I highly recommend Five Points!!"
Michael K.
★★★★★
"Dr. Huppert came highly recommend by a friend, and he has been amazing! I had a back injury that had lasted for months, and in just a couple visits I was pain free day to day. They pay attention to detail, get to know you as a person, and provide excellent information on home care and stretching in easy to follow formats. Everyone working in the office is kind and personable, and I couldn’t have asked for a better care provider. I love the chiropractic methods they employ, and can feel the results settling in for days after, not just immediately after the appointment. Thank you guys for the relief!"
Emili P.