Glossary of Terms

Joint Dysfunction

This situation can apply to any joint in the body such as knees, hips, shoulders, etc., but in particular to the vertebrae of the spinal column. A normal healthy joint will move smoothly in all its required planes of movement. However, a dysfunctional joint will have very restricted movement.

Spinal Misalignment

In the case of the spinal column, a dysfunctional joint system will cause one or more of the vertebra to move either to the left or right and become "locked" in that position. This could lead to pain in the immediate area due to overstretched tendons, ligaments and muscles and may also lead to nerve impingement syndrome.

Nerve Impingement Syndrome

In some cases a misaligned vertebra may move out of position enough to touch, compress, stretch or impinge on a nerve exiting from the spinal column. This could lead to pain such as sciatica, as well as disruption of the flow of controlling information from the brain to the various structures and organs that are "fed" by the impinged nerve.