Part II – Energy

By Dr. Christian Guenette 

Alignment Affects Energy 

Have you ever felt chronically fatigued?  Have you ever felt that a workout was harder than expected?  Perhaps an ‘easy’ 5km run felt more like it was a tough 10km?  You may not know it, but you could have been experiencing an alignment problem – and this may have been what was ‘zapping’ your energy.

When proper alignment is lacking, our physiological systems are required to work harder, consuming more energy and functioning less efficiently, leaving you feeling drained when you are not expected to be.  If you experience this condition over a long period of time, this could be one of the factors that leads to the feeling of ‘chronic fatigue’.

Alignment for Locomotion 

Mechanically-speaking, the body functions best when all moving parts are in a state of ease and alignment.  It’s nature’s design.  Symmetry can be observed in the human body from left to right, and our undulating spinal curves help to absorb the shock of walking, running and jumping.  When the body is in this naturally-aligned state, minimal stress is felt in the joints, and movement is relatively easy. 

When the body experiences postural misalignment, greater muscular effort is required to keep you upright relative to gravity, and this can result in the typical feeling of being more ‘tense’ in areas.  Increased tension in the muscular system leads to greater compressive loading of your joints.  Consequently, freedom of movement within the joint will decrease.  With less movement, the surfaces of the joints receive less nutrition, and this can lead to early degenerative joint disease, also known as osteoarthritis. 

When joints are restricted due to poor alignment, more muscle contraction will be required to produce the same movement.  Since movement represents the conversion of cellular energy to kinetic energy, joint restriction produces a greater drain on the body’s energy systems.  Thus, even the simplest movements will require greater effort.  Over time, if this misalignment persists, it can contribute to the feelings of fatigue and chronic pain. 

Wherever muscle tension and joint restriction exist, tendons and ligaments are also prone to experiencing greater tension, which can lead to ‘friction spots’ wherever they cross each other.  Inflammation typically accompanies these areas of friction, and tendonitis and bursitis are commonly found associated with joints that are not aligned quite right.

Alignment and Circulation 

Regarding the body’s fuel distribution systems, alignment in the body is also very important.  Blood vessels often pass right through the belly muscles.  Therefore, if misalignment exists in the musculoskeletal system, abnormal tension in the muscles can cause abnormal compression of blood vessels in these tight areas.  Varicose veins are a common sign that this type of compression exists.  When tissues do not have proper venous drainage, waste removal can be hindered, and toxicity can build up in these cells, creating ill-health.  When arteries are compressed, tissues supplied by these blood vessels will receive less nutrition and oxygen.  Energy is produced by the combustion of glucose in the presence of oxygen, and therefore cells will not survive without oxygen or food.  Many diseased states can be caused by the deprivation of proper circulation, which in turn may be directly caused by improper alignment of the body. 

Alignment and Brain-Body Communication 

Last but not least, alignment of the human frame is influential in the proper functioning of the brain-body communication network.  The brain is the master-controller of our physiology, and it communicates with the rest of the body via the nervous system.  The main conduit of this communication network is the spinal cord, contained within the column of the 24 vertebrae (plus sacrum and coccyx) that make up the spine.  Information is passed along this system by means of electrical impulses, and these impulses represent a form of energy transmission.  It has been shown that when vertebrae get out of alignment, this can cause either inflammation or ‘pinching’ of nerves, both of which may interfere with the electrical transmission of information along these nerves.  When the electrical transmission of these impulses are diminished, proper feedback loops between the brain and the body, required for the healthy regulation of all physical systems, cannot be maintained.  As a result, dysfunctional patterns are likely to develop in any tissue affected by this communication breakdown. 

Have your Alignment Checked Regularly 

As many systems of the body can be affected by misalignment, paying attention to your alignment is critical to your health.  Aches and pains, strains and sprains, and symptoms of chronic fatigue can all be caused by misalignment.  Particularly important is the spine – as all other systems depend upon the proper alignment of this part of the body.  Chiropractors are specifically trained in the detection and correction of spinal misalignment.  Check in with your local chiropractor for a spinal assessment – you will be amazed at how many different symptoms you may be having could be caused by misalignment!