The sources of the afferent information from the locomotor system are the neurological receptors in the joints, muscles, ligaments, fascia, and skin. The CNS reads a "symphony"3 of signals from the various receptors at once -- it does not generally recognize individual receptors. Likewise, the CNS sends out its own "symphony," informing each part of the body as to what actions it should be taking to best serve the system as a whole.
Under normal circumstances this system works beautifully and harmoniously, but if there develops some type of dysfunction in the locomotor system -- anywhere in the locomotor system -- the afferent symphony of communication becomes disrupted. It is as if one were listening to an orchestra performing Beethoven's Ninth Symphony, and suddenly the clarinet section started playing "Born to Run" by Bruce Springsteen. Because of the conflicting signals being sent to it, the CNS gets a distorted picture. And because the locomotor system works as an integrated unit, this dysfunction spreads to other areas of the system in compensation, which further distorts the already jumbled piece of "music" that the CNS is hearing. The symphony that the CNS sends out to the secondary machinery (as well as back to the locomotor system) is composed on the basis of what was communicated to it by the primary machinery. If this afferent communication is distorted, then the efferent communication will be as well (in the computer world, this is known as "garbage in, garbage out" -- GIGO).
As chiropractic physicians, we have the unique ability to look at the human body in this perspective. But in order to do this we must take a few steps back and look at this beautiful machine with a global perspective. We have often criticized allopathic medicine as being reductionistic, breaking the body down into its component parts and looking at each part as if it operated completely separate from the rest. But by reducing the locomotor system to just a spine or, worse yet, just a set of spinal joints, we are also failing to appreciate the human body's tremendous integration, organization, and breadth. The spinal joints and muscles are especially important to the overall communication network because of their incredibly dense receptor populations, but from the atlas-occiput joint to the quadratus plantae muscles of the feet, information from the entire locomotor apparatus is constantly being sent into the control center, and the integrity and coordination of this information is of the utmost importance to the health of the individual as a whole.
By taking this global viewpoint we will truly be able to be "holistic" in our approach to our patients. In order to do this, of course, we must be able to not only analyze and treat the joints of the spine, but to adequately assess the function of the joints, muscles, skin, and fascia, as well as the movement patterns of the entire body. A large task, I admit, but considering the benefits to the millions of people suffering from disorders arising from the subluxation complex, it is worth it.
References
- Murphy, D.M. "The neglected muscular system: Its role in the pathogenesis of the subluxation complex." J Chiro 1991; 26 (12): 36-40.
- Korr, I.M. "The spinal cord as organizer of disease processes: II The peripheral autonomic nervous system." JAOA 1979; 79 (2): 82-90.
- Korr, I.M. "The spinal cord as organizer of disease processes: some preliminary perspectives." JAOA 1976; 76: 35-45.
Donald R. Murphy, D.C.
Westerly, Rhode Island
Dr. Donald R. Murphy graduated from New York Chiropractic College in 1988 and thereafter obtained three years of postgraduate education in neurology. He is the clinical director of the Rhode Island Spine Center in Pawtucket, R.I., as well as clinical assistant professor at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University. He maintains a busy primary spine care practice and lectures worldwide on various topics related to spinal disorders. Dr. Murphy also serves as president of the West Hartford Group.