No…not that kind of crack.

I’m talking about the moment when a manual alignment of the human spine reverberates like a fire cracker ripping through the silence of the night. After the crack, chiropractic outcomes seem impossible and are equally as seductive when you consider the long history of life transforming spinal adjustments.

One of my favorite post adjustment moments was with an elder man from the beatnik generation. As I aligned the uppermost vertebra of his neck, the Atlas, we both heard that striking sound of the spine bouncing off the walls. Crunch! His eyes rolled open to poltergeist levels as he exhaled the words “Wow. I can always see colors better after that one, man.”

Emotional releases ranging from robust laughter to actual gasping tears seem to cluster around powerful pelvic adjustments and full moons. Sometimes people start out laughing, and then it sharply turns into crying. Some people cry and laugh simultaneously— the ultimate state of human emotion according to my 2011 daily Dali Llama calendar.

Ask any chiropractor though, it’s not the adjustment that heals you and makes you feel all groovy. That’s just you. You’re supposed to feel that way and heal that way all the time. We just help clear out the crack that clogs up your feel good pathways.

It’s your natural vibration, not the manipulation.

I still tell my patients “don’t get addicted to the crack,” and I’m not talking about the narcotic either. This kind of crack enters the skull through the ears, and what you’re hearing is the sound of the spine’s thirst for alignment being quenched. But, alas, there are other ways to align the spine, many of which do not produce cracking sounds.

It’s not really the crack that you get hooked on either. The post adjustment bliss is deceptively addictive. But I wouldn’t say I’m addicted to it anymore then I am brushing my teeth and I do that twice a day.

So what’s up with crack?

Here is the “Who, What, Where, When, Why and How” of a chiropractic adjustment.

Who does it? Evidence of manipulation has been found among the ancient civilizations of Egypt, Babylon, Syria, Japan, the Incas, Mayans and Native Americans. It’s designed for any being with a spine, especially those who stand perpendicular with the constant universal force of gravity.

What is the sound? The rupture of scar tissue (micro-adhesions) in the joint and the release of internal pressure.

Scar tissue limits range of motion which results in the build up of gas. Watch The video every yogi needs to see to learn about a similar process that occurs in muscles.

Where is this occurring?  In every single cell of a joint. At both the micro and macro level a joint basically works like a pump.  Energy is constantly being used by these cells. Movement is the primary mechanism used to clean out all the by-product that is created during metabolism. Motion also enhances the natural lubrication of most joints.

Herein lies the problem.

Scar tissue = no pumping = no lube = dry, dehydrated joints + a slew of complex inflammatory mechanisms.

When does this occur? Every moment that passes. This is one reason why maintaining postural alignment is such a crucial aspect to human health. Over long periods of time dehydration results in degeneration.

Why does this occur? The scar tissue is a result of lifestyle, posture, prolonged sitting, impurities from food, old injuries, poor attitude, unhealthy emotions and the most blamed causative factor in human health, STRESS.

How is any of this related to improved color vision and transforming lives? A manual alignment releases a joint from the grips of scar tissue allowing for normal joint function. But this is just a side effect of the true mechanism. The essence of chiropractic is found with the improvement of electrical impulse communication throughout your entire being.

So stick around for part 2 if your into brain wave changes (with pictures). And coming soon: fluctuations in consciousness, athletic enhancements, intellectual stimulation, organ nourishment, DNA optimization and the regulation of your fight and flight reflexes.

*Additional thanks to Dr. Tyler White for his beautiful insight and contributions.