Subluxation as a Signal: A Functional Interpretation of the ICA’s Updated Definition
“The purpose of an adjustment is not to treat pain, but to reset the system.”
I’ve been thinking about this for weeks—especially in light of what’s happening in Montana and across the country.
The ICA’s updated definition of vertebral subluxation might be one of the most important shifts in language our profession has made in decades. It’s simple. It's clear. And it gives us the opportunity to speak with unity—across techniques, philosophies, and generations of chiropractors.
This is a moment. Not just to protect what we do, but to define who we are—and what we stand for in a healthcare system that desperately needs a new model.
This piece is my personal and professional response to the new definition:
why it matters, how we interpret it through modern neurophysiology, and what it means for the future of Chiropractic.
If you’re feeling the weight of this moment and want language that moves us forward—this is for you.
Introduction: The Language of Relevance
Let’s be honest—there’s been a lot of confusion, even inside the profession, about what a subluxation actually is. Is it a bone out of place? A static lesion? A philosophical metaphor?
The reality is, if we’re going to move the conversation forward, both in the public and professional space, we need language that is both clinically relevant and neurologically accurate.
That’s what the ICA’s updated definition finally gives us.
“A chiropractic vertebral subluxation is a potentially reversible or preventable alteration of spinal motion segments from normal alignment or function associated with adverse neurophysiological activity that can be connected to whole person health.”
This definition isn’t a departure from our roots—it’s an evolution. It brings clarity without watering down our identity. It reflects what we now understand through neuroscience, movement science, and systems thinking: that the spine is a regulator of brain function, not just a stack of bones we adjust.
"A potentially reversible or preventable alteration..."
This sets the stage beautifully.
We’re not talking about pathology. We’re talking about functional thresholds. About subtle, correctable shifts in spinal segment integrity that can either be restored—or prevented altogether—through proper care.
This aligns exactly with what we see in practice. Before degeneration, before chronic compensation patterns, before the MRI findings—there’s altered movement, altered tone, altered input.
And if we don’t intervene early, that signal degrades. The system adapts downward. The body starts protecting instead of performing.
"...of spinal motion segments from normal alignment or function..."
Let’s get this clear: we’re not just chasing alignment for aesthetics.
Alignment in this context speaks to gravitational load, proprioceptive integrity, and spatial signaling to the brain. If a vertebral segment is stuck, rotated, or hypomobile, it’s not just a structural problem—it’s a sensory input distortion.
Function is the keyword here. We’re talking about joint play, muscular tone, ligamentous tension, CNS regulation.
This is not about chasing perfect posture—it’s about restoring dynamic adaptability.
"...associated with adverse neurophysiological activity..."
This is the game-changer.
This is what we’ve always known but haven’t always said clearly: a subluxation is a neurological event.
Not a bone out of place. Not a stuck joint. But a neurological misfire—an interference in the way the body receives, processes, and responds to information.
Think afferent bombardment. Think nociceptive load. Think dysautonomia.
When the input is distorted, the output becomes dysfunctional. This is where we see the cascade: altered tone, impaired organ regulation, slowed reflexes, poor postural control, and emotional instability.
The spine becomes less of a stabilizer and more of a stressor.
"...that can be connected to whole person health."
This final clause is perhaps the most essential.
It affirms what Chiropractic has always held true: that the spine is not a mechanical artifact to be corrected—it is a neurological interface. When its integrity is compromised, the implications ripple far beyond the musculoskeletal system.
Altered input at the level of the spinal segment changes the way the brain interprets the internal and external world. This has downstream effects on metabolism, immune surveillance, emotional regulation, motor coordination, and adaptability under stress.
We are not adjusting joints to chase pain relief. We are influencing the central nervous system’s ability to self-regulate, repair, and respond.
When spinal motion is restored and adverse neurophysiological activity is reduced, the system is no longer in defense. It is able to function. And that is what health is: not the absence of symptoms, but the presence of resilience.
Why This Language Matters Now
In a healthcare landscape increasingly defined by reductionism, the updated ICA definition offers a rare and necessary reframe. It reclaims the complexity of human health while providing a structure that is understandable, teachable, and defensible—both within our profession and in interdisciplinary conversations.
It shifts the narrative from correction of static misalignments to restoration of dynamic function. From structure-only thinking to systems-based reasoning.
This language allows chiropractors to communicate clearly with neurologists, physical therapists, primary care providers, and the public—without abandoning the unique lens that makes Chiropractic essential. It speaks the language of physiology, adaptation, and pattern recognition, not outdated mechanistic concepts.
And perhaps most importantly, it reflects the clinical reality we encounter every day: people are not suffering from isolated joint dysfunctions—they’re suffering from a loss of physiological coherence.
Function Over Pathology: A Critical Distinction
Modern medicine waits for failure. It classifies dysfunction only once it becomes disease.
Chiropractic operates upstream.
The altered motion segment we identify as subluxation may not show up on imaging. It may not elevate a biomarker. But its presence—as measured by changes in tone, reflex activity, postural asymmetry, and adaptive capacity—is no less real.
This is not theoretical. It’s observable. Reproducible. Impactful.
By centering on function rather than pathology, we engage with patients before the downward spiral. We intervene at the level of regulation—not repair. This is where Chiropractic thrives. And it’s where this definition succeeds.
Toward a Unified Language of Health
This definition does more than clarify what a subluxation is. It offers a common language for a profession that has long struggled to articulate its identity—both to the public and to itself.
For decades, chiropractors have been split between mechanistic explanations and vitalistic philosophy, often unsure of how to reconcile the two. This definition creates space for both: grounded in neurophysiology, yet expansive enough to honor the innate intelligence of the human body.
It allows us to speak clearly—not just about what we adjust, but why we do it.
This is the core distinction:
We are not managing disease. We are not treating symptoms.
We are restoring the conditions necessary for the body to thrive.
I do not recommend nutrition to treat illness. I teach people to fuel health.
I do not adjust joints to reduce pain. I adjust to restore neurological integrity.
This is the vitalistic lens—not mystical, but functional. Not abstract, but actionable. It reorients health around function, adaptability, and growth, not just the avoidance of pathology.
And with this definition, chiropractors now have the words to express that vision consistently, confidently, and in alignment with the best of both science and tradition.
Chiropractic’s Role in the Future of Health
This updated definition is not simply an academic revision. It’s an invitation.
An invitation to the profession to rise—out of symptom-based survival and into systems-level transformation.
It’s time we stop explaining Chiropractic as an alternative to medicine. It is not that. It is an entirely different paradigm.
Where medicine waits for disease, we recognize the early markers of dysfunction.
Where others manage conditions, we restore conditions for healing.
Where others chase data, we measure function.
This definition allows us to say what we do without apologizing. To teach it without dilution. To practice it without compromise.
We don’t wait for the body to break down.
We build it up. We re-pattern it.
We adjust not because something is wrong, but because something could be more right.
And in doing so, we reclaim our role—not just as clinicians of the spine, but as architects of adaptability.
Closing Thought
Chiropractic is not the treatment of illness.
It is the reinforcement of intelligence.
And the ICA’s definition finally gives us the vocabulary to say so.
I’m available for university lectures, podcasts, and professional development workshops. Let’s reframe how we think about health—starting at the nervous system.
Dr. Dan Wilson, DC | Authentic Chiropractic
