- What is chiropractic care?
- How des chiropractic work?
- What type of education do chiropractic doctors receive?
- What is a chiropractic adjustment?
- Can I tell if I have a subluxation?
- Do children need chiropractic care?
- Are all patients adjusted the same way?
- Is chiropractic safe?
- What causes the sound during an adjustment?
- Can I adjust myself?
- Is chiropractic care addictive?
- Can a person who had back surgery see a chiropractor?
- Does chiropractic work for all types of health problems?
- Is it OK to see a chiropractor if I'm pregnant?
- What is the difference between a chiropractor and an osteopath?
- Why do chiropractors take x-rays?
- Is a good work-out the same as getting adjusted?
There's nothing mysterious about chiropractic. It's a natural
method of health care that focuses on treating the causes of
physical problems, rather than just treating the symptoms.
Chiropractic is based on a simple but powerful premise. With a
normally functioning spine and healthy nervous system, your body is
better able to heal itself. That's because your spine is the
lifeline of your nervous system. It controls feeling, movement, and
all function through your body.
Chiropractic works by restoring your body's inborn ability to be
healthy. When under the proper control of your nervous system, all
the cells, tissues, and organs of your body are designed to resist
disease and ill health. The chiropractic approach to better health
is to locate and remove interferences (subluxations, misaligned
vertebrae) to your nervous system. With improved spinal function,
there is improved nervous system function. The goal of the
chiropractor is to remove interference that may be impairing normal
health through specific chiropractic adjustments, allowing your body
to heal itself. A healthy spine and a healthy lifestyle are your
keys to optimal health!
Doctors of Chiropractic are well educated. Chiropractic education
and medical education are similar in many respects and different in
others because chiropractors do not prescribe drugs or perform
surgery, and medical doctors do not correct vertebral subluxations.
After graduating with a Doctor of Chiropractic (D.C.) Degree, each
candidate passes the demanding four part National Board
Examinations. Then, doctors apply to a governmental or professional
licensing board and pass a still more difficult test before earning
the privilege to practice. A chiropractor's education, however,
never ends. Most doctors complete regular postgraduate instruction
for license renewal and to stay current on the latest research and
adjustment techniques.
A chiropractic adjustment is the art of using a specific force in
a precise direction, applied to a joint that is subluxated, "locked
up," or not moving properly. The purpose of this safe and natural
procedure is to eliminate interference to the nervous system,
improving spinal function and overall health. "Gentle spinal
adjustments boost your body's immunity".
Not always. A subluxation is like a dental cavity--you may
have it for a long time before symptoms appear. That's why periodic
spinal checkups are so important. Although it may be possible to
know you have a subluxation, it is rarely possible to be sure you
don't. Regular spinal checkups are always a good idea, and they
promote good health from the inside out.
Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many
parents have their newborns checked for vertebral subluxations.
Naturally, chiropractic adjusting procedures are adapted for the
child's spine. Many childhood health complaints that are brushed off
can be traced to the spine. Health problems that emerge in adulthood
could have often been prevented by having your children's spine
checked by a chiropractor early. Most parents report that their
children enjoy their chiropractic adjustments and are healthier than
their peers.
No. The doctor evaluates each patient's unique spinal
problem and develops an individual course of care. Each chiropractic
adjustment builds on the one before. The resulting recommendations
are based upon years of training and experience. Each patient's care
is uniquely different from every other patient.
Yes. Chiropractic has an excellent safety record. It is the
result of a conservative and natural approach to health that avoids
invasive procedures or addictive drugs. As proof, one merely has to
compare malpractice rates between chiropractors and other health
care professionals. Chiropractors' malpractice premiums are a small
fraction of those for medical doctors.
Actually, adjustments do not always produce a sound. Often,
however, adjustments do create the sound of a spinal "release," or
"popping" sound. The sound is caused by gas rushing in to fill the
partial vacuum created when the joints are slightly separated. This
sound is painless and totally harmless.
No. Since a chiropractic adjustment is a specific force,
applied in a specific direction to a specific joint, it is virtually
impossible to adjust oneself correctly and accurately. It is
possible to turn or bend or twist in certain ways to create a
"popping" sound that sometimes accompanies a chiropractic
adjustment. Unfortunately, this type of joint manipulation is
usually counterproductive, often making an already unstable spine
even more unstable, and can sometimes be dangerous. Adjusting the
spine is not for amateurs!
No. If only it were, there would be more healthy people
around and chiropractors would not get patients who last saw a
chiropractor "a few years ago when their back went out." It is
possible to get used to feeling more balanced, less stressed, and
more energetic as a result of regular chiropractic care.
Chiropractic is not addictive, however, good health is.
Yes. It's an unfortunate fact that up to half of those who
had spinal surgery discover a return of their original symptoms
months or years later. They then face the prospect of additional
surgery. This too common occurrence is known as "Failed Back Surgery
Syndrome". Chiropractic may help prevent repeated back surgeries. In
fact, if chiropractic care is initially utilized, back surgery can
often be avoided in the first place.
No, however chiropractic care is successful with a very
wide variety of health challenges not necessarily considered "back"
problems because of improved nerve system function. With a normal
nerve supply the body's natural healing capacity can improve a
variety of health problems.
Anytime is a good time for a better functioning nerve
system. Pregnant mothers find that chiropractic adjustments improve
their pregnancy and make delivery easier for themselves and their
baby. Adjusting methods are always adapted to a patients size,
weight, age, and condition of health.
Chiropractors base their care on the detection correction,
and prevention of vertebral subluxations (spinal misalignments). We
use specific spinal adjustments to correct the spine, to improve
nerve system functions and reduce nerve interference. Osteopaths use
drugs, surgery, and other traditional medical therapies and only
occasionally use manipulative procedures.
Chiropractors take x-rays to reveal the internal structure
and alignment of the spine. We are also concerned about underlying
disease processes and disorders of the spine such as spinal
deterioration, arthritis of the spine, abnormal development, bone
spurs, disc disorders, tumors and spinal curvature. X-rays also
provide a blueprint for alignment of the spine and restoring optimal
health.
No. Exercise is an important part of good health, yet
without normal spinal function a physical workout merely puts
additional wear and tear on improperly functioning spinal joint
