The focus of chiropractic is to help the body heal correctly, realign the spine, relieve pain, increase immunity, boost mood, help proper organ function, nutrition, rehabilitation, and exercise all without the aid of harmful drugs and chemicals. 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 nerve 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. A subluxation is when the bones of a joint become misaligned. This causes pressure on the nerves coming out of the bones. This leads to symptoms of pain, numbness, and other disorders. There are three causes of subluxation : thoughts, toxins, and trauma. In other words, stress, anxiety, depression, environmental pollutants, poor diet, accidents, falls, poor posture, improper sleeping, sitting, standing and etc. may lead to subluxation. Chiropractors locate and correct the areas of the spine not functioning properly. The correction is done through a procedure called an adjustment. The word adjustment describes a specific movement that is directed with specific force. This gentle force allows the vertebra to return to a more normal position and movement. No! Your initial care plan will be based on your particular case. The chiropractor will provide with information and recommendations for your personal case so that you can get optimal results. However the decision is always up to the patient. No but you should expect relief within a short period of time. In most cases the underlying problem did not occur overnight. Subluxations don't often cause pain, people are unaware of a problem and do not get them fixed until after major damage has been done, at which point the pain usually begins. It simply takes time and effort to heal. Well yes and no… It will heal but often incorrectly. The body adapts to whatever situations that occur. Chiropractors help ensure the healing is done with proper spinal alignment. Your chiropractor has treated you, so allowing your body to heal, but if you continue the lifestyle which caused the original condition, regular treatment should also continue. Your chiropractor will begin your first consultation by taking a full case history. Then you will be given orthopedic and neurological tests and the movement of your spine and joints will be checked. X-rays are usually necessary to assist the diagnosis. If your chiropractor identifies an underlying condition for
which other treatment is appropriate, you will be referred to
your GP or another specialist without delay. Do children need chiropractic care?Since significant spinal trauma can occur at birth, many parents have their newborns checked for vertebral subluxation. 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 often be 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. Are all patients adjusted the same way?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. Is chiropractic safe?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. What causes the sound during an adjustment?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. Can I adjust myself?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! Can a person who had back surgery see a chiropractor?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. Does chiropractic work for all types of health problems?No, however chiropractic care is successful with a very wide variety of health problems 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. Is it OK to see a chiropractor if I'm pregnant?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. Why do chiropractors take x-rays?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 correcting the spine back to optimal health and alignment. In the context of health care procedures, chiropractic treatments have a good safety record. About 30 million people see a chiropractor each year, and only a handful report serious injuries. The most common side effect of chiropractic adjustments is slight soreness, which you can usually relieve by icing the sore area. It's a good idea, though, to tell both your chiropractor and your regular doctor about each other, so they can coordinate your care. Any health care procedure carries some risks; compared to even the risk of taking aspirin, the procedures used by doctors of chiropractic are very safe. Recent medical research has linked a particular chiropractic treatment, in extremely rare cases, with stroke. A number of peer-reviewed neurology journals and the Stanford University Medical Center's stroke center have reviewed reports of strokes following head and neck manipulation that had been performed by chiropractors and untrained providers as well. A study published in a peer-reviewed chiropractic journal, The Journal of Manipulative Physiological Therapy, found that the incidence of stroke following manipulation was low, but concluded that "there seems to be sufficient evidence to justify a firm policy statement cautioning against upper cervical rotation as a technique of first choice." (Neurology journals warn that any patients with neck pain or cerebrovascular problems should see a physician.) |