How Does Chiropractic Work?
January 17, 2009
Chiropractic doctors practice natural, drugless, non-invasive health care and rely on the body’s ability to self-heal. Sounds ideal, but just how does it work?
We look at the whole picture
Like other health-care providers, we follow a standard routine to gain information about the patient. We consult, review the case history, conduct a physical examination, and we may request laboratory analyses and/or x-rays.
Unlike other health-care providers, however, chiropractic physicians also conduct a careful analysis of the patient’s structure and pay particular attention to the spine. We also ask you about your life— Do you eat well? Exercise at all? How do you deal with stress? Do you have children? What do you do for work? And so on.
We seek the origin of the problem
Using this information, a diagnosis is made. Included in the diagnosis is the probable reason for your pain or discomfort. It is important to note that chiropractors seek the origin of the illness in order to eliminate it-we do not simply treat the symptoms.
If your roof is leaking, do you simply catch the drips in a bucket for years on end, or do you repair the roof to prevent it from leaking? Similarly, if the migraine headache you’ve had all week is being caused by misaligned vertebra and an irritated nerve, do you continue to take pain killers indefinitely, or do you realign the vertebra to prevent the pain? You get the picture.
Chiropractors have a term for misalignments: subluxations. A vertebral subluxation is a misalignment of the bones that protect the spinal cord. It’s a leak in the roof. Or a kink in the wiring of your nervous system.
The severity of the subluxation can vary, and there are a number of potential contributing factors that can be physical, emotional, mental, or chemical. The subluxation can be caused by any number of incidents, from birth trauma to an auto accident to simple repetition or over-use.
Then we help you fix it
When a subluxation occurs, a chiropractor can correct the misaligned bone and allow it to return to its proper position. This procedure is appropriately called an adjustment, and the adjustment enables the body to heal. The leak is fixed. The wiring is fixed. Information is flowing again.
To keep the wiring fixed and the information flowing, several adjustments over a course of time may be necessary, in addition to massage, physical therapy, stretching exercises, or strengthening exercises. In the chiropractic world, keeping the problem fixed and preventing its reoccurrence is just as important as the initial remedy.
Another important aspect of chiropractic care is this: the patient’s improvement is the responsibility of both the doctor and the patient. You will be active in your own care-this is essential in optimizing the care you receive.
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What Is Chiropractic?
January 17, 2009
According to The Association of Chiropractic Colleges, “chiropractic is a health care discipline which emphasizes the inherent recuperative power of the body to heal itself without the use of drugs or surgery. The practice of chiropractic focuses on the relationship between structure (primarily the spine) and function (as coordinated by the nervous system) and how that relationship affects the preservation and restoration of health.”
Origins
The “founding father” of chiropractic, Dr. D.D. Palmer, developed a theory that spinal misalignment caused nerve pressure or irritation which in turn caused various ailments. He realized that the structure and condition of the body influenced how the body functioned and its ability to heal itself, without the use of drugs or surgery.
This simple philosophy has healed people and has prevented unwanted injury and illness for over a century! But to fully understand the chiropractic perspective, one must learn a bit about the nervous system, or how our bodies are “wired.”
Our wiring
The nervous system consists of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. The brain is divided into sections and stores and receives an incredible amount of information. But this information needs a way to get in and out. Nerves provide a pathway for this information to travel, and the spinal cord is made up of bundles of these nerves. The spine both houses and protects the spinal cord.
Nerve dysfunction can result from any number of factors, such as falls, accidents, stress, tension, or over-use. These events can alter our “wiring” and create pain or discomfort in our bodies.
Getting to the source
Doctors of chiropractic are trained to locate the source of the pain or discomfort— it may actually be far from the actual location where the symptom is occurring— and then we correct or adjust the joints in the body and set it up to heal on its own.
Of course, the type of correction or adjustment employed by the chiropractor depends on the condition being treated, but you get the main idea. The important thing to remember is that chiropractic success occurs by addressing the source of the problem, not just masking the symptoms.
Holistic efficiency
Because helping the body heal itself involves many facets, chiropractors also provide lifestyle advice to help prevent illness and injury. Diet & nutrition, fitness, ergonomics, and other areas in your life contribute, or diminish, your overall health. By making the right choices, one can live a life full of wellness and vitality.
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Testimonials
January 16, 2009
Hear what our patients are saying…
“ My allergies, digestion, joints and my overall health has greatly improved!“ -Carole R.
“Not only did I feel great throughout my pregnancy, but I know that my labor went easily because of chiropractic. Now I tell every pregnant woman to get to a chiropractor!” -Bernie G.
“ With chiropractic I have had incredible relief after a very serious car accident. Nothing has made me feel better than chiropractic.” -Stephanie R.
“I made my first chiropractic appointment out of desperation. Even though I had completed Kaiser’s 10-week back care program, my back and hips still hurt so much that I could not sleep at night. My health deteriorated because I was exhausteddue to lack of sleep, an dI cried at night because nothing I did alleviated the pain. My first chiropractic adjustment gave me instant relief. After a few appointments I felt good again.” -Barbara I.
“I urge all the people I know personally to seek chiropractic treatment. It works wonders!” -Charley T.
“I am a full time mother of a four-year old boy. I also write grants for a living. Both my son and I initiated chiropractic care at Family Life in August 2004, but for completely different symptoms. My reason for starting care was for right leg pain that I had been experiencing at night six months prior to my initial visit to FLC. It was a rather annoying pain that kept me up night after night, interrupting my daily life due to lack of sleep, and of course, invaluable time I could have been spending with my son and the things I loved to do like singing in the choir and golfing. My son’s, Jeremy’s, condition was at the other end of the spectrum. For almost two and a half years he had constant gastro-intestinal problems. At that time our lives were very difficult because he was constantly constipated and irritable as a result. We felt that a hold was placed on all our lives because of his irritablity, inability to eat or sleep, and thus inability to lead a normal two-year old’s life. We had consulted two different GI specialists and test after test, laxative after laxative, enema after enema, along with daily motility drugs, suppositories, etc nothing seemed to work for Jeremy. It was rather disheartening and frustrating. Now after three months of chiropractic care at FLC, not only is my leg pain non-existent, but who would have thought that Jeremy’s issue was resolved to a large extent as well! He is no longer on the motility medications, no more enemas or suppositories and the only thing that changed in our lives was the addition of chiropractic care. The impact on my family’s life cannot be expressed verbally…we have our little boy back in full force. He is eating, sleeping, less irritable…all the things we take for granted on a daily basis. My advice to anyone considering chiropractic care is to be open-minded and realize that the effects and benefits of chiropractic care are far-reaching!” -Ellen H.
